by Michael LelloWeekender Editor
A few years ago, Michael Stipe and Chris Martin covered Joseph Arthur’s song “In the Sun.” And for Arthur, it was not a memorable moment.
It was an important moment, and something the singer/songwriter cherishes. But he doesn’t remember it.
“When that happened, and when other things like that happen that have been on a similar type of level, it’s always so surreal that it seems like it’s happening to someone else, and I feel like a sense of detachment to it,” he says. “It’s amazing, but it’s also a song that really doesn’t feel like it’s yours anymore. It’s a song now, it’s everybody’s song. I really do think they transmit themselves through you. So it’s hard to make your claim on it.”
The prolific Arthur, who released three EPs and an album last year, has a list of surreal moments, including Peter Gabriel discovering him and signing him to his Real World Label. Since his 1997 debut album, Arthur has released seven albums, 11 EPs and has had his songs appear in everything from movies like “The Bourne Identity” and “Saved!” to TV shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Hung” and “Lie to Me.” Arthur, who will headline the Bell Tower Jam in Wilkes-Barre Sunday, Sept. 20, says the TV and film exposure has not only been beneficial, but in some ways, it’s the only way to reach a wider audience due to the changes in the music industry and radio programming.
“I think it’s kind of like a modern version of having a little bit of radio success,” Arthur says. “It’s kind of like the way music gets heard now, kind of lesser known (than radio), but it’s a way for you to get heard, and ideally it’s a creative situation.”
Arthur has surrounded himself with creativity, ever since he cut his teeth on artists like Jimi Hendrix as a youth in Akron, Ohio. He played in a blues band, moved to Atlanta and recorded home demos before his music caught the attention of Gabriel’s A&R associate, Harvey Schwartz. He joined Gabriel’s WOMAD tour, opened for Ben Harper and Gomez and earned a Grammy nomination in 2000 for best recording package for his album “Vacancy.” He went on to tour with Tracey Chapman, and in 2004, R.E.M.
In the meantime, he’s pursued painting and poetry, going as far as opening The Museum of Modern Arthur in Brooklyn and starting a poetry blog. He closed the gallery, also known as MOMAR, last year but says he is interested in bringing it back.
Arthur, who was the subject of a documentary called “You Are Free,” is building a recording studio in Brooklyn, as well — he says he’ll name it Rebel Country after a souvenir license plate he bought at a truck stop in Canada — and is about to re-release his 2006 album “Nuclear Daydream” in France, including bonus tracks recorded when he was working on that album. He also says he’s “working on a couple of records right now.”
The singer/guitarist often performs with his band The Lonely Astronauts, but at the local show on Sunday, he’ll perform alone.
“I suppose there might be a little bit more freedom alone, but I really like playing with the band as well, because there’s a great dynamic range there, because I play some solo stuff in that context, too,” he says. “It’s like apples and oranges.”
Asked about the hipster proliferation in his adopted home, Brooklyn, Arthur says he has been immune to or unaware of any backlash, perceived or real.
“I love Brooklyn,” says Arthur. “As far as the hipsters and the backlash, I really wasn’t thinking much of a front-lash, so I’m not thinking about the backlash. New York is just awesome, and Brooklyn is awesome. You know, it’s just great, and you have Manhattan a bridge away. … I’m on my bike all the time, and it’s a great way to live. You can ride around the city, and there’s lots of cool people.”
With so many opportunities around him, does Arthur ever get distracted from his work?
“The studio I’m building is going to be hard to leave,” he says. “It’s awesome. I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”
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“The Bell Tower Jam” fundraiser for the Holly Petro Fund w/ Joseph Arthur, Cabinet, George Wesley, Plus 3 Fired From Rifles, Arts YOUniverse (47 N. Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre), Sunday, Sept. 20, begins at noon. Cost: $15, all ages Info: www.thehollypetrofund.com
