Local artist of the week Joel Levi writes his music with painful honesty. Born in a post-GM town with a struggling economy, this Nashville singer-songwriter is no stranger to adversity. Levi spent most of his twenties in Indiana writing about his Midwestern experience. Those years of adolescence would prove to be the foundation for his blossoming craft.
It wasn’t until he and his wife decided to move to Nashville that his songwriting really started to come into focus. It was there that he found an affinity for the clear storytelling that Americana music can provide. His songs speak to a common thread that is woven into American culture. Levi parses themes of marriage, starting a family, and the struggle of making a living while on the road.
It was these sensibilities that attracted the attention of the Grammy winning producer of The Civil Wars, Charlie Peacock. Levi was then invited to record his first EP at his studio. After five years of living in Nashville, he is now set to release his full length “self-titled” album.
His ties to the Midwest remain strong, with a majority of the players at the East Nashville studio being from Indiana. These songs have a depth and wisdom that only years of life experience can bring. Most in the music industry view aging as a disadvantage, but these Americana songs tell the story of a man who has decided to use his age to his advantage. Listen to his single “Will We Ever Change” below and all week long on Lightning 100.
