London Troubador

In the beginning it was just me. There were gigs, jams, buses, tubes, MySpace pages and (thankfully long-forgotten) CDs. 

Too shy, or circumspect, to use my own name I travelled under Stolen Car. Stolen Car became a duo with Basia Bartz on violin and then, incredibly, a fully-formed band. We had Ben Phillips on guitar, Aaron Griffiths on bass, Oli Leonard on skins. Backing vocalists came and went like Spinal Tap drummers. We made a charmingly shuffling, folky noise. People listened. 

We made a couple of recordings in a real recording studio. (WE HAD MADE IT !!!!)  They came out not too bad. In The Morning still ranks as one of my favourite songs. 

It's All In The Game

When you're working alone that shapes the sound. If a song doesn't work with just an acoustic guitar then it's no use to you at that moment. A band lets you expand your vision and your sound.  

Dee McGruddy joined us on vocals and Leon Maitreya (perhaps his real name) came in on guitar. We were now officially a PROPER ROCK AND ROLL BAND !!!   We made lots of noise. The songs were going big. I did some of my best writing and we had an album that was going to make you listen. 

Somewhere along the line I had the bright idea to record and mix the album myself. The release was a minor disaster and not the success that it deserved to be.   
 
Thankfully, the songs have now been rescued from the vaults and remixed by Justin Whittingham (Anything Goes). Look out for them soon.

All In The Game re-release in 2021. 

Anything Goes

Bands don't last. Particularly if they're not successful. We weren't (that) young anymore. It's the same old story. Jimmy quit, Jodi got married. And I'd run out of time.

As the group gradually disbanded the moment had come to finally use my own name.

Anything Goes is the first Joe Card album. It features Stolen Car musicians, it features new musicians. It has two harmonica players!!  I love the songwriting and the variety of sounds and styles on the record; it's the most adventurous sonic palette yet. I really enjoy the world that the album creates, the cast of characters and their stories. ​ And I hope that you do too.