Joel Plaskett

Joel Plaskett’s genre-hopping and lyrical versatility make him a singular voice in Canadian rock music. Born William Joel MacDonald Plaskett in 1975 in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, he grew up with a musician father, Bill, and cofounded the riff-heavy group Thrush Hermit—one of the most prominent bands of the ‘90s Halifax “pop explosion”—in his early teens. Thrush Hermit broke up in 1999, when Plaskett released his solo debut, the low-key folk record In Need of Medical Attention. Since then—alone or with his band, the Emergency—Plaskett has earned a reputation as one of the country’s most consistent yet adventurous artists. His catalog includes ‘70s-inspired rock ‘n’ roll (2001’s Down At the Khyber and 2003’s Truthfully Truthfully); lush roots-rock (2005’s La De Da); a concept album about young love (2007’s Ashtray Rock); a triple album (2009’s Three); English folk-inspired songs with his dad (2017’s Solidarity); and a quadruple album confronting his memories and mortality (2020’s 44). Throughout, he’s often used his virtuosic guitar skills and poignant, clever lyrics to express his feelings about his Nova Scotia home, like 2005’s heartwarming Halifax/Dartmouth ode “I Love This Town.”