Isolation Anthems | Joel Harken
Joel Harkin's name is becoming increasingly synonymous with a very specific brand of heartache. The type usually reserved for your first love leaving you, Simba's Dad falling into a ravine or loosing at the final hurdle on a particularly feisty episode of Come Dine With Me (enjoy your sad little life, Jane).
It should come as no surprise then, that the Donegal born, Belfast based folk singer counts Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oburst among his many influences. Renowned for his engaging live show, Harkin's trailblazing performances at Dingle's 'Other Voices Music Trail' and Belfast's 'Output Festival' this year set him up for a blistering Summer.
Unperturbed by the global pandemic the world finds itself in, the release of 'No Recycling' on March 16th came as a massive relief to a shaken, but resolute Irish music community. Framed by a trademark northern drawl, glistening guitar and a chorus strong enough to hold the weight of Harkin's impassioned lyrics, it may be his most complete work to date.
Encore NI was fortunate enough to catch up with the housebound singer, to talk life, Covid-19 and debut album 'Never Happy'.
Hi Joel! How you keeping?
I'm not too bad sir! I'm staying inside and reading loads of books and eating well and making music.
Your recent festival performances have went down absolutely brilliantly with the music press. How did you enjoy Other Voices and Output this year? Do you enjoy those types of gigs or do you prefer your own shows?
Aw I had a class time at them sir! Other Voices is like an adventure yno, treking down and exploring a place you've never been to before, learning about some of the history of the place and then you go see some gigs and then you play some gigs. It's class! And Output was unreal as well! The day just flew in with all the talks and panels during the days and then performing and going to see other performances (I planned on seeing 11 and I saw 9). I love that all the shows happen in one night, theres so many music heads knocking about and you wanna get chatting to everyone, but it is hard but you do your best and it's the best time sir, I pure loved it! And no matter how much I love playing to a room of people who may not have heard my music before and try to win them over and solidify them as people who might come and see me play again, playing to a room of people that have bought a ticket specifically to see you because you're putting the gig on yourself, that's lovely like. I don't usually have a drink before a gig but when it's my own I might have one because its chill yno, everyone knows what they're getting!
Your debut ep, ‘Rose Water’, came out to beautiful reviews back in 2018. How does it feel looking back at that record now? Do you still feel emotionally attached to those songs?
100 percent man. All of those songs from Rose Water are going to be on the album. They've been remixed and remastered and we've added extra things and one of the recordings is completely brand new but the songs from the EP just fit with the other 6 songs on the album so there was no question, those songs had to be on the record too, and if that doesn't prove emotional attachment well then I just don't know sham!
Your tracks have a personal distinction that marks your writing out straight away. Has your style evolved over the years, or have you always preferred a personal approach?
I've always preferred a personal approach definitely, just from the sense that, the songs that were personal, I always just thought were better songs. I don't write a lot, and when I do write it's usually because I've been moved to write by something thats happening in my life or something I can't stop thinking about. Just the way that that has worked out means that the majority of the time my songs are deeply personal. And any time I try and write a song for the sake of writing a song and not to specifically make a point about something I'm thinking about, those songs just never see the light of day, I finish them and then never play them again.
‘No Recycling’ may be your biggest banger to date, that chorus is huge! I’m interested in how you felt immediately after finishing it; when you set the guitar down after that final chord, how did you feel?
Awk thanks mate! I'm so glad you like it! I canny even remember sir. What I do remember is that after I finished writing it, I did a wee recording of myself singing and playing it on my phone so that I definitely wouldn't forget how it went, and then I went for a walk and I just listened to it over and over to try and learn the lyrics. I don't usually have bother with remembering the words to my own songs but I couldn't for the life of me remember so I listened to it loads and tried really hard but the first time I played it to an audience I forgot all the words anyway, so it was completely in vain! I thought it was a weird song, we didn't think it would be a single at all until after we had finished recording it. After hearing it recorded with everyone else playing on it, it had to be it then yno!
It’s the first single taken from your debut album, ‘Never Happy’. What is it like being on the cusp of such a landmark moment?
It feels good man, loads of years of hard work is accumulated in those 42 minutes. And loads of collaborations as well, like it wouldn't be the record that it is without everyone else who played on it and put up with me constantly chatting about it and taking my calls at midnight about specific mixing things. I canny believe it's done and people are actually going to be able to hear it soon, it's mad! Hopefully it doesn't take me another 25 years to get another one out!
The artwork is beautiful, was that a randomly captured moment, or had you planned it?
Aaron Cunningham is to thank for that! He is some talent hai! It wasn't planned any further back than maybe when we saw the background and decided we'd stand on the gate that had fallen down. We were out that day shooting a wee music video and taking photographs, when the photos had been developed and Aaron sent me a link to them, as soon as I saw that photograph I immediately wanted it to be the cover of the record. And that was that!
What do you hope listeners will take away from ‘Never Happy’?
I'm not really sure. There's a lot of ground covered in the record. Probably the main things are, to be dead on to people definitely and that capitalism is an evil and corrupt system and as a society we can do better. Those are the two main things anyway.
What was the first album you ever fell in love with?
I have loved many an album, but probably the first ferociously loved album was Digital Ash, in a Digital Urn by Bright Eyes. What a record. It was released on the same day as their biggest record I'm Wide Awake it's Morning but it didn't do as well in terms of reviews. I'm Wide Awake was massive like but Digital Ash is a vastly superior record in my opinion anyway. That aside, Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, I listened to it countless times on my way to and from school when I was younger. I still listen to it all the time. The lyrics, the production, the melodies, THE SONGWRITING. If you have not listened to this masterpiece, then deny yourself no more sham because it is a work of pure and utter genius. Especially the song Light Pollution, an honest to god masterpiece.
Finally Joel, how are you keeping yourself going during this tough time? Is there any advice you’d give to anyone struggling out there?
I'm actually doing ok. I'm keeping busy by making at least one tiny hiphop beat everyday and trying to meet that goal has been challenging and enjoyable. I'm on day 4 now and I feel like I'm about to run out of ideas so we'll see what happens! I'm reading more than normal as well, comics and history books, I'm just trying to spend as little time worrying as possible and to mostly just do things that I enjoy when I have no choice but to stay in the gaff. That's probably the advice I'd give actually. Do as many things as you can that spark joy, if it doesn't spark joy, tell it to go away, as the common saying goes!
Aye sham just do your best and try to enjoy as much of your time that you can. It is hard as it is very scary out there but just be kind to yourself, go easy on yourself and just take it one day at a time!
I'm not too bad sir! I'm staying inside and reading loads of books and eating well and making music.
Your recent festival performances have went down absolutely brilliantly with the music press. How did you enjoy Other Voices and Output this year? Do you enjoy those types of gigs or do you prefer your own shows?
Aw I had a class time at them sir! Other Voices is like an adventure yno, treking down and exploring a place you've never been to before, learning about some of the history of the place and then you go see some gigs and then you play some gigs. It's class! And Output was unreal as well! The day just flew in with all the talks and panels during the days and then performing and going to see other performances (I planned on seeing 11 and I saw 9). I love that all the shows happen in one night, theres so many music heads knocking about and you wanna get chatting to everyone, but it is hard but you do your best and it's the best time sir, I pure loved it! And no matter how much I love playing to a room of people who may not have heard my music before and try to win them over and solidify them as people who might come and see me play again, playing to a room of people that have bought a ticket specifically to see you because you're putting the gig on yourself, that's lovely like. I don't usually have a drink before a gig but when it's my own I might have one because its chill yno, everyone knows what they're getting!
Your debut ep, ‘Rose Water’, came out to beautiful reviews back in 2018. How does it feel looking back at that record now? Do you still feel emotionally attached to those songs?
100 percent man. All of those songs from Rose Water are going to be on the album. They've been remixed and remastered and we've added extra things and one of the recordings is completely brand new but the songs from the EP just fit with the other 6 songs on the album so there was no question, those songs had to be on the record too, and if that doesn't prove emotional attachment well then I just don't know sham!
Your tracks have a personal distinction that marks your writing out straight away. Has your style evolved over the years, or have you always preferred a personal approach?
I've always preferred a personal approach definitely, just from the sense that, the songs that were personal, I always just thought were better songs. I don't write a lot, and when I do write it's usually because I've been moved to write by something thats happening in my life or something I can't stop thinking about. Just the way that that has worked out means that the majority of the time my songs are deeply personal. And any time I try and write a song for the sake of writing a song and not to specifically make a point about something I'm thinking about, those songs just never see the light of day, I finish them and then never play them again.
‘No Recycling’ may be your biggest banger to date, that chorus is huge! I’m interested in how you felt immediately after finishing it; when you set the guitar down after that final chord, how did you feel?
Awk thanks mate! I'm so glad you like it! I canny even remember sir. What I do remember is that after I finished writing it, I did a wee recording of myself singing and playing it on my phone so that I definitely wouldn't forget how it went, and then I went for a walk and I just listened to it over and over to try and learn the lyrics. I don't usually have bother with remembering the words to my own songs but I couldn't for the life of me remember so I listened to it loads and tried really hard but the first time I played it to an audience I forgot all the words anyway, so it was completely in vain! I thought it was a weird song, we didn't think it would be a single at all until after we had finished recording it. After hearing it recorded with everyone else playing on it, it had to be it then yno!
It’s the first single taken from your debut album, ‘Never Happy’. What is it like being on the cusp of such a landmark moment?
It feels good man, loads of years of hard work is accumulated in those 42 minutes. And loads of collaborations as well, like it wouldn't be the record that it is without everyone else who played on it and put up with me constantly chatting about it and taking my calls at midnight about specific mixing things. I canny believe it's done and people are actually going to be able to hear it soon, it's mad! Hopefully it doesn't take me another 25 years to get another one out!
The artwork is beautiful, was that a randomly captured moment, or had you planned it?
Aaron Cunningham is to thank for that! He is some talent hai! It wasn't planned any further back than maybe when we saw the background and decided we'd stand on the gate that had fallen down. We were out that day shooting a wee music video and taking photographs, when the photos had been developed and Aaron sent me a link to them, as soon as I saw that photograph I immediately wanted it to be the cover of the record. And that was that!
What do you hope listeners will take away from ‘Never Happy’?
I'm not really sure. There's a lot of ground covered in the record. Probably the main things are, to be dead on to people definitely and that capitalism is an evil and corrupt system and as a society we can do better. Those are the two main things anyway.
What was the first album you ever fell in love with?
I have loved many an album, but probably the first ferociously loved album was Digital Ash, in a Digital Urn by Bright Eyes. What a record. It was released on the same day as their biggest record I'm Wide Awake it's Morning but it didn't do as well in terms of reviews. I'm Wide Awake was massive like but Digital Ash is a vastly superior record in my opinion anyway. That aside, Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, I listened to it countless times on my way to and from school when I was younger. I still listen to it all the time. The lyrics, the production, the melodies, THE SONGWRITING. If you have not listened to this masterpiece, then deny yourself no more sham because it is a work of pure and utter genius. Especially the song Light Pollution, an honest to god masterpiece.
Finally Joel, how are you keeping yourself going during this tough time? Is there any advice you’d give to anyone struggling out there?
I'm actually doing ok. I'm keeping busy by making at least one tiny hiphop beat everyday and trying to meet that goal has been challenging and enjoyable. I'm on day 4 now and I feel like I'm about to run out of ideas so we'll see what happens! I'm reading more than normal as well, comics and history books, I'm just trying to spend as little time worrying as possible and to mostly just do things that I enjoy when I have no choice but to stay in the gaff. That's probably the advice I'd give actually. Do as many things as you can that spark joy, if it doesn't spark joy, tell it to go away, as the common saying goes!
Aye sham just do your best and try to enjoy as much of your time that you can. It is hard as it is very scary out there but just be kind to yourself, go easy on yourself and just take it one day at a time!
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Pre-order 'Never Happy' from Joel's Bandcamp here:
Pre-order 'Never Happy' from Joel's Bandcamp here:
Joel Harkin's Isolation Anthems:
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