Joel Havea is a man of many talents. A skilled songwriter, natural singer, great guitarist and an overall engaging performer whose songs demonstrate his wide ranging musical and cultural influences. With his unique background, Joel is certainly well prepared to handle the impressive new heights being reached by his music.
Coming from the vibrant, eclectic music scene in Australia's cultural capital of Melbourne, Joel cut his teeth playing live from a young age, as part of “the Havea Brothers” duo with his younger brother Dave. In the process, he developed his own brand of reggae and soul infused acoustic song-writing with pop sensibilities, no doubt also influenced by his mixed Tongan and Dutch heritage. After some extensive world travel, including playing gigs throughout Asia and Europe, Joel found a new home in Hamburg, Germany, and set to work warming up the chilly city's music venues with his ready smile and heartfelt delivery.
Since the release of his well-received debut album "You Make Me Believe", Joel has not been content to rest on his laurels – in fact, quite the opposite. Since 2012 he has played over 500 concerts in more than 20 countries on 4 continents and has been a fixture on the festival and club circuit in Europe and Australia. In 2014 he brought out his eagerly anticipated EP "Strings & Wood", which was recorded primarily with guitar, percussion and double bass and displayed a sound more reminiscent of his energetic live acoustic performances.
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"Havea is an iconic talent, acoustic or otherwise" - WORDKRAPHT
"Havea's style is defined by his often-soulful acoustic guitar, thoughtful lyrics, and overall upbeat songs"
- ALMOST NERDY
"Joel's voice is soothing, but rough and rustic with emotion. The instrumentation and composition for any reggae-infused pop fan instantly adds a level of comfort and liveability" - HEARMAGAZINE
"His songs have a rich quality to them which takes them beyond the typical coffeehouse singer-songwriter" - MONOBLOGUE
"Joel Havea adds some much-needed flair to the acoustic soul/pop genre, one whose ease-of-access makes it routine to sift through a variety of artists to find quality." - OBSCURESOUND
“The highlight, is of course Havea himself. The vocals feel very reminiscent of the blues, but they are very inviting at the same time.“ - GUARDIAN