Today we’d like to introduce you to Joel Guptill.
Hi Joel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I want to focus my story around two things:
1. Experiencing the gift of the communal nature of music
2. The becoming of a guy who finally began believing and trusting in himself.
I was born in Eastern Canada and fell in love with music at a young age. My mom, being a piano and vocal teacher, meant there was no shortage of music encouragement. My dad, being a pastor, meant that most of my exposure at an early age was in church music; which instilled in me a love the power songs can have, especially the communal nature of people singing together. While I didn’t know it then, this love of the shared experience of singing together is what ultimately led me into the pursuit of songwriting.
It’s funny how the twists and turns of life lead us to where we are today. At 36, I look back and see two primary influences who acted as the initial guides to my creative process:
John Mayer – Guitar
Jon Foreman – Songwriting
Like many, John Mayer inspired me to pick up the guitar again and again. The way he was able to make the guitar sing was the perfect gateway for me to explore the instrument. Jon Foreman played the same role but in the realm of songwriting. I remember listening to his songs and “feeling seen/understood” so to speak. It was as if he spoke words that I thought but didn’t know how to vocalize. He wrote about life beyond superficiality and I really connected with that. He helped me realize it’s ok to explore ideas that may feel scary and unsafe: like the questioning of faith, uncertainty, death, etc. I thought, if he were able to do this for me, why can’t I do this for someone else.
To make a long story short, I moved to the United States in my early twenties and worked at a church. I wanted to pursue music in the States and this was the doorway in. This season carried an inner tumultuousness where the faith that defined me collapsed. While my faith was falling apart, I still found a certain beauty and joy in the act of singing together in those environments. Now that I am on the other side of this season, I still see and value the act of singing together, a little gift from the church I carry. During this phase I received my green card and was able to take the next step in my journey.
I arrived in Nashville in November of 2019 on my 30th birthday, which feels like the greatest gift someone can give themself: The gift of taking the leap into uncertainty. My journey here, like many, has had so many ups and downs. I want to hop ahead to the spring of 2025 as the starting point of this phase. I’d been in Nashville for a little over 5 years, had released a slew of singles and a few live albums, yet I continued lacking trust in myself as an artist/producer and nothing seemed to be working for me.
I remember it like it was yesterday. I was at a friend’s birthday party chatting with a few buddies about recording quality music and how it felt impossible and expensive. The conversation led to talking about videos we had seen on youtube with producers who work out of New York apartments; and the limitations they have in such small spaces. It all hit me there: In the same way some of the best songs recorded in the 60’s and 70’s are what they are due to the limitations of the equipment/technology they had at that time, so too songs today can still have a special something even with limitations (meaning not recording in the nicest multi-million dollar studios or with the best producers). This ultimately led me to leaning in to my own studio space and sound.
As I set out to try and see what I could make something magical happened. I began to build trust in myself and recorded music that I am the most proud of as of yet. I know many have this belief in themself early on, but it was foreign to me. I became a child again playing in the “studio sandbox” so to speak. Out of that time spent was the next sound and phase of my musical journey: a five song project that is more defined both musically as well as who I am as a person.
I characterize the songs and my sound as “modern meets vintage indie rock for the soul.” I am heavily influenced by classics from the 70’s and my goal is to bring not only elements of that sound, but also the nature of music made by real humans back to the forefront of modern music. Music that invites and encourages people to reflect on the ways they might be getting in their own way. Music that is highly singable so that every listening experience carries a type of transcendence with it. Music that feels timeless.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has had many twists, turns, ups, and downs. Other than the ones mentioned prior, I think one of the biggest struggles today we experience as artists is how to hold the tension of being both an artist/songwriter and a music marketer. Nothing new under the sun here. It can feel like we are playing a losing game of keeping people’s attention and giving them a reason to care about what we are doing. While I think social media is the best marketing tool ever created, giving us all access to potential fans, it also seems to make it trickier when trying to build a loyal fanbase. I believe there is a way, and I am committed to figuring this out one day at a time.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I think what sets me apart from others is the blending of introspective lyrics that are highly singable with the desire to create records that intentionally sound like they are from the 70’s with a modern twist.
I want to make music that feels sonically like it could live on the same playlist as The Doobie Brothers, Billy Joel, and Paul McCartney while at the same time, be a gateway for the listener to feel the freedom to explore their inner world.
Any big plans?
I have been in music release mode for the majority of 2026 so that’s been the primary focus. I have so much music I want to record and can’t wait to dive back into the recording process later this year to continue the pursuit of making fresh records that feel classic.
Pricing:
- Private Events: $500-2,000 depending on travel
- Music Producing: $500-1,000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.joelguptill.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joelguptill/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@joelguptill
