JOE KELLY & THE ROYAL PHARMACY – A SIT DOWN WITH JOE KELLY

By Ralph Beauchamp

Welsh folkster/rocker Joe Kelly just released a two song single with his band Joe Kelly & The Pharmacy. A-side “Little Fears” is dramatic and edgy. It’s groove laden with dramatic textures that leaves the listener in a sonic haze. Kelly’s voice is intensely ethereal while the harmonies are lush with heavenly intonations. The whole composition is reminiscent of 60’s hits from The Zombies or The Byrds. Even though it has this classic rock feel, it still feels fresh and original. Joe Kelly is a master of combining musical eras in order to create something new and singular. B-side “Devil at Your Door” is cinematic with palettes of sublime inflections.

After spending years living in various cars, vans and caravans and touring the UK, Australia and New Zealand, Joe Kelly released his first album with The Pharmacy. World on Fire (Dirty Carrot Records) features 10 incendiary tracks that captures the true essence of the group. Produced by Jon Greening, World on Fire defies classification. Songs like “On My Way” with its spaghetti western guitar and rapacious vocals highlights Kelly‘s strong songwriting skills. “Sixty Six’ has an authentic Americana aura with Joe‘s immersive vocals being forefront. The mid-tempo rocker, “World on Fire” carries an Eagles ambiance. All in all, World on Fire is tour-de-force filled with emotional depth and captivating excitement.

Joe Kelly was kind enough to have this sit down with AMP to discuss all things Joe Kelly & The Pharmacy.

AMP: What first got you started in music?

JOE: There was a lot of Irish folk music played about the family when I was young so after a failed attempt at classical guitar, I picked up the violin and then the piano soon after although I didn’t last too long on account of me falling asleep a lot mid lesson. They were after school on a Monday and a hefty bike ride from my house. Mrs Routley did her best, but unfortunately I didn’t quite make the grade. I took another attempt at the guitar in high school, there was a girl involved. A few of us started group lessons, they didn’t last very long but I was hooked, Glyn Knight was a great teacher, you can still catch him playing at the Earl Haig Club from time to time!

AMP: Who were some of your early inspirations?

JOE: My cousin Ryan was a massive Oasis fan. I’d stay over his house on weekends when I was quite young and he’d have that sort of stuff playing while he was getting ready for a night on the town. Then I’d spend the rest of my nights with my aunty and uncle drip feeding me Beatles, Stones, Kinks and Led Zeppelin. Between that and my mothers contributions of Motown and Enya, I was subconsciously absorbing the best record collection a kid could ask for.

AMP: What drives you to continue in the crazy world of music?

JOE: I’ve always had an overactive imagination so finding songwriting was so important for me. I have this freedom to create stories that can be utterly fictional but are deeply rooted in all the experiences I’ve had, the good and the bad. If I never left the house again, I’d still live out my days putting stories to music but I’m extremely fortunate to have an incredible band behind me and so many other creatives and supporters who constantly push things forward and bring so much to the table that it’s become its own entity. I keep going for them as much as myself.

AMP: What is your creative process like?

JOE: These days I very rarely sit down with the intention of writing a song, I haven’t really had that luxury since the pandemic. I do a lot of driving, that’s usually where it all starts, being in my own head for hours, tapping at the wheel. I’ll either start humming a melody or a lyric will sort of fall out of the sky. Once I’ve grabbed onto that, it’s just a matter of piecing a song together as quick as I can. I try not too overthink the process too much, I want my songs to capture a moment in time, a little piece of my history.

AMP: Your music harbors a mixture of different genres. How would you categorize your sound?

JOE: Everything I write is embedded in blues, folk and rock n roll. I love that ‘vintage’ sound of the late 60s, early 70s and try to capture that as much as I can. The iconic sounds of that time are so broad that it’s a nightmare to classify. I guess you could say that our sound would be the perfect soundtrack to a Vietnam War film.

AMP: What kind of themes do you embed in your music?

JOE: I’ve struggled a lot in life and I try to be open about those issues where I can. I think vulnerability and humanity play a huge part. Love, heartbreak, political injustice and existential crisis are the backbone of most of my songs, with a generous helping of supernatural and mythological overtones.

AMP: You seemed to be well seasoned as a musician. Any interesting tales you would like to let loose?

JOE: I think it’s safe to say I’ve been around the block a few times. I cut my teeth in a band called The Lash with the late, great Carl Bevan, that really was a baptism of fire. I’ve drank whiskey from the bottle with Israel Nash, supported John Otway and crammed a four piece band into a Renault Grande Scenic to play a bunch of shows in and around the Dolomites with the most debauched musicians I know, but I don’t know how many tales are actually safe to tell!

AMP: If you could collab with any artist (past or present) who would it be and why?

JOE: I consider myself very lucky to collaborate with the Royal Pharmacy, they bring so much to the table that I struggle to even imagine who else could match them creatively. Having said that, I can’t help wonder what a studio session with George Harrison would sound like. He was an incredibly talented musician and I would love to know what could come of that. Other than that, I do sometimes dream of walking into Muscle Shoals and cutting a record with the Swampers, that would be the dream (sorry boys!)

AMP: What’s your live performances like?

JOE: I’ve so fortunate that we can be quite versatile as a band. The Royal Pharmacy is a collective of incredibly talented musicians. We can play a Crosby Stills and Nash-esque show one day with luscious three-part country harmonies stealing the show and a psych-rock whirlwind of a show the next with a soulful ballad one minute, and a 12 minute, Abbey Road style epic the next. We play to our environment and leave a piece of ourselves at every show.

AMP: Do you feel artists have a responsibility to reflect on societal changes in the world?

JOE: I feel everyone has the right to decide how much of themselves they want to give to the world. For me, I can’t help but be open about who I am, and how I feel. Fortunately I was raised on love and respect so promoting those values comes pretty naturally and I have no issues standing up for what I think is right. If you’ve got a platform or an opportunity to do good in the world and encourage others to do the same, I think you should take it. The world’s on fire and we need all the help we can get.

AMP: What’s next for Joe Kelly and the Royal Pharmacy?

JOE: There’s a follow-up single for “Little Fears” dropping imminently, with another fantastic video from the guys at Gold Tops Studios. And we’ve got a second album in our sights which should be ready for release in March 2025. We’re going to launch the vinyl alongside the digital release this time. We are all really excited about it. We’re currently putting together a tour to coincide with the release, so keep your eyes peeled for some dates.

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