Joe Talbot (singer)
Joe Talbot | |
|---|---|
 Joe Talbot performing with Idles at Glastonbury Festival 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Joseph Talbot |
| Born | 23 August 1984[1] Newport, Wales, United Kingdom[2] |
| Origin | Exeter, England, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Post-punk, punk rock |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist, songwriter |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | Fear of Fiction, Bally, Partisan |
Joseph Talbot (born 23 August 1984) is a Welsh musician from Exeter, England. He has been the vocalist for rock band Idles since their inception in 2009.[3]
Early years
Talbot was born in Newport, Wales and raised in Exeter, England. He met Idles bassist Adam Devonshire at sixth form college in Exeter, before moving to Bristol alongside Devonshire, where they studied at the St Matthias Campus of the University of the West of England and decided to start a band.[4] Following university, they went on to open the now-defunct Bat-Cave Night Club in Bristol.[5]
When he was 16, Talbot's mother had a stroke and was paralyzed, and after the death of his step-father, he became her primary caretaker, until her death in 2015. Her passing was followed two years later by the stillbirth of his daughter Agatha Talbot.[6] Talbot's mother and first daughter are primary subjects of Brutalism and Joy as an Act of Resistance respectively.
Music career
Talbot has released three studio albums and many EPs and singles with Idles.[7] His music has been described as punk rock,[8] and post-punk,[9] especially due to its passionate nature and political lyrics, which have criticized right-wing news networks such as Fox News and The Sun,[7] and outlined social issues such as depression, white privilege,[10] and toxic masculinity.[11] However, Talbot has rejected all of these genre labels. In 2017, he was quoted saying: "We're not a post-punk band. I guess we have that motorik, engine-like drive in the rhythm section that some post-punk bands have but we have plenty of songs that aren't like that at all."[12] At a 2018 concert in Manchester, he said: "for the last time, we're not a fucking punk band".[13]
Collaborations
Talbot appears on the track Wish on Anna Calvi's fourth full-length album Hunted.[14] In 2020, he collaborated with Jehnny Beth for her debut solo album, To Love Is to Live: he co-wrote and recorded vocals on the track "How Could You". Talbot also sang guest vocals for fellow Bristolians Turbowolf on the track Capitol X from their 2018 album The Free Life.
Influences
He cites The Strokes, The Streets, Thom Yorke, Battles, The Walkmen, Joy Division, The Horrors, and The Fall as influences.[15][16]
In other media
He is the subject of the song Blood Brother, by Bristol-based band Heavy Lungs, whose vocalist Danny Nedelko is the namesake and subject of the fourth track on Idles' second record Joy as an Act of Resistance.[17]
Personal life
He is married to Beth Talbot, with whom he has a daughter.[18]
Discography
Studio albums
- Brutalism (2017), Balley
- Joy as an Act of Resistance (2018), Partisan
- Ultra Mono (2020), Partisan
Live albums
- A Beautiful Thing: Idles Live at le Bataclan (2019), Partisan
- Live at Ramsgate Music Hall (2020) - digital download only
Physical singles and EPs
- Welcome (2012), Fear of Fiction
- Meat (2015), Balley
- Meta EP (2015), Balley
- Meat // Anguish EP (2016), Harmacy
- "Well Done" (2017), Balley
- "Divide & Conquer" (2017), Balley
- "Mother" (2017), Balley
- "Danny Nedelko" (2018) – split single with Heavy Lungs
- "Mercedes Marxist" / "I Dream Guillotine" (2019), Partisan
Download-only tracks/singles
- "Stendhal Syndrome" (2017), Balley
- "Rachel Khoo" (2017), Balley
- "Colossus" (2018), Partisan
- "Danny Nedelko" (2018), Partisan
- "Samaritans" (2018), Partisan
- "Great" (2018), Partisan
- "Never Fight a Man with a Perm" (2019), Partisan
- "Mr. Motivator" (2020), Partisan
- "Grounds" (2020), Partisan
- "Model Village" (2020), Partisan
Compilations
- Meat / Meta (2019), Balley
Guest features
- Wish (from the Anna Calvi album, Hunted)
- How Could You (from the Jehnny Beth album, To Love Is to Live)
- Wasted Days (Inbetweens) (from the Larry The Pink Human single)
- Sikh Punk III (from the Primitive Ignorant album, Sikh Punk)
- None of Us Are Getting Out of This Alive (from The Streets mixtape, None of Us Are Getting Out of This Alive) (credited as IDLES)
- Capitol X (from the 2018 Turbowolf album The Free Life)
References
- ^ "A Love Letter to the NHS, by IDLES' Joe Talbot". Crack Magazine.
- ^ McSorley, Kevin (19 April 2019). "Idles a subversive band that disagrees vehemently with our government". The Irish News.
- ^ "Brute Force: The Contrary World Of IDLES". Clash Magazine.
- ^ Hamilton, Joe (2017) "Brute Force: The Contrary World Of IDLES", Clash, 15 March 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017
- ^ "Not Another Indie Disco meet Idles". notanotherindiedisco.com. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
- ^ "The culture of masculinity and its negative impacts on men". PBS NewsHour. 8 September 2019.
- ^ a b Jones, Craig (10 June 2017). "Idles at Download: Band take aim at The Sun during riotous set". birminghammail.
- ^ Stiernberg, Bonnie (21 August 2018). "How IDLES Used Punk Rock To Fight Through Grief". Rollingstone.com.
- ^ "Idles place vulnerability and empathy front and centre on their new album 'Joy as an Act Of Resistance' - review". The Independent. 30 August 2018.
- ^ "IDLES – White Privilege". Genius.com.
- ^ "The culture of masculinity and its negative impacts on men". PBS NewsHour. 8 September 2019.
- ^ Murray, Eoin (2017) "Stendhal Syndrome: Idles Interviewed", The Quietus, 29 June 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017
- ^ McCann, Freya (2018) "LIVE: IDLES @ O2 RITZ | 19.10.18", Mcr.live, 19 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018
- ^ Roberts, Christopher. "Anna Calvi – Stream the New Album Feat. Julia Holter, IDLES' Joe Talbot, and Courtney Barnett". undertheradarmag.com.
- ^ "YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
- ^ "Idles reveal which past Glastonbury performance inspired 'Danny Nedelko'". Nme.com. 28 June 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- ^ "Hear This: Heavy Lungs - Blood Brother". Thenationalstudent.com. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- ^ Drury, Colin (1 June 2020). "Idles: 'What the f*** is wrong with Sleaford Mods?'". The Independent.