BIOGRAPHY

The Joel Affair is the musical persona of Joel Phair, a singer/songwriter multi-instrumentalist recording artist from Ontario, Canada. The Joel Affair has released 2 EP’s to date, 2021’s Trying To Get By and 2024’s In Need of Help.

The Trying To Get By EP was born out of an overwhelming feeling of whether or not song ideas and melodies being written on acoustic guitar could be transposed into completed work that could somehow meet the internal expectations of their creator, if done in a proper studio with a skilled engineer/producer. The result was Phair entering Taurus Recording to work with owner/operator Thomas D’Arcy, a Juno nominated producer and previous winner for sound engineering. The EP features songs that Phair had been recently working on, and in particular, “One foot in and One Foot Out”, a sonic piercer that illustrates what life is like for someone straddling the line between writing and performing music and the realities of what it takes to earn income to own a home for themselves and their loved ones.   “I think a lot of people out there can relate to that sentiment, in order to be true to yourself and your music, you have to be two feet in, all or nothing, to have one foot in and one foot out puts one at a disadvantage because there is something there to lose”. Once completing the EP, Phair offers “after working with Thom and seeing how ideas and melodies can evolve, my approach to making music has changed, I’m shedding preconceived expectations song ideas, I need to simply create and be satisfied that the creation I have made now exists, I hope people can take something from that and feel it in the songs”. The Trying To Get By EP features Phair on drums, guitars and vocals, Thomas D’Arcy on Bass and Gregory MacDonald on guitar, keys/piano and backing vocals.

Returning to Taurus Recording in the winter of 2024, TJA recorded another 5 song EP, with D’Arcy on bass again and Stephen Krecklo on lead guitars and keys/organ. The 5 songs on this recording are a natural evolution from the previous recording, taking on a more aggressive approach to interpersonal song writing. The title track, In Need of Help is an omission and realization of one’s ego and the role it plays in one’s life, affecting relationships and decisions alike. Phair describes where the song comes from “I had reached a low point in my life where I had to look internally to understand what my role was in landing me in such a low spot. Once I was able to get in touch with my ego, and understand it and the role it plays, I was able to consciously take control of my being again, this time much more aware of myself, and this led myself back into my own life again feeling in control and confident to where I wanted to go. The 1/2-time section is me down there, recognizing my need for help and the outro is the rebirth, the rise and the path forward. Steve nailed the lead guitar in the outro when I explained what we were going for, absolutely nailed it.”

As of the winter of 2024, work is being done to narrow song ideas down for another 5-song recording. This time, there is a conscious decision to have full instrumentation, but concentrate on more acoustic guitar-based songs.

In the meantime, be sure to spend some time with the two currently available recordings on Bandcamp or any of the major streaming platforms.