Joel Edwards | |
|---|---|
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| Genres | Electronic, house, downtempo, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, record producer |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Labels | Data, Ministry of Sound, others |
Joel Edwards is a British singer, songwriter, musician and record producer, best known as the vocalist and co-writer in the electronic music duo Deepest Blue with producer Matt Schwartz. Edwards has also written, produced and recorded with a range of artists across electronic and pop music.
Little verifiable public information exists about Edwards' early life and musical training. He first came to prominence in the early 2000s as the singer and co-writer in Deepest Blue. [1]
Edwards formed Deepest Blue with producer Matt Schwartz in 2002. The duo signed with Data/Ministry of Sound and released their debut single, "Deepest Blue", in July 2003. The track reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart and number 5 on the UK Dance Singles Chart. [2]
Follow-up singles "Give It Away" (2004) and "Is It a Sin" (2004) peaked at numbers 9 and 24 respectively, with "Shooting Star" (2004) reaching number 57. [2]
Deepest Blue’s only studio album, Late September , was released in 2004 and peaked at number 22 on the UK Albums Chart and number 13 in Scotland. [2] Contemporary reviews described the record as a blend of emotive pop songwriting and polished club production. [3] [4]
In a 2004 Guardian interview, Edwards said the name “Deepest Blue” was inspired by a computer accident in which the words appeared after a mistyped command, and that the song’s reflective tone was influenced by Coldplay’s “Yellow.” He also expressed a desire to merge club music with lyrical songwriting rather than produce conventional dance tracks. [1]
After the release of Late September, the duo went on hiatus before reuniting for occasional singles and performances in the late 2000s and 2010s. In a 2019 interview with *ThisSoundNation*, Edwards discussed continuing to collaborate with other producers and his interest in evolving beyond his Deepest Blue sound. [5]
Outside Deepest Blue, Edwards has written, produced and recorded with artists including Planet Funk, Chicane and Ed Case, and has released solo material under his own name and various aliases. [6]
In 2006, he released the solo album Lost & Found, which showcased a more introspective, songwriter-driven approach. [7]
Edwards continues to write and produce music, with his most recent collaborations shared via SoundCloud and Last.fm.
As Deepest Blue’s vocalist and lyricist, Edwards’ delivery has been described as melodic and emotive, set against club-oriented production. Press coverage highlighted his and Schwartz’s effort to bridge pop songwriting with electronic arrangements rather than pursue purely dance-floor tracks. [1] [3]