Joel Plaskett

Joel Plaskett
Joel Plaskett talking with fans at the 2011 Vancouver International Folk Music Festival
Background information
Born	(1975-04-18) April 18, 1975 Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada
Origin	Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Genres	Indie rock, hard rock, folk rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, record producer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, drums, mandolin, keyboards
Years active	1992–present
Labels	MapleMusic, New Scotland
Associated acts	Thrush Hermit, Joel Plaskett Emergency, Neuseiland
Website	joelplaskett.com
Notable instruments
Fender Stratocaster Gibson RD

Joel Plaskett (born April 18, 1975) is a Canadian rock musician originally from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. He grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia and now resides across the harbour in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He has been a prominent figure in the Canadian indie rock scene of the 1990s and 2000s.

Life and career

Thrush Hermit

In 1992, Plaskett created alternative rock band Thrush Hermit with Rob Benvie (vocals, guitar), Ian McGettigan (vocals, bass), and Michael Catano (drums). Plaskett was the lead singer and guitarist for the Halifax-based band as well as the band's primary songwriter, until their breakup in late 1999.

Neuseiland

In late 1998, Neuseiland was formed by Plaskett of Thrush Hermit, as well as members of popular Halifax bands The Super Friendz and Coyote, the Euphonic, both of which had also recently broken up. Taking the name of the band from a Dutch children's book by Annie Schmidt called The Island of Nose, the band consisted of Plaskett on drums, Charles Austin and Drew Yamada on guitar, Andrew Glencross on keyboard and Tim Stewart on bass. They cited King Tubby, Kraftwerk, Pink Floyd, Ray's Chicken Pita and Willie Nelson as influences. The goal of the band was to mix conventional song structure with experimentation inspired by krautrock, stoogian protoplasm and the subtractive mixing techniques of "version" reggae. The band released one album, the self-titled Neuseiland, recorded and released in 1999.

Solo work and the Emergency

After the breakup of Thrush Hermit and Neuseiland, Plaskett embarked on a solo career. His first release, In Need of Medical Attention, consisted of leftover songs that were written near the end of his days in Thrush Hermit. It was successful, but not until the release of 2001's Down at the Khyber featuring a new backing band, The Emergency, did Plaskett begin to enjoy widespread solo appeal. The Emergency consisted of Plaskett, drummer Dave Marsh and bass player Tim Brennan, though old friend Ian McGettigan could often be seen playing bass at their shows. The third album of Plaskett's post-Thrush Hermit career and second of the Emergency's, Truthfully, Truthfully was a commercial success. MapleMusic Recordings is the current recording label for both The Emergency and Plaskett's solo efforts. Plaskett and the band have toured throughout North America and Europe with such performers as The Tragically Hip, Sloan and Kathleen Edwards.

The Joel Plaskett Emergency has been nominated for two Juno Awards, both in the alternative album category. The group won Rock Recording of the Year at the 2005 East Coast Music Awards, for the album Truthfully, Truthfully.

Plaskett released his second solo album, La De Da in 2005, which garnered him two East Coast Music Awards in 2006, Male Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year, for the song "Happen Now". He was also nominated for the Songwriter of the Year Juno Award, but lost to Arcade Fire.

La De Da was released in Australia on March 6, 2006 by local company Code One Entertainment. In April 2006, Plaskett toured the east coast of Australia (in solo mode) extensively to promote the release.

In March 2006, Joel Plaskett Emergency released their first DVD, Make a Little Noise. It included an EP of three songs. The single "Nowhere With You" has received the most mainstream radio airplay of any Plaskett release to date, and was featured in a Zellers television commercial. Make a Little Noise had three wins at the 2007 East Coast Music Awards: DVD of the Year, Single of the Year ("Nowhere with You"), and Songwriter of the Year (Joel Plaskett, for "Nowhere with You").

On March 3, 2007, Joel Plaskett Emergency released an Australia-only compilation, Make a Little Noise, a collection of songs from Down at the Khyber, Truthfully, Truthfully and the EP from the DVD. The DVD is also in included in this package as a bonus. The band toured Australia for the first time in March–April 2007, supporting Australian band Augie March.

On April 17, 2007, their first album to include their new bassist, Chris Pennell, was released. The album, Ashtray Rock, is described by the band as a concept album. Ashtray Rock was on the shortlist for the 2007 Polaris Music Prize, but lost to Patrick Watson's album Close to Paradise. The album's single "Fashionable People" was nominated for the 8th Annual Independent Music Awards for pop/rock song of the year.

During the week of December 10, 2007, Plaskett and the Emergency played six consecutive shows at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto as part of the music venue's 60th-anniversary celebrations. Each night, a different album was performed in its entirety, starting with In Need of Medical Attention on Monday and finishing with Ashtray Rock on Friday night and Saturday night.

Joel Plaskett Emergency were nominated for seven East Coast Music Awards in 2008, more than any other act. They won six of those awards, which is tied with a previous record.

His next studio album, Three, was released on March 24, 2009. It consists of three discs each consisting of nine songs for a total of 27 songs. The first single from the album is "Through and Through and Through". The triple album was nominated for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize short list. In the same week that the Polaris shortlist was announced, Paul McCartney announced that he had selected Plaskett and the band Wintersleep as the opening acts for his July 11 concert at Halifax Common.

In November 2009, he recorded a new song, "On the Rail", for CBC Radio 2's Great Canadian Song Quest.

In May 2011, he became the first artist ever to reach one million plays on CBC Radio 3's online music streaming site, and released an exclusive acoustic version of "Nowhere with You" to the network for the occasion. In June, he released a B-sides and rarities compilation titled EMERGENCYs, false alarms, shipwrecks, castaways, fragile creatures, special features, demons and demonstrations.

His 2012 album Scrappy Happiness was released on March 27, 2012; the album followed a unique release strategy, in which Plaskett and his band recorded one song each week for ten weeks, releasing each song to iTunes for sale as a single as soon as its recording and production were completed, and then rereleased the songs as a complete album once the project was concluded.

Other collaborations

In recent years, Plaskett has embarked upon a number of projects. He has acted as record producer for Atlantic Canadian artists such as Polaris Music Prize-nominated Two Hours Traffic and Little Miss Moffet. As well, in 2004 he made his television debut as a rock coach on the CBC Television documentary series Rock Camp. In 2008, Plaskett and his father Bill were featured in an episode of the Bravo! television concert series The Berkeley Sessions. Plaskett also appeared as a busker in the film One Week.

He sings a duet, "Gold Soul of Rock n' Roll", with Emm Gryner on her 2010 disc of duets Gem and I.

He appeared as a guest anchor on the March 5, 2013 episode of This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

Personal life

Plaskett is married to Nova Scotia graphic artist and cartoonist Rebecca Kraatz, who provided the artwork for the cover and liner of Ashtray Rock, La De Da, and In Need of Medical Attention. On tour, Plaskett frequently mentions his childhood stay at Camp Wapomeo, a residential summer camp located outside of Yarmouth.

Awards and Achievements

• Juno Awards
  • 2010 - Adult Alternative Album of the Year - Three (won)
  • 2010, 2008, 2006 - Songwriter of the Year (nomination)
  • 2004 - Best Alternative Album of the Year - La De Da (nomination)
  • 2002 - Best New Artist of the Year - Down At the Khyber (nomination)
• East Coast Music Awards
  • 2010 - Entertainer of the Year (won)
  • 2010 - Male Solo Recording of the Year - Three (won)
  • 2010 - Recording of the Year - Three (won)
  • 2010 - Single of the Year - "Through & Through & Through" (won)
  • 2010 - Songwriter of the Year - Through & Through & Through" (won)
  • 2010 - Pop Recording of the Year - Three (won)
  • 2009 - Entertainer of the Year (won)
  • 2009, 2008, 2007 - Single of the Year (won)
  • 2008, 2007, 2006 - Songwriter of the Year (won)
  • 2008 - FACTOR Recording of the Year (won)
  • 2008 - Group of the Year (won)
  • 2008, 2005 - Rock Recording of the Year (won)
  • 2008 - Video of the Year - "Fashionable People" (won)
  • 2007 - DVD of the Year - Make a Little Noise (won)
  • 2008 - Entertainer of the Year (nomination)
  • 2006 - Male Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Video of the Year (won)
  • 2005 - Album of the Year, Group of the Year (nomination)
  • 2002 - Rock Recording of the Year, Best New Artist of the Year, Video of the Year (nomination)
• Music NS Awards
  • 2012, 2007, 2006 - Songwriter of the Year (won)
  • 2007, 2006, 2004 - Entertainer of The Year (won)
  • 2007, 2005 - Album of the Year (won)
  • 2007, 2004 - Group of The Year (won)
  • 2007, 2005 - Pop Rock Recording of the Year (won)
  • 2007 - Video of the Year - "Fashionable People" (won)
  • 2006 - Single of the Year (nomination)
  • 2005 - Male Artist of the Year (won)
  • 2004 - Alternative Recording of the Year (won)
• CMW Indie Awards
  • 2008 - Favorite Rock Artist/ Group of the Year (nomination)
  • 2008 - Galaxie Rising Star Award (nomination)
• Polaris Music Prize
  • 2012 - Scrappy Happiness (nomination)
  • 2009 - Three (nomination)
  • 2007 - Ashtray Rock (nomination)
• Billboard World Song Contest
  • 2008 - Pop Category, "Fashionable People" (won)
• Great American Song Contest
  • 2009 - Pop Category, "Face of the Earth" (won)
  • 2008 - Pop Category, "Fashionable People" (won)
  • 2006 - Pop Category,"Nowhere with You" (won)
• COCA Award
  • 2008 - Best Mainstage Artist (won)
• Canadian Radio Music Award
  • 2007 - Best New Solo Artist, Hot AC (won)
• CBC Radio 3 Bucky Awards
  • 2012 - The Golden Bucky - "Lightning Bolt"
  • 2007 - Best Falsetto - "Fashionable People" (won)
  • 2007 - Song Most Likely to be a Future Classic (won)
  • 2006 - No. 1 Top 94 List
• The Coast voted Best of Music Awards
  • 2011 - Best Songwriter
  • 2010 - Best Vinyl, Three
  • 2010 - Best Local Album, Three
  • 2010 - Best Local Album, Three
  • 2008 - Best Local Solo Male
  • 2007 - Top 50 CDs of the Year
  • 2007, 2006, 2005 - Best Canadian Male Musician
  • 2007 - Best Canadian Solo Artist
  • 2006, 2005 - Best Local Male Musician
  • 2006, 2002 - Best Local Album
  • 2005 - Best Local Song
  • 2004, 2003 - Best Local Band, Best Local Album
  • 2003 - Best Local Live Act
  • 2002 - Best Video
  • 2002 - Best Male Solo Artist

• TV/Film Placements
  • "Run, Run, Run" - Rookie Blue
  • "Fashionable People" – Wild Roses TV
  • "Fashionable People" – Growing Op Film
  • "Fashionable People" – A Fine Bromine TV
  • "A Million Dollars" – MVP TV Series
  • "Love This Town" – Canadian Idol TV
  • "Drunk Teenagers" – Wild Roses TV
  • "A Million Dollars" - Wild Roses TV
  • "Aquateam" – 20 songs TV Series
  • "A Million Dollars" - Global Television 2008 Season Launch
  • "Extraordinary," "Work Out Fine" - Extra Ordinary CBC Season Launch
  • "Extraordinary" - 20th Century Fox
  • "Nowhere With You" - Zellers Summer 2006 Campaign
  • "Nowhere With You" - Heartland Canadian TV series
  • "Nowhere With You" - Left Coast (pilot TV)
  • "Work Out Fine," "Nowhere With You", "Come On Teacher" - Citizen Duane
  • "True Patriot Love," "This is A Message," "Just Go Home" - TV show Food Jammers
  • "True Patriot Love" - Gemini Awards 2007 TV
  • "Absentminded Melody" - 15 Love (the series)
  • "Absentminded Melody" - North South TV Mini Series
  • "Maybe We Should Just Go Home" - Fashion TV
  • "Maybe We Should Just Go Home" - Diamonds TV

• Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)

Discography

Thrush Hermit

• 1994: Smart Bomb, EP
• 1995: The Great Pacific Ocean, EP
• 1997: Rock and Roll Detective, EP
• 1997: Sweet Homewrecker
• 1999: Clayton Park

Neuseiland

• 1999: Neuseiland

Solo albums

• 1999: In Need of Medical Attention
• 2005: La De Da
• 2009: Three
• 2009: Three More (EP)

Joel Plaskett Emergency

• 2001: Down at the Khyber
• 2003: Truthfully, Truthfully
• 2006: Make a Little Noise (DVD/EP)
• 2007: Ashtray Rock
• 2011: EMERGENCYs, false alarms, shipwrecks, castaways, fragile creatures, special features, demons and demonstrations
• 2012: Scrappy Happiness

Singles

Year	Song	Chart peak		Album
		CAN Alt	CAN Rock
2011	"Jimmie's Still Jimmie"	26	25	Jimmie's Still Jimmie / That's Not Joel (with Shotgun Jimmie)
2012	"Transit Strike"	—	48	Non-album single
	"You're Mine"	38	40	Scrappy Happiness
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

External links

• Joel Plaskett
• The Joel Plaskett Emergency at CBC Radio 3
• Joel Plaskett on Myspace