JOSEPH

Originating from the name of a modest settlement in northeastern Oregon, the Portland-based sisters Natalie, Meegan, and Allison Closner formed the close-harmony folk-pop group Joseph. Blending grounded indie folk textures with expansive pop and rock dynamics, the trio issued their self-released debut in 2014, which soon led to a deal with ATO Records and the subsequent arrival of their broader 2016 album I'm Alone, No You're Not. Following an EP and several singles, they explored their rock leanings further on the 2019 release Good Luck, Kid. Over the ensuing two years Joseph presented acoustic reinterpretations of earlier material across a pair of Trio Sessions projects before unveiling their third full-length, the folk-rock hybrid The Sun, in 2023.

Natalie Closner, the eldest sibling, had already begun performing as a solo singer and songwriter in the early 2010s when she enlisted her younger twin sisters Meegan and Allison to establish the band. Their distinctive vocal blend and modern rustic approach invite comparisons to kindred sister ensembles such as Sweden's First Aid Kit and England's the Staves. The group's first album, Native, Dreamer, Kin, appeared in early 2014. Shortly afterward Dave Matthews' ATO Records signed them in 2015. After collaborating on new songs with Ethan Gruska of the Belle Brigade in Los Angeles, the sisters traveled to Omaha to work with producer Mike Mogis, known for his work with Conor Oberst and Jenny Lewis. Issued in summer 2016, I'm Alone, No You're Not broadened their folk-rooted foundation by adding richer pop dimensions. The seven-track EP Stay Awake arrived in 2017, followed a year later by the single "Sister Winter" b/w "Rest." On their third album, 2019's Good Luck, Kid, Joseph moved farther from their initial folk emphasis and embraced pop and rock elements more directly. The next year they shifted direction again, paring the arrangements to a minimum for the sparse Trio Sessions, Vol. 1 EP, which featured voice, guitar, and piano renditions of recent songs. Trio Sessions, Vol. 2 appeared in late 2021.

Teaming with producers Tucker Martine and Christian Langdon, Joseph returned to the studio for their third album. Issued in April 2023, The Sun occupies a balanced space between the band's organic folk leanings and their melodic, expressive pop sensibilities.