JOE drops us a line to talk about The Good The Bad The Sexy

When you think of old school RnB, soulful smooth RnB, you can’t look much further than the likes of JOE. It is easy to walk down memory lane to many of the tracks from his eight previous albums, including all time favourites like All That I Am and My Name is Joe. With eight Grammy nominations to his name, JOE has been a singer, songwriter and producer for nearly two decades.  With the upcoming release of his 9th studio album The Good The Bad The Sexy, and a highly anticipated national tour around the corner, JOE dropped us a line from New York to say Hello…

GO: We are very excited to have you down in Australia soon. How are you feeling about the upcoming tour?
JOE: I’m very excited!! It’s going to be great. I think I’m going to be in Melbourne and Sydney and Perth. I love performing and I’m always doing it for the fans, so it’s going to be fun.

GO:  Tell us about your new album, The Good The Bad The Sexy.
JOE: It’s a great album! It is very different to the last album and is more studio. I just really wanted to get back to the studio and record. I think the fans will really enjoy it. Just let it play from start to end, because every song could be a single!

GO:  It’s been four years since you were in Australia. What can we expect from your shows?
JOE: Well it’s going to be a connection between the old and the new; ill definitely do some of the old hits that the fans love, but I think I will introduce some of the tracks from the new album too. I love to see the reaction from the fans to the new stuff!

GO: You have a strong gospel music background. How has this influenced your music?
JOE: It has influenced my music quite a bit. The way I sing is very gospel, very church. I would say that it has lent quite a bit to my career. It’s a big part of who I am.

GO: You have had a successful career spanning decades, with several albums that have gained you global success over the years. How do you manage to stay relevant and yet maintain your signature sound?
JOE: Its’ a lot about being true to your self. That is very important. Church has helped me out a lot too. It’s not easy surviving in this industry. But as you grow and interact with people you have to remember who you are. And I love music and I love doing in for the fans. It’s my hobby. I enjoy it.

GO: You have collaborated with some legendary artists over the years. Who do you see your self collaborating with in the future?
JOE:  There are a lot of great artists out there. I would like to work with Big Sean, and Drake. I like the Young Money artists, I like the Young Money sound. I’d also like to work with artists who are more old school like Busta and Rakeem.

GO: Speaking of old school music, what is your take on the direction RnB music is heading today, with a lot of RnB being fused with other genres like dance and pop?
JOE: Yeah well I feel RnB today lacks a little fuel. Something old school music gave us was that fuel, that emotion. I’m not saying I’m turned off by today’s RnB, but I think some of it lacks a little emotion.

GO: Of the many young RnB artists out there, whom do you listen to?
JOE: I’m still into a lot of the hip hop. I also like artists like Niki Minaj, Trey Songs, Chris Brown, Neyo. I like what they are doing.

GO: And how you do you manage to balance your personal life with your very public profile?
JOE: Oh that’s a tricky situation! You know, in this industry so many things come at you at one time. I chose not to bring anyone into that. I don’t want to confuse things. I try to keep it neutral. I have good intentions, but it’s definitely not easy!

If you want to hear some of your old favourites performed live, or get a taste of The Good The Bad The Sexy, do not miss out on what will be an amazing show!!

Thursday September 8 – Melbourne, Neverland 
Host Bobby Love plus Rowie J & DL
Friday September 9 – Brisbane, Jubilee Hotel
Saturday September 10 – Sydney, Big Top Luna Park 
Host Mr Ian Reid, female sensation Favour and DJ Mac

Tickets on sale now via Ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100.
For more information visit abletouring.com