Joel Ansett

My original music is a cross between folk and R&B. I spend more time on the lyrics than anything else, so the shows lean towards being more peaceful and thought-provoking, maybe even therapeutic. The intimate setting of house shows have always been a good fit for my music. Any sort of listening room or theater would be an ideal concert setting.

My repertoire of covers are also a cross between folk and R&B. It's a versatile setlist for that reason. Depending on the gig, I could craft an easy-listening set of songs people know, keep a party going with some groovy tunes, or make things classy with some old classic R&B songs (Al Green, Bill Withers, etc.)

Born in Spokane, Washington, Joel Ansett grew up writing songs with his sister in the family living room. She would write poems and he would think of melodies to match. His earliest musical memories were of listening to The Temptations when the family cleaned the house, Fleetwood Mac when they were on road trips or hanging out, and Handel’s Messiah during the holidays.

During his college years, outside of Pittsburgh, PA, he wrote songs and performed around campus regularly. Those performances garnered such a positive response that he decided to pursue a career in music after graduating in 2012. Since beginning his career as an artist that year, Joel has built a loyal and energetic fan base simply by writing songs from the heart.

He released his debut EP, The Living Room, in 2012, as well as an acoustic cover of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” which prompted CBS to write about him in 2013. That same year his song ” Loved At All” was named a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition.

Throughout 2013 and 2014, Joel went on an independent national tour as well as opened for national touring bands such as Deas Vail, David Cook, Andrew Ripp and Dessa. Also over the course of 2013 to 2014, he released five singles, allowing him to experiment with new sounds one song at a time.
The final single, “Never Ends” was featured on soundcloud’s alternative home page and has received over 500,000 plays since it’s release in December of 2014.

With the support gained from those releases, in December 2014 Joel decided the time was right to launch a Kickstarter campaign to record his first full length. Thanks to the incredibly loyal fan base he had built, he was able to raise $25,000 in 30 days.

He took a break from playing shows, and spent 2015 writing and recording his first full length album. The result is a pensive but hopeful singer-­songwriter record with soul/R&B influence called ‘The Nature of Us.’ Artist Review wrote of the record: “This album is soul therapy. It is effective and real. ‘The Nature of Us’ takes us within and shines our own light back at us.” Upon release, the album hit #9 on the iTunes singer/songwriter charts.

Songs from the new record have placed 5th in the 2015 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter showcase, and 3rd in the 2016 Telluride Troubadour Contest. Joel has toured independently throughout 2016 and garnered a larger audience as the album continues to gain traction throughout the U.S.
A rising star in the songwriting world, The Huffington Post has named Joel “a songwriter to watch” in 2016. His most recent success was being awarded first prize in the open category of the 2017 International Acoustic Music Awards for his song "Turn to Gold."

I perform with one acoustic guitar and one vocal mic. For most gigs I can provide my own sound equipment. The corner of any room or patio is all the stage I need.