Who is Joal Kamps?
If coffee shops were classrooms, Joal Kamps' wall would be lined with framed degrees. Whether he's spent time making lattes, drinking them or performing on stage at open mic nights, this is a man at home in the caffeine consuming subculture. At 24, the six-foot-three Kamps has seen more of the world than most at twice his age.
This isn't surprising when met with an air that seems to suggest though raised in Calgary, Alberta, Kamps is from elsewhere – an intangible mix of laid back South American posture and forthright European bravado. Chalk it up to his Dutch upbringing and stints in Holland, Italy, Korea and El Salvador if you will, but travel tales are the tip of the iceberg in stories this chap has to tell.
While on the heels of the release of his first solo undertaking, 'Waiting', Kamps has been playing in local musical projects for nearly the last decade with roles that have varied from frenzied frontman to laidback lyricist.
A typical acoustic show might leave you feeling as though you were sitting in the living room of an old friend, as Kamps makes the most of each moment to connect with his audience. Kamps creates an atmosphere of warmth, dismantling people of their pretenses and making them feel at home in the midst of his songs. He offers each who is listening the opportunity to find themselves in his lyrics.
"Everyone is waiting for something," he says of his album's name. "Whether it's for the next bus or for eager anticipation for the unknown – sometimes it's with excitement and sometimes it's with fear."
Though the five song EP is not a full length album, 'Waiting' features a lengthy list of contributing instruments in addition to the acoustic guitar. Kamps enlists the help of his community as the djembe, violin, piano, drums, synthesizer, bass and accompanying vocals are all provided by close friends.
Kamps has compiled a diverse record, rooted in folk and experimental style. Melodies that will easily embed themselves in the craniums of listeners paired with vulnerable and searching lyrics, Kamps' music confronts as well as consoles.
"The happiest place I can be in is if I can pop in my own record and listen to it and enjoy," says Kamps. "Because then I know that I'm creating something that I'm fully behind."
Online Resources
Electronic Press Kit (EPK): www.sonicbids.com/JoalKamps
Official Website: www.joalkamps.com
Official Myspace: www.myspace.com/JoalKamps
CD available online: www.cdbaby.com/JoalKamps