In the state of Maine lies the small, agricultural town of Livermore with a population of roughly two-thousand people. It is here, within the confines of a humble home studio, where brother-sister duo Joel & Janna recorded their debut album The High Road for a 2008 release.
Since then, Joel & Janna have toured all over New England, performing concerts from local churches to SoulFest; at one point, playing 60 shows in less than 6 months. But getting to this point wasn't easy. "We tried and failed recording our debut album at least five times," Joel says, "It was discouraging because we weren't getting the results we wanted." Recording an album at home proved to be a challenge, but with unwavering support and encouragement from family and friends, they never gave up. "We were actually using Joel's walk-in closet as the vocal booth, and his living room as the drum room. It definitely wasn't working for us," Janna says.
Realizing they needed a more professional studio, Joel & Janna decided to launch a two-year building project. During this time, Joel packed his bags to spend time learning under influential mixing engineers in Nashville. This experience proved valuable by giving both the opportunity to not only grow musically, but spiritually.
The High Road is an album that was years in the making, while representing Joel & Janna's journey while walking the high road. Both spent many sleepless nights experimenting with different sounds, and searching for their niche; finding beauty in the freedom of songwriting. The ultimate goal of The High Road was to bring an inspirational, thought provoking message to a world in desperate need of our Savior's love. "I think we accomplished what we set out to do with this record," Janna says, "but it's also something we realize we can build from."
While most bands are about being loud and filling a room, Joel & Janna strip it all down and let their voices and an intimate, piano-driven sound carry the emotions. Musically, Joel & Janna bear resemblance to artists such as Keane, The Fray, or Sixpence None The Richer, and commend songwriting inspiration to artists like Sara Groves and Mat Kearney.
The debut album has since garnered great response from fans, instantly became a favorite, rising to 1 on the PureVolume Christian charts for two weeks. The sudden growth in the fan-base was furthered by constant touring across New England. But even with this recent rise in popularity, Joel & Janna have stuck to their modest roots, keeping everything homemade, from CD packaging to their t-shirt designs.
During the past year, Joel and his wife Melissa were blessed with a son. A baby boy named Noah. "Having a son changed my life in so many ways," Joel says, "I think I've matured and become more heartfelt and honest in everything I do." And as far as the future is concerned, Joel & Janna are giving it all to God. When asked where they see themselves in a few years, their answer was, "As time goes on, I think we'll find ourselves still trying to hone our skills, pursuing the heart of God and keeping a level head." After a year of constant writing, touring, and opening for acts such as Rush of Fools, The Wrecking, and Paul Colman, there is a sense that something bigger is coming for Joel & Janna. But for now, we can only anticipate what the future holds in store for them.
- Written by Marc Gilbert
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