tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:/blogs/second-act-or-second-page
J&D News!
2024-01-04T11:45:07-08:00
Joselyn & Don
false
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/7328375
2024-01-04T11:45:07-08:00
2024-01-05T07:46:17-08:00
Interview: San Pedro Today
<p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://sanpedrotoday.com/2023/12/28/keeping-in-harmony/" data-link-type="url">Keeping in Harmony - How married artists Joselyn & Don manage to balance their creative life with work and family.</a></p><p>by Linda Grimes December 28, 2023</p><p>Since Fred and I spend most of our time together, I’m fascinated by how married artists balance the call of their creativity, the demands of everyday life, and how they got together in the first place.</p><p>Accomplished musicians most of their lives, Joselyn Wilkinson and Don Barrozo see their gifts as a powerful way to share truth, build community, and connect with audiences. Don, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer with many album credits, also serves as film editor for television’s long-running animated series The Simpsons. </p><p>Joselyn founded the legendary women’s global fusion band ADAAWE, which toured extensively, released two albums, and appeared with luminaries such as Stevie Wonder and LeAnn Rimes. For the past nine years, Joselyn has been working for the Grand Vision Foundation, supporting music education, live events, and their amazing work in the community.</p><p>I asked Joselyn some questions about their origin story.</p><p><strong>How did you and Don meet?</strong></p><p>Don and I both grew up in the beautiful state of Montana, in towns joined by the Missouri River, and we met in Venice, Calif. in the early 2000s in a community of musicians and artists. I think we jammed together at a mutual friend’s party before we ever officially met!</p><p><strong>How did you decide to create music together?</strong></p><p>Once we discovered we shared a common birthplace, a spark was lit. We have been making music together since day one, but not necessarily as a duo. I was writing and performing original music while also playing percussion and singing with ADAAWE. Don, a multi-instrumentalist, was playing trumpet with many artists and bands. He arranged horn parts and produced my solo singer-songwriter album in 2009, and I played percussion on his solo jazz album, Blue Talk.</p><p>It wasn’t until 2017 that we decided the best way to interpret my songs and the new music we were writing together was as a duo. Our garage is now our ‘garden studio,’ and we’ve released two albums as Joselyn & Don — our full-length debut Soar and our EP Seeds & Bones, played dozens of shows together, and are recording a new project. We’ve really grown over the past few years in this folk/Americana genre and have many unique and personal stories to tell.</p><p><strong>Did your families encourage you to be artists?</strong></p><p>Don’s father was a professional bandleader, so he grew up in a musical household and was always encouraged to follow his passions. My family knows that an artist’s path is not an easy one, but they have always been supportive of my artistic leanings and like coming to see us perform.</p><p>We realized a long time ago that no matter what other work we do, we’re not truly happy without an avenue for self-expression through music and performance. We’re artists at our core.</p><p><strong>How do you juggle your other work and family commitments?</strong></p><p>We balance full working lives along with our music, but we’re lucky that our jobs are creative, too. Don is the editor for the legendary animated show The Simpsons, so obviously, he loves his job.</p><p>And we make sure we’re there for our teenage son to support his interests and performances. He’s a great violinist now, and we love to see him taking pride in his musicianship. We also visit our grown daughter and her family in Montana as often as we can and spend time with relatives. It’s important to us to stay grounded in where we came from, especially since it’s the source of so much of our musical inspiration!</p><p><strong>Any advice for budding musicians?</strong></p><p>Nothing is more important than honing your craft, learning your instrument, mastering your technique, and finding your voice. Equally important is living a full life, having healthy relationships, traveling, and experiencing the fullness of life and of the world.</p><p>Growing a network of like-minded people is vital because they will grow with you and support your work. Along the way, some musicians get really lucky, some get really good, and some get both.</p><p><strong>When and where are you performing in 2024?</strong></p><p>We are focused on writing and recording right now, so please sign up on our website email list at joselynanddon.com and follow us on social media, so that we can share our upcoming shows with you!</p><p>We just released a new live video of one of the songs we’ll be recording this year, “Workin’ the Hi-Line” — check it out on our [YouTube channel, Joselyn & Don].</p><p>And we’ll be supporting the amazing Abby Posner at the <a class="no-pjax" href="https://grandvision.org/event/abby-posner/" data-link-type="url">Grand Annex Music Hall</a> here in San Pedro on May 4, 2024.</p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/7328443
2023-12-07T12:00:00-08:00
2024-01-04T12:43:42-08:00
Treasure State Update profiles new Joselyn & Don song in "The Hook"
<p><strong>Treasure State Update</strong><br>Darrell Ehrlick | Editor-in-Chief<br>December 7th, 2023</p><p><strong>The Hook</strong><br>I always love turning "The Hook" over to some new friends and discovering new music and today, I get to do both. Folks, I am going to introduce a new eDJ John Wilkinson, who shares the following with us (and thanks, by the way, to John. For the rest of you, keep the hits coming!).</p><p>---My daughter, Joselyn, and her husband, Don, are both Montana "expatriates" living in Los Angeles who recently released <a class="no-pjax" href="https://youtu.be/6IqGbFwKqX8?si=TkBz8cvq1CtQOvuS" data-link-type="url">"Working the Hi-Line."</a> Joselyn was raised in Helena and Don in Great Falls. In their YouTube Video, Joselyn and Don said <a class="no-pjax" href="https://youtu.be/6IqGbFwKqX8?si=TkBz8cvq1CtQOvuS" data-link-type="url">"Workin The Hi-Line" </a>is a story of Don's late father, Paul Barrozo, who immigrated with his father as a young man to the U.S. from the Philippines. As laborers, they worked on the "Empire Builder" rail line, also known as the "Hi-Line" in northern Montana. But that was just the beginning…</p><p>©Daily Montanan, all rights reserved. www.dailymontanan.com | info@dailymontanan.com Truth. Transparency. Trust. Thanks for being here and supporting our work. Darrell Ehrlick | Editor-in-Chief</p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/7328448
2023-11-05T13:00:00-08:00
2024-01-05T07:46:17-08:00
Folkworks: Joselyn & Don in Concert at Collage
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/371718/012ac33268c63c842ab024368c966346edc8ba1f/original/folkworks-j-d-at-collage.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/7289883
2023-10-18T21:29:03-07:00
2023-10-18T21:29:04-07:00
For Your Consideration - "Seeds & Bones" for Best Americana Album
<p>We are deeply honored for our work to be eligible for consideration by members of the Recording Academy, in the first round of GRAMMY voting that runs through Oct. 20th. Please consider Joselyn & Don’s album “Seeds and Bones” in the category of Best Americana Album. thank you everyone so much for your support! Please listen to the album on your favorite platform here - https://joselynwilkinson.com/links.<br>Thank you!</p><p>Mixed by Sven Martin <br>Mastered by Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering <br>Art direction by Gina Valona<br>Produced by Don Barrozo<br>all songs written by Joselyn Wilkinson and Don Barrozo (ASCAP, Roots Woman Music)<br>Paintbrush Records, 2022</p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/7150366
2023-02-07T20:27:34-08:00
2023-10-16T07:53:53-07:00
Joselyn & Don Elevate Seeds & Bones Live at Torrance Performing Arts Center
<p>by Melina Paris, Angel City Culture Quest<br>February 5, 2023</p>
<p>Last weekend I had the sweet opportunity to see Joselyn & Don, a modern folk duo who are also life partners, perform at Torrance Cultural Arts Center (TOCA) along with Mai Leisz on bass and Jim McGrath on drums. </p>
<p>I’d previously seen the duo, who are Montana natives turned Angeleno's, perform at San Pedro’s Grand Annex, so I knew it would be a special concert. Their harmonies, so pleasing, dance together delicately — calming your spirit and soar high, lifting you to ethereal bliss. Don is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer. Joselyn’s full melodic voice is downright beautiful; she plays tenor ukulele, keyboard and congas. She is also the founder of women’s global fusion band, ADAAWE. </p>
<p>Joselyn led with her amazing voice, on this night, beginning with her ukulele and later on the congas. Don, as a calming base, held everything down on guitar — acoustic and electric and backup vocals. Leisz's articulate bass and McGrath’s smooth percussion amplified the deep sonic ambiance of the room. </p>
<p>Featuring songs from Seeds & Bones, their latest release, as well as numbers from their previous CD Soar, Joselyn & Don and guests put on a robust concert. Consummate performer, Joselyn, sang, played and entertained the audience — in addition to bantering with her bandmates. It's a special gift to carry this adept level of performing, with back to back shows and do it as elegantly as this songstress achieved. </p>
<p>Joselyn & Don’s soulful, blues infused modern folk soothes on a psychic level. Their dynamic song-weaving of music and poetic narrative create scenes in your mind's eye that conjure mother nature in all her power and wisdom, and human compassion — through hope. The hypnotic Deep Down from their album Seeds & Bones is an expansive, rhythmic number that reveres nature’s strength and our connection to it, no matter how much man tries to conquer her. </p>
<p>A crisp clear production, both live — and notably, on their albums — Joselyn & Don’s sounds resonate deeply. Still basking, you’ll carry them effortlessly well after they enter your consciousness, making your days sweeter. </p>
<p>Photo by Gina Valona</p>
<p>https://www.patreon.com/posts/joselyn-don-live-78284445</p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/7143987
2023-01-26T12:44:21-08:00
2023-02-07T20:28:20-08:00
The Argonaut - "Seeds & Bones"
<p>By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski<br>Jan 26, 2023</p>
<p><em>Westchester duo Joselyn & Don (Joselyn Wilkinson and Don Barrozo) are using their Americana/folk music to explore the connection with the natural world. The duo will celebrate the release of their latest album, "Seeds & Bones," with two-hour shows at the George Nakano Theater on Jan. 27 and 28. (Gina Valona/Submitted)</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Westchester duo Joselyn & Don to perform at George Nakano Theater </strong></p>
<p>The Westchester duo Joselyn & Don are using their Americana/folk music to explore the connection with the natural world. Rooted in the folk tradition, they draw from blues, jazz and spoken world. </p>
<p>Their latest album, “Seeds & Bones,” carries on this tradition. Joselyn Wilkinson and Don Barrozo will celebrate the release of “Seeds & Bones” with two-hour shows at the George Nakano Theater at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center on Friday, Jan. 27, and Saturday, Jan. 28. </p>
<p>“It’s going to be a wonderful overview of our last two albums, ‘Soar,’ our debut, and ‘Seeds & Bones,’” she said. </p>
<p>“It’s cabaret-style seating,” Barrozo added. “Usually, we’re just a duo, but we’re adding drums and bass. The albums have a fuller sound. This was a good opportunity to do something different, a little expanded from the duo thing we’ve done.” </p>
<p>“Seeds & Bones” dives headfirst into their influences that vary from classic rock and singer-songwriter to folk and jazz. “Soar” had more of a “folky vibe,” he said, with an R&B flair. “Seeds & Bones” has an “edge” to it. The aggressive music was born from an urgency to find truth. </p>
<p>“Thematically, it follows an arc of digging deep to find some personal truths and bringing them back out into the world with a sense of hope and renewal,” Wilkinson said. </p>
<p>The couple hails from Montana but moved to LA years ago, she said. Both are longtime musicians. However, their music careers have taken them in different paths. </p>
<p>“I’m classically trained, playing trumpet for most of my life,” he said. “I formally studied classical and jazz and became a multi-instrumentalist just through learning the instruments myself. </p>
<p>“My dad was a multi-instrumentalist band leader. Joselyn, she’s had the world music group, and performed in musical theater. We both came together through this Montana connection with the kind of music we grew up hearing. Joselyn heard a lot of folk in her household.” </p>
<p>Wilkinson added, “We’ve been in groups from world music global fusion to jazz to folk to singer-songwriter and everything in between. It’s been interesting to reinvent ourselves solidly in this Americana genre. It feels like we’re exploring a new world, even though we’ve been performing for a while.” </p>
<p>It took a bit for Wilkinson and Barrozo to find something to collaborate on with even footing. </p>
<p>“We’ve been together as a couple for a long time,” he added. “It just took us a while to find a project. Joselyn, she’s a prolific songwriter, but she hasn’t had a band out for a while.” </p>
<p>When she recorded solo albums, she hired a band and, she admitted, it wasn’t the easiest project to maintain. She continued to write but stopped performing. </p>
<p>“We were finding a sustainable way for the two of us to work together as a duo and perform our music more stripped down and really heartfelt and honest,” she said. “It has been a blessing.” </p>
<p>Sonically, their chord progressions borrow from classic pop and jazz, rather than straight-head folk or country. Audiences will be pleasantly surprised and intrigued by the music, she said. </p>
<p>“It’s not like anything you’ve heard before,” she added. </p>
<p>“We’re all about the hook,” he continued. “There’s a lot of Americana that can be repetitive or drone-y. I connect that back to my background growing up with popular songs — the standards and things that I heard as a kid. I want to hear mood changes that are harmonic. I think there’s less and less of that going on with songwriting.” </p>
<p>What it comes down to it having a message. </p>
<p>“We want our music to have something to say,” she said. “A lot of these messages have something to do with our connection with the Earth and nature. That’s always been really interesting to us—society, community, relationships and transcending the obstacles in our way.” </p>
<p>Joselyn & Don </p>
<p>WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, and Saturday, Jan. 28 </p>
<p>WHERE: George Nakano Theater at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance </p>
<p>COST: Tickets start at $37 </p>
<p>INFO: torrancearts.org</p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/7092575
2022-10-31T16:30:32-07:00
2022-11-02T09:03:17-07:00
Interview: Joselyn & Don Find Our Past And Our Future In “Seeds & Bones”
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/371718/0f7c344a897a8ccdf0e4feb9645db019f266edef/original/ah-interview-graphic.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Interview: Joselyn & Don Find Our Past And Our Future In “Seeds & Bones”<br>October 31, 2022 by Hannah Means Shannon<br>Americana Highways Magazine</p>
<p>Joselyn Wilkinson and Don Barrozo, known as the duo Joselyn & Don, recently released their second collection of songs with the EP Seeds & Bones via their imprint Paintbrush Records. Following on from their debut album, <em>Soar</em>, <em>Seeds & Bones</em> takes an all-embracing look at the ties that bind us to our past and that promise us our future. Finding the beauty and pitfalls in both, the duo reframe the way that we tend to think about the past, as something no longer affecting us, and the way that we tend to think about the future, as something that fit our intentions without giving way to flux or change. Both the seeds of the future and bones of the past become precious objects that we can learn from whose lessons we can make our own when we examine them in this new way.</p>
<p>Joselyn & Don recorded the new EP from their home studio and used their “sculptural” approach to build up the soundscapes of the songs bringing in their many household musical instruments to suggest the mood and the tone they were looking for. Releasing a physical CD for their EP also became an intentional process of working with their art director, Gina Valona, to find an appropriate visual story for the way in which the songs move from foundational aspects in “Deep Down” to a more hopeful position with “Light a Spark.” I spoke with Joselyn & Don about the ways we interact with and perceive the past and how they brought those key ideas to foreground through the lyrics and the sound of their new EP.</p>
<p><strong>Americana Highways: What sort of process do you usually use to create songs and record them at home?</strong></p>
<p>Joselyn: One reason that we were drawn to the name Paintbrush Records for our record company is because the way that we were recording our music was almost sculpturally. It’s a bit more minimalistic, and isn’t a full band sound, but it’s more built up with my compositions and Don’s creative arrangements. It’s almost like using different found objects that together create a beautiful sculptural piece in the final arrangements.</p>
<p>Don: Our acoustic arrangements form the skeleton of each piece, but then, to use that analogy, we take a paint brush and put in other elements to fill things in. That’s different from what you’ll typically hear from a band where people all find their places and it’s more stratified. This is more like modern Pop construction in a lot of ways.</p>
<p><strong>AH: Does that free you up to work on certain layers of the tracks when you can and you find that spreading things out is more helpful?</strong></p>
<p>Joselyn: I would say so. Don’s way of working lends itself well to the style of what we’re expressing.</p>
<p>Don: You also get to put in some elements and see if you still like it the next day. You’re not going to hurt anyone’s feelings!</p>
<p>Joselyn: For our title song, “Seeds & Bones,” we were creating something very evocative and we were trying to find different instruments that would express the feelings that we were getting at. Don ended up with a handmade cigar box guitar that created a lovely slide. It’s something I bought at a folk festival years ago, and we thought, “Why don’t we try this?”</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" data-height="360" data-lazy-type="iframe" data-ratio="0.5625" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nFxGh6TpOXE?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" data-width="640" loading="lazy" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nFxGh6TpOXE?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Don: We’ve both been involved in music over the years and we have a fair amount of instruments lying around, some that we’ve never really mastered. [Laughs] But it’s great because you can walk around and think, “What can I use? I need something drone-like.” You figure out parts and learn to play them well enough to do it.</p>
<p>Joselyn: I’m a percussionist as well, and we have a wealth of small percussion instruments. For this EP, I said, “I really want a ‘box of rocks’ sound!” We wanted that for “Deep Down” and “Seeds & Bones” because we wanted some gritty, natural sounds. We used seed-pod percussion and African percussion.</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" data-height="360" data-lazy-type="iframe" data-ratio="0.5625" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kdUR7Cm39nU?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" data-width="640" loading="lazy" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kdUR7Cm39nU?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent"></iframe></p>
<p>Don: I did do it. I literally filled a box with rocks and recorded it. It was in there for a few days, but it just wasn’t doing it.</p>
<p>Joselyn: Some ideas that I have might not end up on the final track, but we might as well try them out.</p>
<p><strong>AH: It might be the step that leads you to the next thing, which is the solution.</strong></p>
<p>Don: It absolutely is. It gives you something. There are no wasted steps. They are all stepping stones.</p>
<p>Joselyn: Another song where we tried many different iterations to find the right palette was “Give Up The Ghost.” At one point, it had a programmed drum track, then we ended up with live drums. Then, while Don was doing the instrumentation, he actually got out his father’s steel guitar from the 1950s.</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" data-height="360" data-lazy-type="iframe" data-ratio="0.5625" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lk-Y7Fzg8b4?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" data-width="640" loading="lazy" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lk-Y7Fzg8b4?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent"></iframe></p>
<p>Don: I actually used that a lot. My Dad was a band leader and musician in my hometown. He passed away in 2003, but he had bands all the way through the 40s, like Hawaiian bands when they were popular. He was Filipino. Then through the 50s and 60s, he did Western music, and then he did Pop until he retired in the 80s. We had all these instruments at home. We had an old drum set, an antique kit. We also had his Fender Hawaiian steel guitar. I inherited all those things and use them. A lot of the stuff on this EP is from those instruments, and I like bringing those sounds out. It adds to things.</p>
<p>Joselyn: The way that he played the guitar had a really ghostly and otherworldly quality that really complemented the feeling of the song and what the song was trying to express, this talking to the past. But then, he also used some really modern samples, so I think the EP is a nice juxtaposition of elements of the past as well as some modern sounds. It was fun to put all that together.</p>
<p><strong>AH: I felt like I could hear the steel guitar. As Don was describing those older instruments, I was thinking, “How perfect to use these older instruments when you’re engaging with these subjects dealing with the past.” It’s a big subject, but in the song, “Give Up The Ghost” and also some other songs, you address this idea that a superficial take on fixing the problems in our society does not work. It seems like you have to engage with the past to get anywhere with a solution.</strong></p>
<p>Joselyn: That’s exactly the point of the song. People in the present either don’t want to take responsibility for what happened in the past because they don’t feel that it should affect them.</p>
<p>Don: Or that they don’t have any culpability. That’s true, in a way, but those are also the roots we are planted in.</p>
<p>Joselyn: We really have to be able to look at the past and understand our place in history in order to heal and move forward. If you don’t address the root causes of wounds, and create space for us to grow through it, we will still be affected. We have to collectively, as a society, get rid of our fear, anger, and shame if we can and try to heal together. What disturbs me today is to see so much pushback. Some folks don’t even want history to be taught because it makes some people uncomfortable. How do you grow if you don’t feel uncomfortable sometimes?</p>
<p><strong>AH: Something that I was brought up with which has been unhelpful in my life was this idea that we have made so much progress as human beings that the way that we live now, with all our technology, means that we are fundamentally different from people who lived a hundred years ago. We’re too enlightened for that and have a clean slate. That’s a comfortable mindset. Breaking through that causes discomfort, I think.</strong></p>
<p>Joselyn: People know that within their own families, that trauma can get passed down through generations, so of course remnants of our history get passed down. You don’t get to say, “I’m a clean slate.” Every day is a new beginning but we need to do the work and give everyone the space to move forward together.</p>
<p><strong>AH: I think this topic is actually relevant to the whole EP as the Seeds & Bones idea. How did you come to realize what your themes were going to be for this EP?</strong></p>
<p>Joselyn: The song “Seeds & Bones” is about what we choose to carry with us and what we choose to leave behind. I like the idea of seeds and bones because they are not simple. It’s not just a past that we need to get rid of, the seeds are the future. That’s good. That’s one way of looking at it. But bones are also our precious memories, the bones of our ancestors, that we are receiving, along with the burdens of history.</p>
<p>The bones can be a burden and a gift. It’s the same with the seeds, which are the future, because we have to ask, “What do we want to plant? Where do we want to plant it?” As a gardener, I know that I plant tons of things that don’t take off. A seed blown in by the wind ends up growing. There are so many surprises in life. Our intentions for our future is not always what we receive. The song dances around so many topics, but the main question is, “What are we choosing to carry with us?”</p>
<p>Don: The song “Stay” is similar because it balances this question, not just of whether to stay in one place, but of whether we can even stay because things always move on. There are choices to be made within that. I like the big question mark behind that song. It’s not definitive about anything. The song sounds like something simple, whether you choose to stay in a relationship, or whether to leave, but everything in the call and response parts are things that don’t last and are always changing.</p>
<p>Joselyn: It’s that’s juxtaposition. We think that the choices that we make are so important, but the universe always has different plans for us. Everything is always in flux. How do we embrace that?</p>
<p>Don: We need to learn from it and go forward from there, and that’s the positive side of things. There’s something powerful about pushing forward towards hope, which is what I see in “Give Up The Ghost.” We don’t need to wallow, it’s our point of reference for what we don’t want.</p>
<p><strong>AH: I’m really glad you brought up “Stay” because I felt it could be taken in different ways. Firstly, there’s the theme of relationships, but secondly, there’s the bigger question of making decisions. I also love the different vocal styles in that song which suggests multiplicity and leaves things open for the audience to think about. That avoids preachiness.</strong></p>
<p>Joselyn: I think what saves us from that is just excavating the personal voice. I say “excavating” because it takes a few iterations to get to the core of what we’re trying to say. The first version of my lyrics might be a little preachy. Then it takes a little bit of digging down a little deeper to find the truth in it. For “Stay,” we hadn’t added that call and response at first, but Don said, “We need something else.” So I went back to my journal and found that I had spoken word material that I had written.</p>
<p>Don: Which I had never seen! When we looked at it, I said, “Let’s use this!”</p>
<p>Joselyn: It was a list of things in life that don’t stay. It’s wonderful when you do have a partner in life who grounds you. But you do have to work at it sometimes. Sometimes it would be easier just to walk away, but you make the choice to stay, even while knowing that everything constantly changes.</p>
<p>Don: So you have to constantly reaffirm those choices as things change around you.</p>
<p>Joselyn: That’s a great point, that a relationship is a choice that you have to make every day.</p>
<p><strong>AH: Is there a particular idea behind the ordering of the tracks on the EP? I thought that “Deep Down” is an amazing place to start things, because it suggests that you’re moving upward from a place of bedrock, hopefully upwards. Then “Light a Spark” appears towards the end of the EP as a hopeful song, though it’s certainly not a naïve song.</strong></p>
<p>Joselyn: That wasn’t always the order that we had, but when we worked with our art director, Gina Valona, on the photography and the concepts for the artwork, she helped us find the order. She helped us envision the movement of darkness to light in the artwork, since we printed a physical CD for this EP. We really wanted to have this beautiful artwork to accompany the music, and it takes a journey, including the artwork for the singles and the EP. All of this came from this really cool house in the Santa Monica mountains that an artist had built out of the solid rock. It was full of all these found objects from nature.</p>
<p>Thanks for talking with us, Joselyn & Don!</p>
<p>Find more information about Joselyn & Don including tour dates and more, here: <a href="https://joselynwilkinson.com/home">https://joselynwilkinson.com/home</a></p>
<p>Check out our previous coverage here: <a href="https://americanahighways.org/2021/01/25/video-premiere-joselyn-and-don-wayfarers-son/">Video Premiere: Joselyn and Don “Wayfarer’s Son”</a></p>
<p>https://americanahighways.org/2022/10/31/interview-joselyn-don-find-our-past-and-our-future-in-seeds-bones/</p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/7092481
2022-10-31T14:41:31-07:00
2022-10-31T16:32:49-07:00
Songwriting Magazine - Allison Russell's Outside Child article by Joselyn Wilkinson
<p>I would have never guessed that I'd have the chance to write about my favorite album of last year, but Songwriting Magazine gave me the opportunity, and here it is! My take on Allison Russell's masterwork, Outside Child.</p>
<p>National Album Day 2022<br>DUNCAN HASKELL on 15 October 2022<br>https://www.songwritingmagazine.co.uk/music/national-album-day-2022</p>
<p>On National Album Day 2022, a selection of current artists reveal their favourite records and why they mean so much<br>We might live in an age of playlists and shuffle but, when it really comes down to it, we still love to immerse ourselves in an actual album. The purest form of expression for songwriters and musicians, giving them chance to fully document a moment in time, the very best albums change lives and reflect our own feelings back to us. Providing the soundtrack for the best and worst of times, they amplify the joy of the former and help us survive the latter. To celebrate this year’s National Album Day, we asked a selection of artists, with a particular focus on songwriting, to write about their favourite albums…</p>
<h3>
<em>OUTSIDE CHILD</em> BY ALLISON RUSSELL<br>(FANTASY/CONCORD – 2021)</h3>
<p><strong><a href="https://joselynanddon.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Joselyn Wilkinson (Joselyn & Don)</a>:</strong> Much has been written about Allison Russell’s breakthrough debut album, <em>Outside Child</em>, and its fearless examination of trauma and resilience. But beyond her ability to find beauty in the darkness, Allison inspires me with her writing style. Like me, she comes to songwriting as a poet with a unique voice, whose metaphors swirl around her subject until they have almost secretly skewered it. With no instinct to fit her songs to pre-approved templates, Allison’s work is a reminder to all of us to embrace our own authentic voice, and let our art carry us – fearlessly – into the deepest part of ourselves.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/371718/199393eb672a6d0e43ff2b727e351abd939bb902/original/songwriting-magazine-album-day-article-redacted.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/7086024
2022-10-21T09:30:34-07:00
2022-10-27T10:33:37-07:00
Alan Cackett, veteran UK Country writer, reviews "Seeds & Bones"
<p>Joselyn & Don - Seeds & Bones <br>by Alan Cackett<br>October 2022</p>
<p>This Los Angeles-based duo consists of Joselyn Wilkinson and Don Barrozo, who bring their combined musical experiences into a contemporary mix of folk, soul, blues and vintage traditions. The six-track EP has an easy, natural sound, one that might cause the listener to assume this was quickly recorded in a few hours on a pier overlooking a swamp. It’s not easy to build something this intricate that doesn’t feel laboured, but this pair accomplish that, making it simple to describe but challenging to capture. Blessed with a one-of-a-kind voice that cuts through the atmosphere like a sharp blade, Joselyn handles lead vocals and plays ukulele and foot-drum. She holds your hand and takes you on an emotional roller coaster through these relatable tunes. Don is a guitar virtuoso, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer. Over the course of these tracks, they tackle the personal and the current social climate, wedding it to an impactful structure that keeps the whole affair moving along. The couple’s penchant for real-life experiences is explained through diligent truth-telling and inspired by private moments of awe experienced in nature … this set of songs provides an ideal example of an act that finds a comfortable fit within modern trappings, while also digging deeper in search of a more meaningful message. </p>
<p>They head South from their Montana birthplace to Memphis for a deep soul vibe for Give Up The Ghost. The spiritual inferences of Tennessee and Hank Williams set the scene as Joselyn enumerates society’s crimes of hate and discrimination with the ardour of a revival preacher. Don makes his old Hawaiian steel guitar cry as they see through the tattered veil that clothes the American dream with a plea for a renewal based on something more tangible and anchored in actual equality. It’s an uplifting soul experience, and definitely worthy of your attention. With country echoes, gently grooving Stay is emblematic of the kind of slow, evocatively atmospheric numbers that dominate the EP. Joselyn’s dexterous voice slides and glides around the melody, while gorgeous harmonies and accordion swirl and funky rhythm guitar and little bits of lead guitar play tease with her vocals. </p>
<p>Softly struck ukulele sets up Light A Spark as Joselyn’s bright voice juicily wraps itself around rich, lyrical, wild, spiritual imagery. There are shades of Fleetwood Mac in the soothing songcraft, hints of a Southern breeze in their country-inflected harmonies. Joselyn’s voice is earthy and full in the title song, without being overbearing in her delivery. She displays a soulful wisdom in this evocative song that also showcases Don’s skill with guitar fills that are both scorching bluesy and appropriately solemn for this existentialist ballad and is a great exemplification of the duo’s dynamic. These are mainly soul-baring songs that stick with you, compelling you to turn them up louder and louder and sing them alongside her. </p>
<p>https://alancackett.com/joselyn-don-seeds-bones</p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/7083027
2022-10-17T10:37:55-07:00
2022-10-27T10:26:36-07:00
Twangville Reviews "Seeds & Bones"
<p>Joselyn and Don – Seeds & Bones<br>Twangville.com<br>by Shawn Underwood<br>October 13, 2022</p>
<p>After being raised in Montana, Joselyn Wilkinson and Don Barrozo moved to Los Angeles to immerse themselves in the music scene. She’s involved with several bands in the area, while he’s an in-demand producer (and film editor for The Simpsons). They’re also doing their own thing as duo Joselyn And Don, and have released their second record, an EP called Seeds & Bones. </p>
<p>The title track explores the idea that we’re all having to decide what we take with us on life’s journey, and what we have to leave behind. It features Barrozo on a cigar box guitar that adds a little mysticism to the sound of the high desert. In a somewhat related number, Deep Down delves into the mystical hold Mother Nature still has over us, whether we want to admit it or not. Give Up the Ghost features Wilkinson’s soaring vocals with horns highlighting the theme that, “when hate has no home, it’s going to give up the ghost.” </p>
<p>The EP finishes with Light A Spark. It’s an easy-going folk song about finding new love and being ready to “shake the dust off my heart.” It’s a great finishing tune and underscores how Joselyn and Don have brought the wide open spirit of Montana to the concrete canyons of LA with Seeds & Bones.</p>
<p>https://twangville.com/42197/joselyn-and-don-seeds-bones/</p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/7078729
2022-10-10T16:55:36-07:00
2022-10-27T10:20:57-07:00
Americana Highways Reviews "Seeds & Bones"
<p>Joselyn & Don – Seeds & Bones – EP<br>Americana Highways Grooves & Cuts <br>by John Apice<br>October 6, 2022</p>
<p>Montana natives & L.A.-based Joselyn & Don have a nice deep unique noir-sounding gothic country approach. With music & lyrics by Joselyn Wilkinson (lead & background vocals/tenor ukulele/djembe) & Don Barrozo (guitars/bass/keyboards/percussion/ horns/cigar box slide guitar/accordion/bgv). </p>
<p>The lead-off of 5 tunes is “Deep Down,” which creeps along with savory guitar & an expansive spirit in its melody. The EP Seeds & Bones (Drops Oct. 7) was produced by Don & is actually quite a penetrating effort since it’s not your run-of-the-mill country effort. The duo may be originally from the northwest & live in L.A., but this music is closer to hoodoo nation Cajun country, Louisiana, the Delta where eeriness has a distinct beauty. The horns on their songs lean into an Allen Toussaint tradition. </p>
<p>Joselyn (love that name, rare nowadays) Wilkinson has great pipes. Her clarity, intonation & phrasing is well-paced & the tone is perfect for these songs. Below the surface, the duo can sing whatever they wish but on first listen, the atmosphere, impression — is Southern gothic with big dark mansions, Spanish moss, trinkets hung from wide porches jingling in the air next to a coconut face & feathers, the low misty fog that drifts around giant uprooted trees. Evil? Voodoo? Not necessarily. Just surrounded by magic, spiritual posturing & a practitioner of dark arts. </p>
<p>The title track “Seeds & Bones,” is arranged impeccably. It has a resilient guitar that whispers through the voice & narration. Compelling, well-written & despite the “darkness” hopeful words. </p>
<p>Additional musicians — Alan Mark Lightner (drums on “Give Up the Ghost”). Highlights – “Stay,” “Seeds & Bones,” & “Deep Down.” </p>
<p>https://americanahighways.org/2022/10/06/grooves-cuts-september-2022/</p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/7071837
2022-09-30T08:22:44-07:00
2022-10-27T10:27:50-07:00
Folking.com Single Review for "Give Up the Ghost"
<p>Folking.com<br>SINGLES BAR 82<br>September 28, 2022</p>
<p>Western Gothic is a genre that has finally got a name – heavyweight country with brass – and it’s exemplified by ‘Give Up The Ghost’ the new single by JOSELYN & DON. Originally from Montana, they relocated to Los Angeles to find their fortunes. Without stretching the point, their lyrics share the mythical quality of The Band at their best and the sound is straight off Rock Of Ages.</p>
<p>https://folking.com/singles-bar-82-a-round-up-of-recent-eps-and-singles/</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/371718/83d09d0c5e14d45475dacdbc570d754bed46ddd4/original/folking-com-review-give-up-the-ghost.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/7070399
2022-09-28T12:00:13-07:00
2022-10-27T10:25:45-07:00
"Seeds & Bones" Album Review from Americana UK
<p>Joselyn & Don "Seeds & Bones"<br>Americana UK Album Reviews<br>by Ian Kennedy<br>September 26, 2022</p>
<p>A blues/jazz tinged western gothic EP exploring life’s continuum. </p>
<p>At what point does a collection of songs transition from being an EP to being an LP? That is the sort of thoughtful question that could have led to hours of aimless discussion, usually fuelled by strong drink, in the days before Google search*. Now it is the sort of question that gets killed stone dead in seconds by someone with a ‘smart’ phone and an itchy trigger finger. </p>
<p>It is also a question that can be partly answered by Joselyn Wilkinson and Don Barrozo’s latest rich offering of songs- Joselyn & Don ‘Seeds & Bones’, marketed as an EP. At six tracks long, it is still an EP, then. Maybe things change at seven… </p>
<p>This is grown-up timeless folk music, deeply rooted in blues and the natural world. It explores how we are locked into past and future, earth, sky, and all the creatures on this beautiful planet that we are slowly wrecking. </p>
<p>“How do we make room for the seeds we need to plant, the hopes of tomorrow? These are the questions behind our new work ‘Seeds and Bones’ ”, explains Wilkinson. She goes on to describe the strong influences that went into the album, sorry, EP- “we are melding our many influences- of blues, rock, folk, jazz, poetry and percussion into songs that not only carry our truth, but have helped us to find it.” </p>
<p>The duo brought their collective pasts and deepest fears to their work, to find hope in the future. And don’t we all need a bit of hope? They have each had their own individual careers before their time working together in recent years. Barrozo has played jazz and blues for many years and Wilkinson has a country/folk background, both as a solo artist and also with her band Wild Roots. Recorded during lockdown in their garden studio in LA, both their musical heritages can be heard on the EP’s six tracks. </p>
<p>The collection starts with ‘Deep Down’ and the opening verse that sets the scene for the album- ‘My seeds and bones are buried here, deep in Mother Earth. You might think that I’m long gone, but it’s time for my rebirth’. </p>
<p>Wilkinson’s strong engaging soul-tinged vocal delivery is central to all the songs, often with the minimal backing of her own ukulele playing and Barrozo’s virtuoso guitar playing. Some other instruments are added in by the duo but this remains very much a folk record with enough jazz and blues undercurrents to keep it interesting and surprising. </p>
<p>With its natural earth themes, and reckoning of the past while looking towards a positive future, this is thought-provoking music that will bring a light to any room. It is worth seeking out. One good thing about EP’s is that the quality doesn’t peter out, eight or nine tracks in, as some LP’s do. This is a collection of songs that entertains, inspires and comforts in equal measure.</p>
<p>https://americana-uk.com/joselyn-and-don-seeds-bones</p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/7044990
2022-08-24T10:01:31-07:00
2022-10-27T10:20:21-07:00
Lonesome Highway reviews "Seeds & Bones" album!
<p>Joselyn and Don - Seeds & Bones<br>Lonesome Highway New Album Reviews<br>by Paul McGee<br>August 23, 2022</p>
<p>This interesting duo return with a 5-track EP to build upon the critical success of debut album, SOAR, that was released in 2020 last. The formula has not changed and the special dynamic that both musicians create is as powerful and compelling as ever. With Joselyn Wilkinson (lead and background vocals, tenor ukulele, djembe), and Don Barrozo (background vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, bass, keyboards, percussion, horns, cigar box slide guitar, accordion), in the driving seat, these five songs roll by all too quickly and leave the listener wanting more. </p>
<p>Deep Down is a slow burn with atmospheric vocals from Joselyn, sweetly soulful in tone and telling the story of the spirit of Nature, quietly powerful and waiting for the time to reclaim her rightful place, ‘You can cover me with concrete, build a city on my bones, But I could bring it crumbling down, if I let you hear my moans.’ If Covid lockdown proved anything it was the dawning of the realisation that paradise already surrounds us, if we can just slow down and appreciate its beauty. </p>
<p>Give Up the Ghost follows, and is a song about our legacy of hate and may allude to the Civil War and the slavery issues that continue to foster race crimes in American cities to this day. ‘I wasn’t there for the worst of it, but I still feel the hurt of it, When hate has no home, it’s gonna give up the ghost.’ Another soulful delivery from Joselyn as she continues to use her powerful vocals to great effect. </p>
<p>Title track is about leaving down old burdens and moving on. The partly spoken vocals tell of dreams for a better tomorrow. The skeleton that we build upon on our journey and the seeds that we try and plant for the world we leave behind… ‘Is there room for the promise that I must keep, I may not see the harvest, but my children will reap.’ </p>
<p>Stay is a superb song that examines relationships and the benefit in sticking it out through the hard times, ‘It’s easier to walk away, The hardest part is knowing when to stay.’ Familiarity either breeds contempt, or content – the choice is not always black and white.</p>
<p>Light A Spark is another song about hope for the future – a Post-Covid anthem to get back living life to the full, ‘I wanna spread my arms open, I wanna shake the dust off my heart, If this rusty part is not broken, maybe we can light a spark.’ </p>
<p>A very engaging set of songs from two artists who dove tail so naturally together. Such interesting, inviting music, and so elegantly delivered. </p>
<p>Review by Paul McGee</p>
<p>https://www.lonesomehighway.com/music-reviews/2022/8/23/new-album-reviews</p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/7044421
2022-08-23T14:19:57-07:00
2022-08-23T14:20:38-07:00
Guitar Girl Magazine profiles new Joselyn & Don single, "Deep Down"
<p>LOS ANGELES (June 24, 2022) – Joselyn & Don announce the release of their western gothic single “Deep Down” on August 17. It’s off the EP, Seeds & Bones, due out October 7. The voice of the song is Mother Nature with an attitude. She’s been covered up with concrete and denied for too long, but her voice shimmers with authority and seductive reasoning instead of anger. </p>
<p>“Deep Down” is the first single and follow-up of their 2020 debut album Soar. Its swampy guitars, powerful blues-tinged vocals, and ethereal lyrics embody the spirit of nature come to reclaim her wild heart in no uncertain terms. Don Barrozo’s heavy guitar hooks and rhythmic work are juxtaposed with syncopated drums, creating a hypnotic feel. Whether this is a song or a spell is debatable, but this western gothic blues will compel its listeners to dig in. </p>
<p>The inspiration for “Deep Down” came from a wetlands creek within walking distance of Joselyn & Don’s neighborhood in Los Angeles. It’s an oasis in the middle of the city that draws migratory songbirds, raptors, bunnies, and coyotes. The Tongva tribal village of Saangna was once located there, and people thrived there for millennia. The village sites are now obliterated, and the L.A. River is covered with concrete to control the flooding that once regularly renewed the area. But the spirit of that land and those people is still here, as are their descendants. </p>
<p>Joselyn Wilkinson grew up in Montana and used to slip away to the hills above her home to wander. She says, “I feel that nature speaks to us whenever we choose to listen. In the song ‘Deep Down,’ I become that nature spirit, expressing both my right to exist and my connection with the listeners, inviting them to reclaim their own wild hearts. My hope is that when people feel reconnected to the earth, they might be inspired to live more sustainably and protect their beautiful home.” </p>
<p>On Seeds & Bones, Joselyn & Don excavate their collective past and deepest fears through blues, folk, and jazz to plant their hopes for the future. Joselyn Wilkinson says, “These songs grow out of our desire for something better, for our planet, our society, our spirits, and our desire to share who we are.” The album was mixed by Sven Martin, who has appeared with Shakira, the Black Eyed Peas, and Liz Phair as a musician and now writes and produces songs for TV and film. </p>
<p>Seeds & Bones Track Listing </p>
<p>Deep Down <br>Give Up the Ghost <br>Seeds & Bones <br>Stay <br>Light a Spark</p>
<p>https://guitargirlmag.com/news/music-news/joselyn-don-releases-deep-down-single-aug-17/</p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/7044419
2022-08-23T14:15:50-07:00
2022-08-23T14:20:38-07:00
Americana UK announces new single, "Deep Down"
<p>Joselyn and Don are Don Barrozo and Joselyn Wilkinson and their take on roots inspired music draws on touchstones from the blues, jazz and folk. Montanans turned Angelinos, the duo have a new EP, ‘Seeds & Bones’, due out October 7th – the follow up to their 2020 album release ‘Soar.‘ This song is inspired by a creek that runs near to Joselyn and Don’s neighbourhood in Los Angeles. It’s an oasis in the middle of the city that draws migratory songbirds, raptors, bunnies, and coyotes. The Tongva tribal village of Saangna was once located there, and people thrived there for millennia. The village sites are now obliterated, and the L.A. River is covered with concrete to control the flooding that once regularly renewed the area. </p>
<p>‘Deep Down‘ imagines the voices of both Mother Nature and the people who once lived on this now paved and controlled place. Joselyn says “I feel that nature speaks to us whenever we choose to listen. In the song ‘Deep Down,’ I become that nature spirit, expressing both my right to exist and my connection with the listeners, inviting them to reclaim their own wild hearts. My hope is that when people feel reconnected to the earth, they might be inspired to live more sustainably and protect their beautiful home.”</p>
<p>https://americana-uk.com/joselyn-and-don-deep-done-god-speed-mother-nature</p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/7044398
2022-08-23T14:09:55-07:00
2022-10-27T10:33:37-07:00
Songwriting Magazine reviews single, "Deep Down"
<p>Songwriting Magazine<br>Facebook Post<br>August 19, 2022</p>
<p><br>Western gothic duo Joselyn & Don give voice to Mother Nature on ‘Deep Down’. “You may think that I’m long gone but it’s time for my rebirth,” sings Joselyn as a crisp Santana-like guitar entices the natural world to reclaim the concrete jungle. #onthestereo</p>
<p>https://www.facebook.com/SongwritingMagazine</p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/7020670
2022-07-22T18:32:11-07:00
2022-07-22T18:32:12-07:00
Joselyn & Don Announce Western Gothic EP Release October 7
<p><a href="https://glgmusicpr.com/2022/06/23/joselyn-don-announce-western-gothic-ep-release-october-7/">From Green Light Go PR</a></p>
<p>LOS ANGELES (June 22, 2022) – Joselyn & Don announce the release of their western gothic EP, Seeds & Bones, on October 7. On Seeds & Bones, Joselyn & Don excavate their collective past and deepest fears through blues, folk, and jazz to plant their hopes for the future. Joselyn Wilkinson says, “These songs grow out of our desire for something better, for our planet, our society, our spirits, and our desire to share who we are.” The album was mixed by Sven Martin, who has appeared with Shakira, the Black Eyed Peas, and Liz Phair as a musician and now writes and produces songs for TV and film. </p>
<p>Seeds & Bones is about what we choose to carry with us and what we choose to let go. Bones can carry ancestral knowledge or stories, but they can also weigh us down with expectations and history. Seeds are the future, but we must be careful about what we plant and give to the next generation. We can’t have one without the other – past and future, hope and regret, birth and death, dreams and darkness. </p>
<p>“Deep Down” is the first single and follow-up of their 2020 debut album Soar. Its swampy guitars, powerful blues-tinged vocals, and ethereal lyrics embody the spirit of nature come to reclaim her wild heart in no uncertain terms. Don Barrozo’s heavy guitar hooks and rhythmic work are juxtaposed with syncopated drums, creating a hypnotic feel. Whether this is a song or a spell is debatable, but this western gothic blues will compel its listeners to dig in. “Give Up the Ghost” is a call to give up the hate that still permeates our society and recognize the history that has allowed it to continue. In talking to the ancestors involved in slavery, we acknowledge the past and release its control of us, so we can heal and move forward together. A unified horn section announces this song as an anthem while funky guitar work and major chord progressions belie a strong message. </p>
<p>When creating this project, Joselyn & Don built each track like a sculpture, recording each instrument one at a time, including most drum tracks, in their Garden Studio. Barrozo’s collection of instruments and willingness to experiment opened up opportunities to incorporate special touches like his dad’s Hawaiian steel guitar from the 1950s for “Give Up the Ghost,” a cigar box slide guitar for “Seeds & Bones,” and an accordion he’d been gifted for “Stay.” These unique flavors help make each song shine. </p>
<p>Seeds & Bones Track Listing </p>
<p>Deep Down <br>Give Up the Ghost <br>Seeds & Bones <br>Stay <br>Light a Spark </p>
<p>About Joselyn & Don </p>
<p>Montana natives turned Angelenos, Joselyn & Don’s intoxicating music feels like a walk through mountain wildflowers and Southern California Joshua trees. Enter their wild garden – where blues, folk, and jazz form a dark understory illuminated with lyrical truth. Joselyn Wilkinson and Don Barrozo forage musical ideas from many sources and plant those seeds in rich Americana soil. Their 2020 debut album Soar was warmly received by critics and independent radio across North America, earning several charting positions and recognition in song contests such as Music City SongStar. Wilkinson is the founder of the women’s global fusion band, ADAAWE, who has toured extensively and appeared with luminaries such as James Brown, Stevie Wonder, and Leanne Rimes. She previously released two independent albums and toured with her band Wild Roots in the 2000s. Barrozo, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer with many album credits, also serves as film editor for the long-running animated series “The Simpsons.” Joselyn & Don have opened for notable Americana artists including Willie Watson, Chris Pierce, and Hubby Jenkins (of Carolina Chocolate Drops).</p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/6734250
2021-04-01T13:00:00-07:00
2022-07-21T19:30:09-07:00
We Love Independent Radio! Thanks for Giving "Soar" its Wings!
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/371718/708dac792043abe4d7e0033446b9ddb3b909c6f8/original/yoda-thank-you.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Thanks to the amazing independent radio DJs and Music Directors who listened to and spun songs from Joselyn & Don's debut album "Soar" throughout 2020 and into 2021. You helped our music travel far and wide during the pandemic when we couldn't. I hope our message of hope and resilience resonated with your listeners. We have more to come in 2021 and can't wait to share it with you! </p>
<p>AMA 441 (Internet) Carlton, GA <br>CGR (FM) <br>CGR (Internet) <br>CKOL - Small Time Radio Show <br>countrybearradio.com (Internet) <br>KAJX (FM) <br>KAOS - Evergreen State College <br>KASU (FM) <br>KBBI (AM) <br>KBOG (FM) <br>KCOR (Internet) <br>KHNS (FM) <br>KKFI - Woman Song <br>KKFI (FM) <br>KKUP (FM) <br>KMUD <br>KMUN <br>KMUZ (FM) - Americana Alley <br>KOPN <br>MO Music Radio Show - KOPN <br>Sunday Morning Coffeehouse - KOPN <br>World Woman - KOPN <br>Acoustic Junction - KRVM <br>KRVM - Sheldon H.S. <br>Women in Music - KRVM <br>KRVM (FM) <br>KTCB (FM) <br>KTEP - Folk Fury <br>KVNF <br>KWCW - Whitman College <br>KZSU - Stanford U. <br>Montana Public Radio<br>KBGA - U. Montana <br>Montana Public Radio (FM) Missoula, MT HWL <br>Radio Crystal Blue (Internet) <br>WBGU - Bowling Green State U. <br>WBGU - The Folk Show <br>WCHG (FM) <br>WEFT - From The Joshua Tree Inn <br>WERU <br>WERU - Women's Windows <br>WESU Wesleyan U. <br>WFHB <br>WFHB - Dancin' Don's Art Party <br>WFHB - Fast Forward <br>Rural Routes - WFHB <br>WFHB - Tuesday Morning Womenspace <br>Off The Charts - WFHB <br>WGRS (FM) <br>WGSK (FM) <br>WHAY (FM) <br>WHUS - Sunday Night Folk Festival <br>WHUS - U. Connecticut <br>WKKL (FM) <br>WMNR (FM) <br>WMPG (FM) <br>WNMP (FM) <br>WOJB - Folkways <br>WOJB - Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa College <br>WRKF (FM) <br>WRXC (FM) <br>WVLS (AM) <br>WVLS (FM) <br>WVMO (FM) <br>WVMR (AM) <br>WWSP - Acoustic Revival <br>WWSP - U. Wisconsin Stevens Point <br>WYSO - Antioch U. <br>WYSO - Kaleidoscope <br>KGFY (FM) 105.5 FM <br>KGLP - Green Chile Revival and Medicine Show <br>KAFM <br>KYAC (FM) <br>WGDR - Goddard College <br>WKNY (FM) <br>KZUM <br>What You Need - WRUW <br>WRUW - Case Western Reserve U. <br>High Plains Morning - HPPR <br>KCSE (FM) <br>KZNK (FM) <br>KZCK (FM) <br>KZNZ (FM) <br>KANZ (FM) <br>KZAN (FM) <br>KGUY (FM) <br>KJJP (FM) <br>KTXP (FM) <br>KTDH (FM) <br>KTOT (FM) <br>KFOK - The Smiling Iris And The Bouncing Bee <br>KFOK <br>KCSS (FM) <br>KKRN 88.5 FM, Community Radio, Round Mountain, CA <br>KBSU (FM) <br>KBCS (FM) <br>Mom Hen's Corner <br>WTSR (FM) <br>WQFS - Guilford College <br>KGNU - Highway 322 <br>KGNU <br>KDUR - Ft. Lewis College <br>KEOS <br>Sunday Morning Sidewalk - KEOS <br>Dublab <br>Radio Guitar One</p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/6534194
2021-01-29T10:52:28-08:00
2021-04-29T11:28:06-07:00
"Wayfarer's Son" Video Premiere on "Americana Highways"
<p style="text-align: center;">Thank you Americana Highways for premiering the live video for "Wayfarer's Son" and for the lovely review! </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">"In a stunning mountainside setting, the video brings the song to life in all its splendor. “Wayfarer’s Son” is a tale of responsibility and commitment, made beautiful by the duo’s fluid style." - Americana Highways</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://americanahighways.org/2021/01/25/video-premiere-joselyn-and-don-wayfarers-son/" style="" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/371718/ecb0405114e7710af84575203a70989bf43da2b9/original/video-premiere-joselyn-and-don-wayfarers-son-americana-highways.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a></p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/6491008
2021-01-20T14:55:00-08:00
2022-07-21T19:30:09-07:00
Soar-ing up the Charts! 13 weeks on Roots Music Report
<p>"Soar" is on the charts! January 2021 brought us to #38 on Roots Music Report's CA Album Chart, and #46 on its Americana Country Chart. And we keep rising on the Americana Music Association Chart. HUGE thanks to all the DJs who have been playing our songs on over 100 independent/college radio, NPR radio, and internet radio stations, and to all the folks listening and Shazaaming us out there. We love you and hope you keep loving and requesting our music! Thanks for making a not-so-great year a great year. Let's keep "Soar"ing through 2021!<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/371718/411b3084ed848faa570dc845422aa8b2c07422f6/original/top-50-california-album-chart-for-the-week-of-jan-16-2021-roots-music-report.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/6461189
2020-10-22T10:05:00-07:00
2021-04-21T10:02:42-07:00
Lonesome Highway Magazine - "Soar" Album Review
<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.lonesomehighway.com/music-reviews/2020/10/22/new-album-reviews?fbclid=IwAR0m9NiP-02_S6Dbz2_rzyunYi-qeNuju3II9n_hQZt2IAVRiJv5LzTFkTE" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/371718/f123a6baabe2bcfe769d9af030016d20d951a697/original/new-album-reviews-lonesome-highway.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.png" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></a></p>
<p><em><strong>Joselyn & Don - Soar - Paintbrush </strong></em></p>
<p>Joselyn Wilkinson and Don Barrozo comprise this duo, both as musicians and life partners, with their debut album setting down a strong marker for the future. Opening with the track, Storm, and the message, ’where do we go now that the storm has reached our shores,’ seems tailor made for these difficult times of Covid-19 virus, even if it was originally written in the wake of the L.A. bushfires. The following song, All It Takes Is Time, is equally appropriate in calling for love to blossom and flow like a river between us all. Title track Soar is about taking second chances and moving forward in life. Positive messages to support the waning spirit in days of challenge. </p>
<p>Trouble is a cool bluesy shuffle that warns you to steer clear of the obvious dangers and Broken is a statement about growing older and wiser; ‘Just let me be broken, If you are my friend, Every scar is a souvenir of the places I have been.’ The song Where We Belong is a statement of commitment and union that is sweetly soulful, ‘When the golden sun is setting, And the kids are grown and gone, There’ll be this house where we belong.’ </p>
<p>Eliza Schneider contributes violin on both Don’t Wanna Talk About and Wayfarer’s Son, a story song right out of the traditional Folk songbook. Janna Matteoli also adds her voice to three tracks, Don’t Wanna Talk About, Mama Bird and All It Takes Is Time. </p>
<p>The production on the ten tracks is crystal clear and highlights the beautiful vocal of Joselyn as she displays gentle restraint and powerful delivery across the 35 minutes here. She also tracks backing vocals in addition to playing tenor ukulele, conga drum and keyboards. Don produced the project and contributed on keyboards, guitar, trumpet, accordion, bass and drums/percussion. </p>
<p>Joselyn is the founder of women’s global fusion band, ADAAWE, who released two albums while Don is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer who also spends time as film editor for the animated series, “The Simpsons.” The overall feel is that of a contemporary Folk sound with plenty of Roots leanings. A love of nature and keeping life in balance runs through these songs and the listening experience is something that will bring many pleasant moments. </p>
<p><em><strong>Review by Paul McGee</strong></em></p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/6453995
2020-10-09T11:10:00-07:00
2021-05-08T20:53:57-07:00
"Watch Joselyn & Don Soar" - The Women of Country
<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.womenofcountrymusic.com/news-feed/watch-joselyn-don-soar" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/371718/fbc39e676eb8408ee53958c4b15ef0b7b49312cb/original/the-women-of-country-image.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a></p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/6453985
2020-10-07T11:00:00-07:00
2020-10-12T11:00:18-07:00
"Meet Joselyn & Don of Westchester" - Voyage LA Magazine
<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://voyagela.com/interview/meet-joselyn-wilkinson-joselyn-don-westchester/" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/371718/7b12e7e4ab133054804b622a6eade83c8db32b40/original/screen-shot-2020-10-09-at-9-41-17-am.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a></p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/6453996
2020-10-02T11:15:00-07:00
2020-10-12T11:13:32-07:00
Americana Rhythm Music Magazine Review
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/371718/dc77be8e7ee4eb6e2853180a4f284e4d8eee17a2/original/americana-rhythm-music-magazine-review.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/6453984
2020-10-01T10:55:00-07:00
2020-10-12T11:10:01-07:00
"Singing for the Planet" - The Argonaut News
<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://argonautnews.com/singing-for-the-planet/" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/371718/9ebb19374bd4245d780d878a959735247f3e2c30/original/screen-shot-2020-10-01-at-8-13-32-am.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a></p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/6420350
2020-08-29T16:01:09-07:00
2020-08-29T16:01:09-07:00
Joselyn & Don Release Full-Length Album "Soar"
<p>The full-length album from local acoustic duo Joselyn & Don is planted in American roots and branches out into folk rock, sophisticated ballads and soul. “Soar” will be released September 4th on all digital streaming platforms, and available on Joselyn and Don’s website to purchase as a CD or download. The couple recorded the record over the past two years in their home studio in Westchester, aptly named Garden Studio for their bountiful fruit trees and vegetable garden. The project was finished during the pandemic. Despite juggling remote learning for their son and work at home schedules, they weren’t commuting, and fewer hours on the road translated into more time in the studio, where they layered creative instrumentation over acoustic arrangements, and created something entirely unique. “Soar” is somehow timely and timeless, recalling the singer songwriters of the 1970’s with a fresh, modern perspective. Joselyn & Don hope that their uplifting music can be a force for healing during challenging times. They will celebrate the release with a livestream concert September 4th at 5pm PST. </p>
<p>Joselyn & Don have been making music as long as they can remember – just not necessarily together. The couple stayed busy - Joselyn performing with women’s world fusion band, ADAAWE, and her work in arts education, and Don as film editor for “The Simpsons” and freelance trumpet player. Raising their young son, Joselyn found it tricky to balance motherhood and work, and put aside her own music for several years. But she always kept a pen and notebook handy to catch ideas as they came. Luckily, she found her best collaborator across the dinner table. It didn’t take much convincing for Don to pick up his Taylor guitar to interpret Joselyn’s piano arrangements and co-write several new tunes. “It was clear that these songs needed to be out in the world,” he said. </p>
<p>The pair converted their garage in Los Angeles into a recording studio, filled with their collection of instruments and vintage gear. The upcoming album was recorded there, with Don on guitars, drums, horns and bass. Besides her vocals and songwriting, Joselyn adds ukulele, keys and various hand drums. “This new project is rooted in my early upbringing in Montana listening to bluegrass and folk, and my connection to nature.” That connection features prominently in several songs on “Soar,” told from a deeply personal point of view. “I’m writing better songs now than I did in my 20’s,” Joselyn shares, “Motherhood and the challenges I’ve faced in life have enriched my work. Being a musician and sharing your art should be something you can do at any age, because our experience of being human is constantly changing.” </p>
<p>Joselyn & Don are a refreshing new voice in modern folk, delivered straight from the heart.</p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/6454017
2020-03-06T11:15:00-08:00
2022-02-24T21:34:05-08:00
York Calling Review - "All it Takes is Time"
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/371718/a2e7109175c04d83dd643cdf6bc00c0674865cc1/original/york-calling-j-d-review-3-6-20.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/6454018
2020-03-06T06:20:00-08:00
2020-10-12T11:17:47-07:00
UMG Review - "Joselyn & Don's Unifying Folk Anthem"
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/371718/cf34fc9f59400fbf2b2f7aac24d6c55279de635c/original/joselyn-don-s-unifying-folk-anthem-underground-music-collective.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
Joselyn & Don
tag:joselynwilkinson.com,2005:Post/6459287
2020-02-07T16:30:00-08:00
2021-04-06T03:06:42-07:00
Independent Music Reviews - "All it Takes is Time" from Joselyn & Don
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/371718/03ae62fad479ae690d0d47e3b6c6ac7eada7c461/original/independent-music-reviews-2-2020.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
Joselyn & Don