Josh Joplin (born Joshua David Blum on January 1, 1972) is an American singer, songwriter, as well as music and film producer. He has founded the bands Josh Joplin Group and Among the Oak & Ash. His song "

Camera One A camera is an instrument used to capture and store images and videos, either digitally via an electronic image sensor, or chemically via a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. As a pivotal technology in the fields of photograp ...

" was the first independent release to hit #1 at Triple A radio. His song "Blue Skies Again" was recorded by Jessica Lea Mayfield for her Nonesuch debut ''

Tell Me Tell Me may refer to: * ''Tell Me...'', a 1979 album by Jimmy Knepper * Tell me (advertisement), a 2005 Chinese-language newspaper ad calling for universal suffrage in Hong Kong * Tell Me (TV series), ''Tell Me'' (TV series), a 2019 South Korean qu ...

''. ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' praised it as, "simple, the infectious chorus makes it a standout...it's also a sunny, reassuring song." Joplin has toured extensively in North America, Europe, and Australia, and has recorded several albums with different bands.

Life and career

Born in Washington, DC, Joplin grew up in

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Lancaster County (; ), sometimes nicknamed the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 United States ...

. His family relocated to

Columbia, Maryland Columbia is a planned community in Howard County, Maryland, United States, consisting of 10 self-contained villages. With a population of 104,681 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the second-most-populous community in Maryland ...

, when he was thirteen. Josh attended

Sandy Spring Friends School Sandy Spring Friends School (SSFS) is a progressive, coeducational, college preparatory Quaker school serving students from preschool (age three) through 12th grade. 59% of its student body identifies as students of color. Founded in 1961, its m ...

and learned from his headmaster in the seventh grade how to play guitar. He quit the school's Community House program in the ninth grade and finished the year at Hammond High School. He briefly returned before dropping out of high school altogether. At the age of sixteen, Joplin successfully passed the

GED Ged or GED may refer to: Places * Ged, Louisiana, an unincorporated community in the United States * Ged, a village in Bichiwara Tehsil, Dungarpur District, Rajasthan, India * Delaware Coastal Airport, in Delaware, US, callsign GED People * Ged B ...

and earned his Maryland high school diploma. Inspired by

William Least Heat-Moon William Least Heat-Moon (born William Lewis Trogdon, August 27, 1939) is an American travel writer and historian. He describes his heritage as English, Irish, and Osage. He is the author of several books which chronicle unusual journeys throu ...

's travelogue ''

Blue Highways ''Blue Highways'' is an autobiographical travel book, published in 1982, by William Least Heat-Moon, born William Trogdon. Summary In 1978, after separating from his wife and losing his job as a teacher, Heat-Moon, 38 at the time, took an exten ...

'' and

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer, songwriter, and composer widely considered to be one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American Left, A ...

's '' Bound for Glory'', Joplin picked up his guitar and left home in a 1976 Volkswagen camper van and spent two years on and off the road, before settling in Denver, Colorado. His first professional job in music was as the runner for folk/blues legend Dave Van Ronk's concert at Swallow Hill Music Association. They hired him later the same year to open for Bill Staines. Joplin's interest in folk music began in earnest after hearing

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

's '' The Times They Are a-Changin''', and

Phil Ochs Philip David Ochs (; December 19, 1940 – April 9, 1976) was an American songwriter, protest song, protest singer (or, as he preferred, "topical singer"), and Political Activist, political activist. Ochs was known for his sharp wit, sardonic h ...

' '' Gunfight at Carnegie Hall''. He recorded an Ochs cover, "I Ain't a Marchin' Anymore", on his first record, ''Facts of Fortune for Sleepless Nights Records'', a DC record label, founded by Mr. Issa (Diao) of Good Clean Fun. Joplin released his first album in 1989, titled ''A Present for Hitler''.

Geoffrey Himes Geoffrey Himes is an American music critic who has written weekly for ''the Washington Post'' since 1977. He also wrote for '' No Depression'' as a contributing editor in its first print era in the late 1990s to the early 2000s and has written for ...

gave Joplin his very first notice, in the Columbia Flier, in 1990.

Atlanta

Having stayed a short time in New York City, Joplin heard

Kevn Kinney Kevin Kinney, known professionally as Kevn Kinney (born March 12, 1961),"The Baseball Project at Wux ...

WFUV WFUV (90.7 FM) is a non–commercial radio station licensed to New York, New York. The station is owned by Fordham University, with studios on its Bronx campus and its antenna atop the nearby Montefiore Medical Center. WFUV first went on the ...

and bought his record, '' MacDougal Blues''. This convinced him to relocate to Atlanta. He played mostly solo shows for tips at Sylvia's Atomic Cafe, a

Candler Park Candler Park is a 55-acre (223,000 m2) city park located at 585 Candler Park Drive NE, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is named after Coca-Cola magnate Asa Griggs Candler, who donated this land to the city in 1922. The park features a ...

neighborhood landmark. It was here that Josh met fellow songwriter

Kelly Hogan Kelly Hogan (born January 11, 1965) is an American singer-songwriter, often known for her work as a member of Neko Case's backing band, as well as for her solo work. Early and personal life Hogan was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the daughter of ...

, who worked there as a cook and played in The Jody Grind. He also met

Shawn Mullins Shawn Mullins (born March 8, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter who specializes in folk rock, instrumental rock, adult alternative, and Americana music. His 1998 single "Lullaby" hit number one on the Adult Top 40 and was nominated for a Gr ...

at the cafe. Upon seeing Five-Eight opening for The Jody Grind, Joplin began to look for a band of his own. He recorded his third and last album for Sleepless Nights, ''I Love Janey, But Janey Loves The Grateful Dead''. It was produced by Ed Burdell (

Magnapop Magnapop is an American Rock music, rock band based in Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1989, the band has consistently included songwriting duo Linda Hopper as vocalist and Ruthie Morris on guitar. Magnapop first achieved recognition in the Benelux ...

). Members of The Mirthmakers and Joybang backed Joplin on the recording. For a while, he played music with

Ani Cordero Ani Cordero (born 1974) is a Puerto Rican vocalist, drummer, guitarist, and songwriter. Biography Cordero was born Ana Marieli Cordero Garcia in Boston, Massachusetts. Since 1999, she has resided in Brooklyn, New York. Cordero's work in music ...

on drums and a friend on bass, but he finally emerged with his own lineup. In 1995, Geoff Melkonian (bass, viola) and Jason Buecker (drums) founded the Josh Joplin Band. They released the albums ''Projector Head'' and ''Boxing Nostalgic'' as a trio, later adding Allen Broyles on piano and organ. Shawn Mullins signed the quartet to his own SMG Label. He produced the original version of '' Useful Music'', Joplin's sixth studio album. Shortly after its release, Jason Buecker was replaced on drums by Ani Cordero, then Eric Taylor. Deeds Davis was added on lead guitar and the band made a slight name change: Josh Joplin Group.

Artemis Records Artemis Records was a New York–based independent record label, founded in June 1999 by Danny Goldberg with Daniel Glass as president, and closed in April 2006. The label was acquired by E1 Entertainment. As of 2006, Artemis Records was owned b ...

re-released ''Useful Music'' in 2001 and scored the band's first and only number one hit at Triple A radio with "Camera One", which was produced by

Jerry Harrison Jeremiah Griffin Harrison (born February 21, 1949) is an American musician, songwriter, producer, and entrepreneur. He began his professional music career as a member of the band the Modern Lovers, before becoming keyboardist and guitarist for ...

The Modern Lovers The Modern Lovers were an American rock band formed in Natick, Massachusetts in 1970 by Jonathan Richman. The original band existed from 1970 to 1974 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist ...

and

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1975.Talking Heads

. The band made their television debut that year, appearing on the

Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...

, followed by

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the second installment of the ''Late Night (franchise), Late Night'' franchise originally established by David Letterman. Hosted by Conan O'Brie ...

. "Camera One" was also featured in the TV shows

Scrubs Scrub(s) may refer to: * Scrub, low shrub and grass characteristic of scrubland * Scrubs (clothing), worn by medical staff * ''Scrubs'' (TV series), an American television program * Scrubs (occupation), also called "scrub tech," "scrub nurse," ...

Dawsons Creek ''Dawson's Creek'' is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, beginning in high school and continuing into college. It aired from January 20, 19 ...

Party of Five ''Party of Five'' is an American teen and family drama television series created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000, with a total of six seasons consisting of 142 epis ...

, Roswell, among others.

New York City

Joplin moved to Brooklyn, New York in 1998. He continued to tour and play with Josh Joplin Group as well as doing solo shows. The band followed the success of ''Useful Music'' with the album '' The Future That Was'', produced by Rob Gal (

the Rock-A-Teens The Rock-A-Teens were a short-lived United States rockabilly group from Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporat ...

). It was recorded at

Adam Schlesinger Adam Lyons Schlesinger (October 31, 1967 – April 1, 2020) was an American musician, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He was a founding member of the bands Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, and Tinted Windows, and was also a member of the ban ...

and

James Iha (born March 26, 1968) is an American rock musician. He is best known as a guitarist and co-founder of the alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins. He was a member until the band's initial breakup in 2000 and rejoined in 2018. Iha has als ...

's studio, Stratosphere Sound. Though it received much more critical acclaim, it had very little commercial success. Josh Joplin Group disbanded in December 2003. In 2004, Joplin was still living in

Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Cobble Hill is a neighborhood in the northwestern portion of the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. A small neighborhood comprising 40 blocks,Kenneth T. Jackson, Jackson, Kenneth T., and Kasinitz, Philip. "Cobble Hil ...

, across the street from his then-neighbor, Dan Zanes ( the Del Fuegos). Zanes hosted impromptu stoop concerts for the children (and adults) on the block. Joplin stated being deeply inspired by these intimate events. When he recorded the album ''

Jaywalker Jaywalking is the act of pedestrians walking in or crossing a roadway if that act contravenes traffic regulations. The term ''jay-walker'' originated in the United States as a derivation of the phrase ''jay-driver'' (the word ''jay'' meaning a ...

'', he sought ways to mimic the joy he witnessed with Zanes by recording the album with the friends and people he'd grown up with, including the headmaster who had taught him guitar. ''Jaywalker'' was released on August 23, 2005, on Eleven Thirty Records. In 2013, Joplin independently released the five-song EP ''Earth and Other Things'' on 9th Grade Records. It remains his last musical effort under the name Josh Joplin. It was recorded at Mercy Sound Studio on the

Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Historically, it w ...

of New York City by producer/engineer/guitarist Matt Chiaravalle. Matt and Josh had also worked together on ''Useful Music''. On April 23, 2022, the Josh Joplin Group performed a twentieth-anniversary reunion show in Atlanta, Georgia.

Among the Oak & Ash

In 2008, Joplin formed a new band called Among the Oak & Ash with Garrison Starr, Bryan Owings, and Brian Harrison. They released their self-titled debut album in 2009 on

Verve Records Verve Records is an active American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Ca ...

. It was named Album of the Year by

WNYC WNYC is an audio service brand, under the control of New York Public Radio, a non-profit organization. Radio and other audio programming is primarily provided by a pair of nonprofit, noncommercial, public radio stations: WNYC (AM) and WNYC- ...

's John Schaeffer on his program

Soundcheck A soundcheck is the preparation that takes place before a concert, speech, or similar performance to adjust the sound on the venue's sound reinforcement or public address system. The performer and the audio engineers run through a small po ...

. They followed it with ''Devil Ship'' in 2011. This album featured performances by

Lucy Wainwright Roche Lucy Wainwright Roche (born December 16, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter. Preceded by two EPs, ''8 Songs'' and ''8 More'', Roche released her debut album, ''Lucy'' in October 2010. In 2013, she starred as Jeri in the ''Stuff You Should Kno ...

, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Paleface, and Rachael Hester. In 2014, they recorded a third album, ''A Skeptics Gospel'', which was never released. Harrison, who had co-produced all three records, died at his Nashville studio on February 18, 2014. In 2023, the band started releasing singles on streaming services and playing shows under the moniker Josh Joplin and Among the Oak & Ash. They released a new album, titled ''Figure Drawing'', on October 24, 2023. Contributing musicians included guitarist and fiddler

Fats Kaplin Fats Kaplin is an American musician, born in New York City. He is best known as a fiddler. He also plays guitar, button accordion, banjo, mandolin, steel guitar, an Arab oud, and a Turkish cümbüş, among others. He has worked with artists such ...

NarrowMoat

In 2015, Joplin founded the production company NarrowMoat. He has produced two independent films, ''About Colonia'' and ''The Murphys''. ''About Colonia'', directed by Eduardo Shlomo Velázquez, was screened and lauded with awards in the short film and Spanish-language categories at several international film festivals. NarrowMoat's most recent film, ''Boys Clap, Girls Dance'', directed and animated by Dena Springer, was released June 28, 2022. It garnered nominations at several film festivals, including the Chicago Underground Film Festival. It won Best Animated Film at BIFF Sweden and was screened at the

Cork International Film Festival Cork International Film Festival (CIFF), also known the Cork Film Festival (), is a film festival held annually in Cork City, Ireland. It was established in 1956 as part of An Tóstal, and is Ireland's oldest and largest film festival. It is typi ...

and the

Atlanta Film Festival The Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) is an international film festival held in Atlanta, Georgia and operated by the Atlanta Film Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Started in 1976 and occurring every spring, the festival shows a diverse r ...

, among others.

Discography

* '' A Present for Hitler'' (1989) Josh Joplin * '' Facts of Fortune'' (1990) Josh Joplin * '' I Love Janey, But Janey Loves the Grateful Dead'' (1992) Josh Joplin * '' Projector Head'' (1995) Josh Joplin Band * '' Boxing Nostalgic'' (1997) Josh Joplin Band * '' Useful Music'' (1998) (re-issued in 2001) Josh Joplin Band * '' The Future That Was'' (2002) Josh Joplin Group * '' The Early Years: Volume One'' (compilation, 2004) Josh Joplin * ''

'' (2005) Josh Joplin * '' Among the Oak & Ash'' (2009) Among the Oak & Ash * '' Devil Ship'' (2011) Among the Oak & Ash * '' Earth and Other Things'' (EP, 2013) Josh Joplin * ''

Figure Drawing A figure drawing is a drawing of the human form in any of its various shapes and Human positions, postures, using any of the drawing Drawing#Media, media. The term can also refer to the act of producing such a drawing. The degree of representatio ...

'' (2023) Josh Joplin Group * '' GyPr'' (2025) Josh Joplin Group

References

External links

Jaywalker review
dailyvault.com, August 23, 2005.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joplin, Josh American male singers American rock singers Living people People from Columbia, Maryland People from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Singers from Pennsylvania Singers from Maryland 1972 births