Joel Sarakula
The Golden Age
June 17th
Art Parade
Joel Sarakula is a singer with band who writes and performs retro-pop songs at the piano and guitar. Born in Sydney, Australia, and now based in London, he releases his debut album The Golden Age on 17 June, 2013, following a flurry of UK radio support for his singles Bohemian and I Will Deliver which racked up generous plays across BBC 6, BBC London, XFM, Q Radio and Absolute.
The Golden Age has been a long time coming for Sarakula, a songwriter who has travelled the world in search of his muse, experiencing everything from Caribbean car-jackings to performing in the remote fishing villages of Norway, via the dive bars of Europe and the US. It was the hodge-podge musical tapestry of England’s capital that finally drew Sarakula to a settling point, in the wake of seemingly never ending run of shows that saw his tour three Australian-only albums 'Mystery Morning', 'Souvenirs' and 'City Heart'.
It’s tracks like Matchstick Girl and The Lows that show that, in spite of all his world-weariness and global search for inspiration, Sarakula can’t help but revert back to a songwriting style that’s traditional in every sense – one that he grew up knowing. From a musical education in Australia, through baby steps at the piano, to wearing out his parent's record collection, he has long been captivated by the primordial soup of 60’s / 70s pop music. 'My parents had so many classic pop records and I was drawn to the big harmonies of The Beach Boys and ABBA - the drama in those 60s and 70s records'.
With personal tastes that also span the more avant-garde, in Zappa and Kate Bush, including Pop greats like Pulp and Elvis Costello, there are clear nods to contemporaries like Beck, Brendon Benson and Ben Kweller in terms of ambition and style. While performing live, Joel presents a show he describes as an authentic musical experience that straddles the spiritual and the profane. His years of touring worldwide make him an engaging performer and he will be touring this album later in 2013.
“We were trapped in a royal cage / now we bask in the glow of The Golden Age”
