Local StoriesJuly 31, 2023

Check Out Joel Guptill’s Story

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joel Guptill.

Joel Guptill

Hi Joel, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Thank you for having me! So I was born on the East Coast of Canada but spent my early years in the states. I grew up in a family of 5 boys (God bless my mom) and my parents both worked in the church so we moved around about every four years growing up. When I was 12, we moved back to Canada and I spent the rest of my teen years in Eastern Canada.

My mom was a voice and piano teacher so music was very common in the house. I played several different band instruments in middle school but hit my stride in high school when I joined our church youth band as a drummer. I always felt there was more for me musically but the opportunities available were only drums at the time. We moved to a different province during my senior year of high school, which was hard at the time, but in hindsight was one of the best things that could have happened as it set me in motion toward where I am today. I was able to play more guitar, sing in the worship band, and developed a more well-rounded skillset as a musician and vocalist.

After graduating high school, I traveled with a band for 3 months and got a taste of what the road is like. I was hooked! I had always loved music, but this new experience set things in stone for me. I knew I wanted to travel and play music for a living. I ended up attending a small Bible school in Eastern Canada and after graduating I found myself working at a church in South Dakota.

I knew I wanted to be in the states long term, and being a Canadian citizen, had to get my foot in the door somehow. I worked in the creative department at the church and this helped me continue honing my skills as a writer, vocalist, and player. I finally got my green card and moved to Nashville after living in SD for 6 years.

I arrived in Nashville in November 2019 with high hopes. Four months later the world shut down…

Thankfully, I had family in town so was able to stay here and have a support system. After things began opening up in 2021, I stumbled upon an event called Pitch Meeting. Pitch Meeting is a “songwriter pitch night” that happens every Tuesday night where artists like myself can try out new songs with a world-class house band. It is the centerpiece event of the artist development non-profit, Pitch Music.

I decided this was going to be where I committed my time to and I literally went every week during 2021 and most of 2022. I wanted to get to know the band better and through consistency I was able to become friends with them and build a community. This has led to the most opportunities for me in Nashville to date (like performing multiple Whiskey Jams, Brooklyn Bowl, and Bonnaroo for the past 2 years).

After running out of songs to play, I started writing specifically for these Pitch Meeting nights. My goal was to write songs that fell within a certain parameter – they had to be musically simple so the band could catch on quickly, musically engaging so they had a fun time, and melodically simple so others could sing along easily. I have written some of my favorite and best songs over the past few years due to my time writing for the Pitch Meeting Band.

I am also involved in the local music scene here and play shows around town when I can. I am currently working on an EP that is set to release this fall (2023).

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Like every journey, it has had its twists and turns. The biggest hurdle has honestly been me. Being in my early 30s, I have had time to reflect on who I was in my 20s and have found I’ve often lacked confidence, have strong feelings of inadequacy, and can be quite prone to comparison.

Nashville is a place where some of the best musicians, songwriters, and singers congregate, so these insecurities naturally rise to the surface. It is a daily practice of confronting them so they do not take over and run the show. I have good days and bad days but am continually trying to get out of my own way.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have always been mostly interested in singing songs with people, not for them. This is probably due to growing up in the church world, where the purpose of music is to sing together. There is something transcendent about this type of communal experience and the most memorable concerts I have been to have always been the ones where this is tastefully accomplished. My goal is to create this with my music.

As far as genre, I tell people my music is as if John Mayer and Allen Stone had a music baby – a blend of pop/blues with some soul. Generally, my music has a simple chorus section that is easily singable. I am most proud of the music I have written this past year. I feel like it is some of my best work and I am excited to see what comes next!

I think what sets me apart from others is that I focus on making music that is both musically engaging for the band/musicians as well as easily singable for the listener. And I am very focused on how it comes across in a live setting, so whenever I write I tend to focus on how it will be presented live, and then work backwards from there when it comes to recording.

I am also generally interested in “why” we do what we do as people and how that undercurrent affects the decisions we make. This inevitably finds its way into my lyrics.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Most of the hurdles we experience are in our heads. The way we perceive the world and the stories we tell ourselves have a massive impact on how we live on a day-to-day basis and the narrative we live in.

Having an online presence is crucial in today’s world of creating. Events like Covid make you realize that so much of our audience is engaged online.

Pricing:

Merch shirts – $30
Private event (inquire about the price range)

Contact Info:

Website: https://www.joelguptill.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joelguptill/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoelGuptillMusic/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXTOQ0zJETdjyOA6Rbv3xPg

Image Credits
Jamie Glasgow, Veronica Visconti, Erik James, and Sam Street

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