Watch out for Joseph, a folk and pop band

Three sisters Allison, Meegan and Natalie Closner sound like all of your dreams blended into one band as their sweet voices fill your headphones. They grew up in Oregon with two creative and artistic parents. Their father was a jazz singer and drummer while their mother was a theatre teacher. From a young age, Natalie was always the performer who was able to command the attention in the room, even if it was just family. Meanwhile Allison and Meegan, who are twins, stayed out of the spotlight, but sometimes participated in their mom’s musical theatre productions. Eventually Natalie went off to college and attempted to pursue her own music career seriously.

By her senior year, Natalie had recorded an EP and went to Nashville to explore the music scene and work on her guitar playing and songwriting, but then an interaction with one of her friends changed everything. He told her “I don’t think you really believe in this,” so Natalie knew that something needed to change. She decided to ask her sisters to join her in the music industry.

“We thought she was asking us to be background singers, so we didn’t take it that seriously,” Allison said, “but eventually everything all came together.”

They recorded their first album, called Native Dreamer Kin, and released it themselves but under the name Dearborn. Soon after, the three sisters went to the eastern Oregon town of Joseph to visit their grandfather Jo. Allison created a playlist for the trip and titled it “Joesph,” likely out of convenience and clarity. It hit the sisters, then, that this was why they were doing what they were doing.

“These are the sounds of the land that we’ve lived on,” Natalie said, so they knew that the name would stick.

Since then, the Closner sisters have toured with artists like James Bay and Amos Lee, but they have also built their fan base through backyard parties, living room parties and house parties along the Western states. As of now, Joseph is signed to ATO Records, but they built their fan base way before signing with them.

Joseph just released their second album I’m Alone, No You’re Not on Aug. 26 and the title alone attracts us to it. They recorded the songs with acclaimed producer Mike Mogis at his studio in Omaha and are now touring the United States. They will be in Washington D.C. on Oct. 16, but if you cannot make it to that show, you can catch one in Philadelphia on Oct. 19 or in New York on Oct. 21. These ladies will also be touring with James Bay in the upcoming weeks, with a show in New York on Sept. 30, among many other major cities. These shows are not to be missed.

Joseph can easily be compared to HAIM, which also consists of three sisters — Este, Danielle and Alana Haim. Although one can see and hear a superficial resemblance, Joseph’s sound is unique and new. Just hearing  one song from their new album brings instant satisfaction and an urge to hear more. In particular their songs SOS (Overboard) and White Flag have beautiful music and lyrics that I just want to hear over and over again.

Be sure to check them out on Spotify, Twitter (@thebandjoseph), Facebook (@thebandjoseph) and nstagram (@thebandjoseph)!