Biography
Canada has produced some of the world's most enduring songwriters and Joel Plaskett is being hailed as one of Canada's best.

Since spending his teenaged years recording and touring with Halifax indie upstarts Thrush Hermit, Plaskett has been writing his own story. After releasing two critically acclaimed albums - In Need of Medical Attention (1999) and Down at the Khyber (2001) - independently, Joel signed to Maple Music Recordings for the release of 2003's Truthfully Truthfully, a rock tour de force with his band, The Emergency. That record scored with critics and fans alike and truly put Plaskett on the national radar once and for all. Truthfully Truthfully was nominated for a Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year and won an East Coast Music Award for Rock Recording of the Year.

During a summer break from touring in 2004, Joel responded to a longtime fan's offer of free recording time at a home studio in Mesa, Arizona. The results of that journey are on Plaskett's MapleMusic effort, a solo album called La De Da. The album is "solo" in the sense that Joel plays all the instruments but it's by no means a simple acoustic project. It also isn't a permanent move away from his work with The Emergency. Rather, it's the mark of an artist at home with his instincts and his creative muse and one that's willing to follow fearlessly where those imperatives lead. La De Da attracted attention at regional and national media and the hit single "Happen Now" topped the Canadian campus music chart for months running.

Joel's hugely anticipated follow-up release; Make A Little Noise DVD (& EP) - with its hit single "Nowhere With You" – fell hard on the heels of a year that saw Joel (and the band) hit the crest of Canadian airwaves. Top 10 at hot A/C, #1 on CBC Radio 3, two ECMA wins (Male Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year), a Juno nomination (Songwriter of the Year) and SRO dates in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia. In 2007, Joel saw three more ECMA wins … Single of the Year for "Nowhere With You," DVD of the Year for "Make A Little Noise", and Songwriter of the Year.

Joel's latest CD release, Ashtray Rock (released April 2007 by MapleMusic/ Universal Music Canada) is a landmark album in the career of the celebrated Canadian singer/songwriter and his excellent Emergency band. A "mini rock opera," Ashtray Rock is an exuberant romp through the imagination and a celebration of everything important about growing up: love, longing, loyalty, betrayal, youthful exuberance and, above all, MUSIC.

The Joel Plaskett Emergency and Ashtray Rock were off the charts at the 2008 East Coast Music Awards with six wins for FACTOR Recording of the Year, Group Recording of the Year, Vibe Creative Group Single of the Year, Video of the Year, Sirius Satellite Radio Rock Recording of the Year, and last, but certainly not least, the coveted SOCAN Songwriter of the Year Award.

Topping that off was Joel's Juno Award nomination for Songwriter of the Year and his placement as First Place Winner in the Billboard World Song Contest for his single "Fashionable People". The Joel Plaskett Emergency is, without doubt, one of Canada's best live acts and Plaskett is no stranger to performing. The band have has been busy in the last year touring throughout Australia, Canada and have recently completed an American tour of 16 US cities (8 states) as special guest with the Tragically Hip.

With touring plans for the Joel Plaskett Emergency that extend through 2008, Joel is again looking at a return to the studio in the spring. Another solo endeavour? Another Emergency project? Whatever surprise Joel has in store – we can't wait.

www.joelplaskett.com (read less)

Biography
Canada has produced some of the world's most enduring songwriters and Joel Plaskett is being hailed as one of Canada's best.

Since spending his teenaged years recording and touring with Halifax indie upstarts Thrush Hermit, Plaskett has been writing his own story. After releasing two critically acclaimed albums - In Need of Medical Attention (1999) and Down at the Khyber (2001) - independently, Joel signed to Maple Music Recordings for the release of 2003's Truthfully Truthfully, a... (read more)