JOEL ASTLEY

Since forming his first band in 2014, Joel Astley has established himself as a top frontman, bandleader, harmonica player, singer and songwriter, and has amassed dozens of awards and nominations and other accolades. He made quite a splash on the International Blues Music scene with his 2023 debut album, Seattle To Greaseland, which came in at Number 7 on the Blues Billboard Top Ten. That album has been met with critical acclaim worldwide, and has helped to set  Astley on a meteoric rise. In 2023 he partnered with Lee Oskar Harmonicas as one of the brand’s Featured Artist. 

His accolades include 23 “Best of the Blues” awards from the Washington Blues Society, the Silver Medal Award from the Global Music Awards, an Honorable Mention in the 2024 International Songwriting Competition for “Secondhand Kid”, and multiple award nominations from local, national, and international Music organizations including the Cascade Blues Society, the Josie Awards, the Independent Blues Awards, and the Blues Blast Music Awards. He has performed on multiple recordings, tours and performs locally with his four piece band, and continues to work on songs for his next album. 

An interesting side note: Joel Astley came to music after many years working in the visual arts. He is still an active visual artist; his paintings, prints and drawings are in many private collections, and his work has even appeared on album covers.