Joey DeGraw
Encyclopedia
Joseph Wayne DeGraw is an American singer-songwriter
, musician
, voiceover actor & co-owner of The National Underground
bar & record label. His first commercial release was the 2009 album, Say Something Strong.
, along with his sister, Neeka & brother, Gavin
. He is of Russian
and Irish
ancestry. His father was a prison guard and his mother was a detox specialist, as mentioned in his brother’s song "I Don't Want to Be
". Joey started playing the guitar at the age of five and piano at the age of eight. Inspired by the likes of Chris Whitley
, Queen
, Tom Petty
& The Beatles
, Joey continued his passion for music throughout his schooling, having written over 50 songs by the age of 18. After leaving high school, Joey decided not to study “institutionalized creativity” stating that "music school can’t teach you how to write great songs."
in 1998 with his brother, Gavin, sharing a small apartment, sleeping in the same room. From there, he watched the collapse of the World Trade Center
, a mile away, in 2001.
Following the move, Joey eventually landed a weekly gig at The Bitter End
on Wednesday nights, which he continued until late 2006. During this time, DeGraw became well known in the New York City
music scene and eventually filling the venue & other famous venues such as The Knitting Factory.
However, it was when local musicians began to cover Joey's songs that people began to notice his talent. Chris Whitley
noted, "What makes Joey such a deep writer and overwhelming talent, besides his god given gifts, is that ... it is all about music as an art form. He is a purist and the only young blood in music today that gives me hope."
Gavin DeGraw
has also highlighted the part his brother played in his success, advising him to write his own songs & upon hearing his later debut single, "I Don't Want to Be
" stating "That’s your hit!" The song went on to reach Double Platinum certification & become the theme tune to television show, One Tree Hill
. DeGraw went on to tour with his brother, providing guitar and backing vocals for Gavin's band, as well as performing & promoting his own music.
In 2005, DeGraw released his debut album; a self-produced effort entitled Midnight Audio, which has sold over 40,000 copies without the support of a label.
DeGraw has written with some of the industry's top selling artists including Joss Stone
, who flew him down to Barbados
to write songs for her, one of which was the track 'Another Mistake.'
December 2007 saw DeGraw & his brother, Gavin open The National Underground
, a New York City
venue, offering live music, food & drink. Situated in Manhattan’s Lower East Side
at 159 East Houston Street, the venue has become a live music hub for the country's top indie talent and in 2009, the brand was extended to a record label. Talking at the time, DeGraw explained "My brother and I want to show off the truly credible artists that perform in our venue. With the National Underground brand, credibility is paramount. We want to provide an outlet for real artists to get exposure."
The boys are working hard to finish their new bar which is due to open sometime in the spring of 2011, situated in Nashville, Tennessee.
The first of such artists was DeGraw himself, releasing his second album, Say Something Strong through the label on August 18, 2009. It features tracks from his 2005 release, Our Own Time, Tragedy, Your Last Day, Miracle of Mind & Sunny as well as Another Mistake, the track originally written for Joss Stone
, who herself provides backing vocals on the track. Other special guests on the album are Mountain frontman, Leslie West
, Chris Barron of the Spin Doctors
and Gavin DeGraw
. He has also toured Europe & the USA to promote his music.
DeGraw’s songs, Miracle of Mind & Our Own Time have also featured in seasons 3 & 6 of television show One Tree Hill
.
He also works as a voiceover actor, notably on the channel A & E & is also the subject of the online documentary, Voice Driven.
Summer 2010 saw Joey embark on an new tour of the UK & Europe, with performances at venues including The Musician in Leicester, England on July 19 and at the Blue Balls Festival
in Lucerne, Switzerland on July 24. Joey also played in Aarhus, Denmark and in Kuurne, Belgium.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, voiceover actor & co-owner of The National Underground
The National Underground
The National Underground is a music venue chain that was launched in December 2007. It is a roots rock Americana music bar founded in Manhattan's Lower East Side, at 159 East Houston Street between Allen and Eldridge Streets...
bar & record label. His first commercial release was the 2009 album, Say Something Strong.
Early life
The middle child of Wayne & Lynne DeGraw, Joey grew up in the Catskills, in South Fallsburg, New YorkSouth Fallsburg, New York
South Fallsburg is a hamlet in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 2,061 at the 2000 census and 2,121 according to a 2007 estimate.South Fallsburg is located within the town of Fallsburg on Route 42....
, along with his sister, Neeka & brother, Gavin
Gavin DeGraw
Gavin Shane DeGraw is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is known for his songs "Chariot", "Follow Through", "I Don't Want to Be" , "In Love with a Girl", and "Not Over You".-Early life:DeGraw grew up in the Catskills in South Fallsburg,...
. He is of Russian
Russian American
Russian Americans are primarily Americans who traces their ancestry to Russia. The definition can be applied to recent Russian immigrants to the United States, as well as to settlers of 19th century Russian settlements in northwestern America which includes today's California, Alaska and...
and Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
ancestry. His father was a prison guard and his mother was a detox specialist, as mentioned in his brother’s song "I Don't Want to Be
I Don't Want to Be
"I Don't Want to Be" is a song by Gavin DeGraw appearing on his 2003 debut album Chariot. It was released as a single in Australia in 2004, and in the UK in 2005....
". Joey started playing the guitar at the age of five and piano at the age of eight. Inspired by the likes of Chris Whitley
Chris Whitley
Christopher Becker Whitley was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Whitley changed his sound frequently, and achieved modest mainstream success while maintaining a small but devoted following...
, Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
& The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Joey continued his passion for music throughout his schooling, having written over 50 songs by the age of 18. After leaving high school, Joey decided not to study “institutionalized creativity” stating that "music school can’t teach you how to write great songs."
Career
Moving to ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in 1998 with his brother, Gavin, sharing a small apartment, sleeping in the same room. From there, he watched the collapse of the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
, a mile away, in 2001.
Following the move, Joey eventually landed a weekly gig at The Bitter End
The Bitter End
The Bitter End is a nightclub in New York City's Greenwich Village. It opened its doors in 1961 at 147 Bleecker Street under the auspices of owner Fred Weintraub. The club changed its name to The Other End during the 1970s...
on Wednesday nights, which he continued until late 2006. During this time, DeGraw became well known in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
music scene and eventually filling the venue & other famous venues such as The Knitting Factory.
However, it was when local musicians began to cover Joey's songs that people began to notice his talent. Chris Whitley
Chris Whitley
Christopher Becker Whitley was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Whitley changed his sound frequently, and achieved modest mainstream success while maintaining a small but devoted following...
noted, "What makes Joey such a deep writer and overwhelming talent, besides his god given gifts, is that ... it is all about music as an art form. He is a purist and the only young blood in music today that gives me hope."
Gavin DeGraw
Gavin DeGraw
Gavin Shane DeGraw is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is known for his songs "Chariot", "Follow Through", "I Don't Want to Be" , "In Love with a Girl", and "Not Over You".-Early life:DeGraw grew up in the Catskills in South Fallsburg,...
has also highlighted the part his brother played in his success, advising him to write his own songs & upon hearing his later debut single, "I Don't Want to Be
I Don't Want to Be
"I Don't Want to Be" is a song by Gavin DeGraw appearing on his 2003 debut album Chariot. It was released as a single in Australia in 2004, and in the UK in 2005....
" stating "That’s your hit!" The song went on to reach Double Platinum certification & become the theme tune to television show, One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
. DeGraw went on to tour with his brother, providing guitar and backing vocals for Gavin's band, as well as performing & promoting his own music.
In 2005, DeGraw released his debut album; a self-produced effort entitled Midnight Audio, which has sold over 40,000 copies without the support of a label.
DeGraw has written with some of the industry's top selling artists including Joss Stone
Joss Stone
Jocelyn Eve Stoker , better known by her stage name Joss Stone, is an English soul singer-songwriter and actress. Stone rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist...
, who flew him down to Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
to write songs for her, one of which was the track 'Another Mistake.'
December 2007 saw DeGraw & his brother, Gavin open The National Underground
The National Underground
The National Underground is a music venue chain that was launched in December 2007. It is a roots rock Americana music bar founded in Manhattan's Lower East Side, at 159 East Houston Street between Allen and Eldridge Streets...
, a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
venue, offering live music, food & drink. Situated in Manhattan’s Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
at 159 East Houston Street, the venue has become a live music hub for the country's top indie talent and in 2009, the brand was extended to a record label. Talking at the time, DeGraw explained "My brother and I want to show off the truly credible artists that perform in our venue. With the National Underground brand, credibility is paramount. We want to provide an outlet for real artists to get exposure."
The boys are working hard to finish their new bar which is due to open sometime in the spring of 2011, situated in Nashville, Tennessee.
The first of such artists was DeGraw himself, releasing his second album, Say Something Strong through the label on August 18, 2009. It features tracks from his 2005 release, Our Own Time, Tragedy, Your Last Day, Miracle of Mind & Sunny as well as Another Mistake, the track originally written for Joss Stone
Joss Stone
Jocelyn Eve Stoker , better known by her stage name Joss Stone, is an English soul singer-songwriter and actress. Stone rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist...
, who herself provides backing vocals on the track. Other special guests on the album are Mountain frontman, Leslie West
Leslie West
Leslie West is an American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter.-Biography:Originally named Leslie Weinstein, West was born in New York City, grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey, and in East Meadow, Forest Hills and Lawrence. After his parents divorced, he changed his surname to West...
, Chris Barron of the Spin Doctors
Spin Doctors
Spin Doctors is an American alternative rock band formed in New York City, best known for their early 1990s hits, "Two Princes," and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong," which peaked the Billboard Hot 100 charts at #7 & #17 respectively....
and Gavin DeGraw
Gavin DeGraw
Gavin Shane DeGraw is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is known for his songs "Chariot", "Follow Through", "I Don't Want to Be" , "In Love with a Girl", and "Not Over You".-Early life:DeGraw grew up in the Catskills in South Fallsburg,...
. He has also toured Europe & the USA to promote his music.
DeGraw’s songs, Miracle of Mind & Our Own Time have also featured in seasons 3 & 6 of television show One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
.
He also works as a voiceover actor, notably on the channel A & E & is also the subject of the online documentary, Voice Driven.
Summer 2010 saw Joey embark on an new tour of the UK & Europe, with performances at venues including The Musician in Leicester, England on July 19 and at the Blue Balls Festival
Blue Balls Festival
The Blue Balls Festival is an annual music festival held in Lucerne, Switzerland. It has featured many famous musicians within the last few years, including KT Tunstall, Jonny Lang, UB40, Van Morrison, Jeff Healey, Jimmy Cliff, Bobby McFerrin, Billy Idol, Tracy Chapman, Joey DeGraw, Jethro Tull, BB...
in Lucerne, Switzerland on July 24. Joey also played in Aarhus, Denmark and in Kuurne, Belgium.