Joseph Arthur | Artist
Joseph Arthur is an American singer-songwriter and artist born 1971 in Akron, Ohio. He is best known for his solo material, and as a member of Fistful of Mercy and RNDM. At age 16, Arthur played bass in a blues band called Frankie Starr and the Chill Factor, which disbanded by 1995. Initially he wanted to become a noted bass guitarist, along the lines of Jaco Pastorius. But once he became immersed in the music of Nirvana and Bob Dylan he started singing, playing acoustic guitar and writing songs. With his folkish brand of alt-rock, Arthur has built his reputation on several critically acclaimed releases and his unique solo live performances which often incorporate the use of a number of distortion and loop pedals. His shows are usually recorded live at the soundboard and made available to concertgoers immediately following the show. Arthur was discovered by Peter Gabriel in the mid-1990s, and signed to Gabriel's Real World label as the first North American artist on the label's roster. His debut album Big City Secrets (1997) and follow-up Come to Where I'm From (2000) were released on Real World. Arthur then worked on independent labels between 2002 and 2006 before establishing his own record label Lonely Astronaut Records in 2006. He released two studio albums, Let's Just Be (2007) and Temporary People (2008) with backing band The Lonely Astronauts before subsequently returning to performing and recording as a solo artist. To-date Arthur has released 17 studio albums plus numerous EPs and Singles. Standouts include Redemption's Son (2002), Our Shadows Will Remain (2004), Nuclear Daydream (2006) and The Ballad of Boogie Christ Acts I & II (2013). Arthur is also an acclaimed painter and designer; his artwork has appeared on all of his releases, with the sleeve design for his 1999 EP Vacancy being nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package. The artist set up his personal art gallery The Museum of Modern Arthur in June 2007 as a brick and mortar location in Brooklyn's DUMBO District but were later evicted from the building.
Artist Website: josepharthur.com
Featured Albums: Joseph Arthur
Related Artists: Fistful of Mercy, Holding the Void
Video Clips: In The Sun, Come Back World, Saint of Impossible Causes
