Folk music is making a comeback. A great big, rock-addled, acoustic-with-a-touch-of-grunge comeback. How is this happening?
Well, Frank Turner is at the forefront, finally receiving the praise he deserves from the press whilst keeping a comfortable distance from the dropped trousers of Radio One. A one-man tour-de-force, his shows demonstrate that pyrotechnics and theatrics alone do not a successful gig make.
Many have tried to follow the path blazed by Mr Turner, but one Brighton resident is putting the rest to shame - Mr Joseph Hatton.
Aged 20, Joseph is a student at The Brighton Institute of Modern Music (you may know it as 'BIMM'). Having lived in Brighton for six months, he is a product of the small Northern town known as Warrington - most famously the home of Kerry Katona. However, he retains that this is where the similarities between him and the drug-addled Jabba lookalike end.
Within weeks, Joseph had established himself on Brighton's open mic scene, pimping himself from The Bee's Mouth to The Juggler to The Hope, even receiving audience requests for an encore at the latter. At a gig, such a thing is expected, but at an open mic? Having only lived in Brighton a month at the time, such a thing is testament to Joseph's immense talent.
This led to a regular slot at Audio during the Summer season, with requests to perform across the city. But what of the music?
A sleek mix of cheeky lyrics, jumping guitar and a more-than-mature outlook on life is the best way to describe it. Joseph's first song, Joseph and Rebecca, is a sharp indie-pop monster that grabs you from the outset, with bouncy guitars and a smooth guitar riff. With talk of leaving a town with nothing left in it, Joseph portrays an image of a young man with a lot to say and a yearning to experience all that Brighton has to offer. The Sun has proved to be a favourite with open-mic and gig crowds, with it's insanely catchy singalong chorus and simple yet romantic lyrics. Love on the Run is reminiscent of early Frank Turner, with a slow, creeping verse leading into an uplifting and cheerful chorus that is enough to bring anybody out of a funk.
Joseph is still at an early stage in his career, but his songs can be found on MySpace at www.myspace.com/josephhatton. Exactly what you need on a miserable Sunday to put you right in the mood for one of Brighton's amazing Sunday roasts.
