aaamusic | On 08, Apr 2012

The album gains it’s title from the Paul Auster book. Released on Bullo Pill Recordings, much of the material accumulated during the long hours spent constantly touring across 2011 with a large part of the songs penned on long drives or after late nights. The recording itself finally took place in Cardiff in January 2012 with producer Llion Robertson (Gentle Good, Eugene Francis Jr), with whom Joshua previously worked with on Joshua 2010 EP Slow Hearts.

Caole’s music evokes the American songwriting greats like Gram Parsons yet simultaneously tiptoes along the lines of alt rock, post punk and folkier climbs. What binds these disparate influences together and makes Caole’s music distinctive is his rough-with-the-smooth combination of coarse, velvet vocals with clean, beautiful ringwheeling guitar parts. Combining the commanding songwriting of Elliot Smith with the vocal fragility of Bright Eyes; tales of misspent nights and love not quite won makes Moon Palace an impressive, impassioned collection of songs.

“Subtle, understated songs with death and beauty at their heart.”

Adam Walton (BBC Wales)

 

“The troubadour from the Forest of Dean was sitting before a healthy crowd, he had a bleeding hand as he thrashed the guitar, his voice even and calm. It made for a dramatic spectacle, and I was left wanting more.”

Bethan Elfyn

 

After releasing his EP Slow Hearts in December 2010, Joshua Caole spent much of 2011 playing in cramped, dark rooms in the UK and Europe including supports with superb acts such as Smoke Fairies, Sarabeth Tucek, Slaid Cleaves, Jodie Marie and Charlie Parr – to name just a few – and appearing at festivals including, Lounge on the Farm, Apple Cart and Swn. The year was topped off with a slot at the O2 arena in London in their December Sessions season. Joshua has been championed on BBC Radio Wales by Adam Walton and Bethan Elfyn, with regular airplay on BBC Wales, BBC 6 Music and Amazing Radio. In February 2012 the single ‘Wish You Were Where’ from Slow Hearts featured as BBC Radio Wales single of the week.

With the freshly pressed copies of Moon Palace under his arm, 2012 sees Joshua Caole hitting the road hard touring, a summer of festival appearances and another trip over the English Channel and supports Christiaan Webb on the following UK dates: 13th April – Clwb Ifor Bach, CARDIFF / 14th April – The Jericho, OXFORD / 15th April – Kitchen Garden Cafe, BIRMINGHAM / 16th April – The Musician Pub, LEICESTER / 17th April – Blue Sky Cafe, BANGOR / 18th April – St Bonaventure’s, BRISTOL / 19th April – Focus Wales Festival, WREXHAM / 19th April – Harvest Sun at the Static Gallery, LIVERPOOL / 20th April – Oran Mor, GLASGOW / 22nd April – Mundell Music Backstage at the Green Hotel, KINROSS / 23rd April – Dead Young Records: Gaslight at Oporto, LEEDS / 24th April – Pull Up The Roots at The Slaughtered Lamb, LONDON

For more information on Joshua visit : www.joshuacaole.com

Facebook:www.facebook.com/joshuacaoleuk / Twitter:www.twitter.com/joshuacaole