INTERVIEW : 2025-05-22 An Evolution: Singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur just wants peace (by Christina Fuoco-Karasinski)

Singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur is living the dream.

In the mid-1990s, Arthur was the first North American artist signed to the Peter Gabriel-founded label, Real World. To add to his resume, he is now preparing to release an album with Peter Buck of R.E.M. That doesn’t count the Grammy nomination and the collections in between.

However, his real joy comes from his nearly 4-year-old daughter, Alessia. She will travel with her dad on his next round of gigs, including the Venice West show on Wednesday, May 28.

“I started touring again a year ago, and it’s been really disruptive,” said Arthur, as Alessia quietly drew.

“I’ve gone away for long stretches, so that’s really been an adjustment. We’re quite close, so it’s been hard on her. Her mom, though, is very cool about me spending make-up time with her.”

The show at The Venice West, as well as others this year, represents a rejuvenated and evolved Arthur.

“The Venice West is going to be a great one,” said Arthur, who lives outside of Phoenix. “I’m going to rock the house and have fun. She’s going to be with a nanny. On New Year’s Day, she ran up on stage at City Winery.”

At that point, Arthur whips out his phone, showing a video of Alessia following him around on stage, playing the harmonica.

Arthur’s goal in high school was to play bass—and he was quite good at it.

“I got technically really good at the bass when I was young,” he said. “I was a professional musician before I was out of high school. I played five nights a week in Cleveland bars.

“We opened for Stevie Ray Vaughan. We were this big rock/blues band.”

However, the “slap pop” songs no longer appealed to him, once he was exposed to Bob Dylan and Kurt Cobain. He then “surrendered” the bass and bought an acoustic guitar.

His self-released EP was given to Gabriel. In 1997, Arthur sent to stores “Big City Secrets,” followed by 2000’s “Come to Where I’m From.” The critics’ darling followed those two with 2004’s “Our Shadows Will Remain,” which further explores his ability to write confessional songs.

“I was at Real World (studios) and I was recording with him for a week,” Arthur said.

“He invited me into the studio with him and Karl Wallinger from World Party. I asked if he wanted me to play bass because I was still identifying as that. Peter said, ‘No. I want you to write lyrics and sing.’”

No pressure there.

“For about an hour, in 1995, it was me and him, facing each other, singing and I’m writing words,” Arthur explained.

“That song is called ‘Exit Through You,’ on this album called ‘Big Blue Ball.’”

2007’s “Let’s Just Be” was his first on his own record label, Lonely Astronaut. After boosting his catalog with indie releases, he’s looking forward to the Arthur Beck album, mixed by Jacknife Lee, whose credits include the Killers, the Cars, U2 and Robbie Williams.

Buck’s R.E.M. was one of Arthur’s favorite bands growing up.

“It’s fantastic to work with Peter because he is a great guitar player, but he also writes great songs on the guitar that indicate melody,” he said.

“For me to be able to work with someone like him, who writes very melodic stuff, that is all arranged, verse, chorus, verse, is incredible.”

The busy 2025 continues with the release of Arthur’s next solo record. The collection sits at 42 songs; now comes the arduous job of cutting tracks from it.

“I’m really interested in this ego vs. spirit and how the artist’s journey is perfect for that landscape,” said Arthur, an accomplished artist as well.

“So much of being an artist is fueled, initially, by ego. However, it’s the cultivation of the spiritual forces that gives your art power.

“Nothing coming straight from the ego is any good at all, really. But you need a healthy ego to even change. Now, I’m only interested in annihilating my ego, because it's a disruptor of peace, not because I'm like some great, saintly guy or something, right? Just, I want peace.”

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