Monica Jane and Joel Lamb

Wilmington-based singer-songwriter Monica Jane Hoelscher has been singing since she could talk. She fell in love with poetry as a little girl, started playing guitar when she was 17, and performed her debut gig at 22 in her hometown of Sturgis, Michigan. After exploring many musical genres, she has grown into the Americana country-pop musician she is today. “I like old country music and any good country music. Anyone who has clever lyrics is my kind of singer. I like songs that draw you in with a story or a feeling. Songs that have the power to give you chills the whole way through,” Hoelscher says. And that’s exactly what her second album, “Wildfire,” released in February 2019, does to anyone who listens.

Joel Lamb is an active pianist and songwriter who currently performs with a wide variety of musicians in the Wilmington, NC music scene. Raised in the rural Pacific Northwest, Joel has been singing and performing with bands since 1996, spending years working with Jazz, Indie Rock, Punk, Electronic, Blues and Soul artists in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Austin. His current projects include songwriting, singing and playing keys for Brown Dirt Cowboys and RKTMN, as well as playing keys for Dock Street Pocket, ReSoul Band, and Mark Sinnis.

Monica and Joel first met at Open Mic night at The Goat & Compass in 2018, and soon became friends and supporters of one another's music performances. They first began performing together in 2021, and are known for their vibrant harmonies and the striking dynamic blend of Monica's guitar with Joel's piano.