Joel Crouse

"No matter what, I'm always going to write about what I'm going through or what I see,” states Crouse, who has already had quite the musical journey. Originally from Massachusetts, Crouse draws from local rock & roll legends like Aerosmith, Boston, and James Taylor, and by 16 he already had formed two original bands playing songs he wrote. His first 'Beatles-esque’ band gained a lot of buzz but broke up due to everyone leaving for college. At that point Crouse was 17 years old and decided to make the move to Nashville to pursue music professionally. He started playing dive bars and ended up opening for the likes of Taylor Swift on her Red Tour and Darius Rucker.”

Crouse has always followed his gut instinct, and now at 25 he can rely on it more than ever. Although well received in the Country community, Crouse stuck by that instinct to follow a dramatic change in his music. Now released from his Country cocoon, he is able to fully channel his influences from The Beatles to Pink Floyd to John Mayer. Crouse’s new sound formed free of genre walls. "When songs would move me," he muses, "it didn’t matter what genre they were in. Lyrically, I'm inspired by people who took chances on their music," he says, before naming people like Nirvana and Eminem as well as Tom Petty and the Lumineers. "When you're an Artist, you have to show that raw nerve."

Crouse has built up a fan base in the old-fashioned way – on the road, playing to as many people as possible. Whether in a dive or an arena, Crouse is known for his electric live shows that have charmed audiences into lifelong followers. "I try very hard to bring as honest of a performance as possible to my fans both old and new," he says passionately. It comes through loud and clear, not only through his concerts but through the music itself.