Folk / country singer-songwriter Joel Adam Russell gutsy gritty "Burned"

AP Track Review

Burned by folk country singer songwriter Joel Adam Russell feels as Americana as the Texas two step itself. Despite his Nashville leanings by way of Dallas, Texas and Visalia, California, Russell has less of a country drawl than you would think. His gutsy and gritty vocal style does have a hint but his tone also feels like folk rock and raw country western although I can tell you that his affable raw style is and would be accepted by anyone in the audience no matter what kind of sounds they chew on. His take is just plain authentic as is the music that swirls around him like bendable pedal steel melodies. This is not bro country, it is the real deal. 

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Robb Donker




THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:

Born and raised in Texas, Joel cut his teeth in the bars of Deep Ellum starting at the age of 13. There he would share the stage with Dallas-area natives such as Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Green River Ordinance, and others. By nineteen he had traded in the high-rises and concrete of Dallas for the Steinbeckian Central California farm town of Visalia, California. The influence of Bakersfield legends like Merle Haggard and Buck Owens was unmistakable in this new home, and it would begin to color Joel’s writing. 

Following his first release of music under his own name, Joel was lauded for his thoughtful lyricism and the hearty grit of his voice. Unexpectedly, these recordings would lead to invitations to perform as the opening artist for a handful of shows supporting headliners like Martina McBride, REO Speedwagon, Three Doors Down, and Spirit Family Reunion. It was after reading a memoir by Nashville troubadour, Todd Snider, and the fascination that came from his description of the East Nashville songwriting community, that Joel piled his humble belongings into his car and drove across the country to experience Tennessee for himself.