Joseph returns with a seven-track EP, Stay Awake, which was released digitally today by ATO Records. The collection, which is available HERE http://thebandjoseph.com and at all digital retailers, includes three new songs – “All,” which opens the set, a demo of “50, 60, 80” and the closing track, “Stay Awake” – plus reimagined versions of two older songs and stunning covers of Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” and the Rolling Stones’ “Moonlight Mile.” 

Natalie Schepman, who founded Joseph with her two sisters, Allison Closner and Meegan Closner, says, “Stay Awake is a small collection of songs we put together to help ourselves deal with heaviness. It’s a bit of telling it like it is. It’s a bit of a ‘keep going.’” 

NPR Music premiered Joseph’s glistening version of “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” today. Listen HERE http://www.npr.org/event/music/549275186/joseph-covers-tears-for-fears-because-why-not

“When we were recently reminded of Tears for Fears’ song ‘Everybody Wants to Rule The World,’ it hit us how pertinent it is today even though it was written in the 80’s. Today, maybe more than ever,” explains Natalie, who added a few lines after the bridge that especially speak to the times we live in:

 

“Make the most of freedom and pleasure.

All I know is take care of each other.

An open door, a seat at the table, there’s enough to go around.”

 

“In all honesty, it feels like the house is falling down around us, but the lyric ‘holding hands while the walls come tumbling down’ resounds in our minds,” says Natalie. “We hope that our music can be a force of togetherness when it seems like everything’s trying to divide us.”  

The band recorded Stay Awake at Sound Emporium in Nashville. It was produced by longtime friend Andrew Stonestreet, who co-wrote several tracks onJoseph’s most recent album, I’m Alone, No You’re Not.

Joseph will give a special acoustic performance at Rebecca Minkoff’s New York Fashion Week show, an invitation-only event that will be held at the designer’s NoHo Store this Saturday, September 9. The band will be the only act performing at the show, which has previously featured such artists as B0RNS, Aluna George, Zella Day, Tennis and others.

The band’s fall headline tour kicks off next week with a September 13 show at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC. The run includes an evening at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY (September 15) and a concert at Los Angeles’ El Rey Theatre (October 13). Tickets are available at http://smarturl.it/josephtour.After performances at Bonnaroo, Newport Folk Festival, Osheaga, Lollapalooza, Outside Lands and Bumbershoot, the band will close out festival season with performances at the Grand Point North, Pilgrimage and Austin City Limits festivals. See below for itinerary.

Produced by Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Jenny Lewis), I’m Alone, No You’re Not (ATO Records) spent two weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart and was voted as one of 2016’s top albums by NPR listeners. Cumulative streams for the album’s tracks now surpass 21 million on Spotify. Lead single“White Flag” topped Billboard‘s Adult Alternative Songs chart and now has more than 11 million streams on Spotify. Streams for the Top 20 AAA hit “SOS (Overboard)” exceed seven million. 

The band supported the album with performances on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Conan,” “CBS This Morning Saturday,” “TODAY,” “Later…with Jools Holland” and NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concert.”

PAPER praised Joseph’s “dark folk-pop that will make you cry (in the best, most cathartic way possible).” BUST observed, “Joseph has certainly arrived, and this is one sister act whose talent will stand the test of time.” 

Stay Awake – Track Listing

1.     All

2.     Everybody Wants to Rule The World

3.     Lifted Away 

4.     Planets

5.     50, 60, 80 (Demo)

6.     Moonlight Mile

7.     Stay Awake

 

Joseph – North American Tour Dates

9/13 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club *

9/15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg *

9/16 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair *                                                 SOLD OUT

9/17 – Burlington, VT @ Grand Point North Festival @ Waterfront Park

9/19 – Ottawa, ON @ Babylon *

9/20 – Toronto, ON @ Mod Club *

9/22 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *

9/23 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue *

9/24 – Franklin, TN @ Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival

9/26 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre #

9/27 – Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-Fi #

9/29 – Birmingham, AL @ Iron City #

9/30 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West #

10/1 – Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall #

10/2 – Ponte Vedra, FL @ Ponte Vedra Concert Hall #

10/4 – New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina’s #

10/6 – Austin, TX @ Antone’s (ACL Late Night Show) #

10/7 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Music Festival

10/8 – Dallas, TX @ Tree’s #

10/10 – Albuquerque, NM @ KiMo Theatre #

10/12 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom #

10/13 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre #

11/18 – Mexico City, MX @ Corona Capitol 

* Bailen opening

# Liza Anne opening