Biography
Combining the lively melodies and memorable hooks of power pop with hard rock's forceful drive and the closer focus of acoustic singer-songwriter material, Canadian vocalist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Joel Plaskett shapes his sound accordingly. After serving in the 1990s indie rock groups Thrush Hermit and Neuseiland, he began releasing work under his own name in 1999. His third solo project, the three-part collection Three, appeared in 2009, secured a Juno Award for Best Adult Alternative Album, and earned a Polaris Music Prize nomination. His sixth solo effort, the expansive 44 from 2020, spread 44 songs across four LPs.
William Joel MacDonald Plaskett entered the world in 1975 in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, grew up in Halifax, and started creating music during his early teenage years. Folk performer Bill Plaskett, his father, stood among his key influences. In 1992 Joel assembled Thrush Hermit alongside guitarist Rob Benvie, bassist Ian McGettigan, and drummer Michael Catano. Serving as lead vocalist, guitarist, and chief songwriter, he guided the band through two full-length albums and three EPs before the group dissolved in 1999. That year he issued his debut solo concept album, In Need of Medical Attention, which shifted toward a power-pop-leaning, introspective indie style distinct from Thrush Hermit's heavier approach. Around the same period he joined Charles Austin and Drew Yamada on guitar, keyboardist Andrew Glencross, and bassist Tim Stewart in Neuseiland, where he handled drums; the quartet released one self-titled album in 2000 before splitting.
Plaskett's follow-up, 2001's Down at the Khyber, introduced the Joel Plaskett Emergency—Plaskett on vocals and guitar, Tim Brennan on bass, and Dave Marsh on drums—and brought a Juno Award nomination for Best New Artist. The 2003 release Truthfully, Truthfully marked his first major commercial success at home. In 2004 he appeared on television for the first time, serving as a coach on the CBC series Rock Camp.
He headed to Arizona to cut the 2005 solo album La De Da, performing most instruments himself while former Thrush Hermit colleague Ian McGettigan contributed bass and Jon Rauhouse added pedal steel. Reassembling the Emergency, he delivered the 2007 concept album Ashtray Rock, then returned to solo work with Three in 2009. The triple set received another Polaris nomination, claimed the Juno for Best Adult Alternative Album, and entered the Canadian albums chart's top 15 for the first time. In March 2012 he issued Scrappy Happiness, ten tracks originally rolled out one song per week via CBC Radio and iTunes. Titled after a Dartmouth, Nova Scotia guardrail near his home base, Joel Plaskett & the Park Avenue Sobriety Test arrived in 2015 with appearances by Mo Kenney, J.P. Cormier, and the Emergency among others, peaking at number 14 on the national albums chart.
Solidarity, a 2017 collaborative album recorded with his father Bill Plaskett—co-founder of the Lunenburg Folk Music Festival—received support from a cross-Canada tour. The wide-ranging solo outing 44, released in 2020 and named for both the artist's age and its track count, was divided into four albums, drew contributions from nearly three dozen musicians, and examined themes of physical journeys and personal exploration.
William Joel MacDonald Plaskett entered the world in 1975 in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, grew up in Halifax, and started creating music during his early teenage years. Folk performer Bill Plaskett, his father, stood among his key influences. In 1992 Joel assembled Thrush Hermit alongside guitarist Rob Benvie, bassist Ian McGettigan, and drummer Michael Catano. Serving as lead vocalist, guitarist, and chief songwriter, he guided the band through two full-length albums and three EPs before the group dissolved in 1999. That year he issued his debut solo concept album, In Need of Medical Attention, which shifted toward a power-pop-leaning, introspective indie style distinct from Thrush Hermit's heavier approach. Around the same period he joined Charles Austin and Drew Yamada on guitar, keyboardist Andrew Glencross, and bassist Tim Stewart in Neuseiland, where he handled drums; the quartet released one self-titled album in 2000 before splitting.
Plaskett's follow-up, 2001's Down at the Khyber, introduced the Joel Plaskett Emergency—Plaskett on vocals and guitar, Tim Brennan on bass, and Dave Marsh on drums—and brought a Juno Award nomination for Best New Artist. The 2003 release Truthfully, Truthfully marked his first major commercial success at home. In 2004 he appeared on television for the first time, serving as a coach on the CBC series Rock Camp.
He headed to Arizona to cut the 2005 solo album La De Da, performing most instruments himself while former Thrush Hermit colleague Ian McGettigan contributed bass and Jon Rauhouse added pedal steel. Reassembling the Emergency, he delivered the 2007 concept album Ashtray Rock, then returned to solo work with Three in 2009. The triple set received another Polaris nomination, claimed the Juno for Best Adult Alternative Album, and entered the Canadian albums chart's top 15 for the first time. In March 2012 he issued Scrappy Happiness, ten tracks originally rolled out one song per week via CBC Radio and iTunes. Titled after a Dartmouth, Nova Scotia guardrail near his home base, Joel Plaskett & the Park Avenue Sobriety Test arrived in 2015 with appearances by Mo Kenney, J.P. Cormier, and the Emergency among others, peaking at number 14 on the national albums chart.
Solidarity, a 2017 collaborative album recorded with his father Bill Plaskett—co-founder of the Lunenburg Folk Music Festival—received support from a cross-Canada tour. The wide-ranging solo outing 44, released in 2020 and named for both the artist's age and its track count, was divided into four albums, drew contributions from nearly three dozen musicians, and examined themes of physical journeys and personal exploration.
Albums
One Real Reveal
2024
The Window Inn Sessions
2022
Twenty Years Gone: Joel Plaskett Emergency Revisits Down at the Khyber
2021
The Park Avenue Sobriety Test
2015
Scrappy Happiness
2012
Ashtray Rock
2007
Make A Little Noise
2006
La De Da
2005
Truthfully Truthfully
2003
Down At The Khyber
2001
In Need of Medical Attention
1999
Singles
