Australian singer-songwriter Joel Sarakula writes catchy, thoughtful songs that you can’t get out of your head. He has been pursuing the dream of writing the perfect pop song while backing himself confidently at the piano.
Maybe it was his experience as a young lad watching piano man Billy Joel performing live that set Joel on his course. He started to pick out melodies from TV shows on the family home organ, and in a role-reversal, begged his parents for piano lessons. Classically trained on the piano, Joel then taught himself how to sing and play guitar. He was obsessed with music of all styles and began to write and perform while still in school. Various pop and jazz artists influenced his life and, after finding The Beatles, Bowie and The Beach Boys, Joel was on his way.
He fronted 60s revivalist Sydney outfit The Fringe from 1999 to 2001 before going solo in 2002. In his musical journey he has played in many bands and in many different styles. Somewhere through the jumble of all of these experiences he found his own voice and it is equally soulful and dynamic.
In 2003 Joel released an album of original material entitled Mystery Morning. For this project he was accompanied by some close musical allies. Joel and band toured the album around Sydney, Australia, receiving great critical praise.
After the release of this album, Joel moved to London to further develop his music. He quickly found his footing performing in piano bars and becoming a travelling, journeyman entertainer. Joel has been in high demand on the international piano bar circuit ever since, and sometimes jokingly refers to himself as a human jukebox of great pop songs. Joel’s live act has been shaped by these years of performing in Europe and the USA. On stage he is electric, changing his show for every venue and every song. And even after receiving thousands of requests for “Piano Man†he can still play it with a smile… or a cheeky grin.
Joel has focused his attention once again on his songwriting and has spent three years producing his latest record, on and off the road. He has honed his songwriting talents and learned a lot about the human condition. Joel will release Souvenirs in mid 2008. It is full of timeless songs delivered with a jazzy, rock edge. Joel’s new batch of songs is simply the souvenirs that he has collected along his musical journey. He knows these songs are destined to find their way into many hearts and minds.
Here are some Live Vids for your listening and watching pleasure...
Performing 'Steps' with the band at the SOUVENIRS album launch in Sydney, Aug 2008...
Playing 'Beyond The Broken Sea' Live in NYC -- my very own song from my album 'SOUVENIRS'...
