Life & Work with Joe Nolan of Nashville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Nolan

Hi Joe, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I arrived in Nashville in 1992. I was a young singer-songwriter, looking for an opportunity. I was lucky enough to connect with some other talented songwriters and players, and I was signed to a few publishing deals. But when I saw the home recording revolution coming, I knew that owning my catalog and building as an independent artist was the best path for me. Along the way, I discovered that my creativity went beyond only my music. I just released a new single (“All These Things”) over the Winter Solstice – it’s the latest release off of a completed album project I’m dripping out song by song. I’m also curating an exhibition of paintings including work by myself and three friends. And my book Nowville: The Untold History of Nashville’s Contemporay Art Scene was just pubished over the holidays by Vanderbilt University Press.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t know if any creative life is smooth. There are always challenges, milestones and plateaus built into this kind of work. And making a sustainable practice is always tough. Monetizing is tough. Finding a way to make your work your way is the most important thing. Sustainability is everything, because if you can’t keep working you can’t make progress toward creative growth.

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 started writing about art and movies on my blog back in 2004. In 2006 I began publishing my reviews in papers and journals. I’ve contributed to Nashville Scene, Number, Art in America and more. I’ve published essays in exhibition catalogs and given talks and presentations at universities and museums. There’s a long American tradition of artists who also critique and comment on the culture of their times. Patti Smith and Chrissie Hynde both wrote music criticism, and Edgar Allen Poe was literary critic at the same time he was remaking American letters with his pioneering poetry and stories. I’ve always been inpired by other writers, musicians, filmmakers and artists. Analyzing work that inspires me is at the core of my process. But writing about the work of other artists and publishing it for an audience forces me to look even deeper, and push my understanding until I can clearly communicate my insights. It’s made me a better artist.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
No thanks

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/mightyjoenolan
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mightyjoenolan/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joenolannashville/
• Twitter: https://x.com/MightyJoeNolan
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MightyJoeNolan
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/joenolan