Joseph Arthur

Joseph Arthur first starting gaining attention a decade ago, and since then has been quite prolific releasing EPs and albums. If there's such a thing as the opposite of writer's block, Joseph Arthur has it. Indeed, the Akron, Ohio-bred/Brooklyn, N.Y.-residing singer-songwriter, who once released four EPs in the span of as many months, was deep into work on two distinct albums when the music that became The Graduation Ceremony suddenly bubbled to the forefront. It's one is one of Arthur's most beautiful, understated pieces of work in a two-decade career that includes seven prior studio albums and 11 EPs, plus collaborations with Peter Gabriel and R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe. In 2010 Arthur, Ben Harper, and Dhani Harrison formed the supergroup trio Fistful of Mercy, and their debut album As I Call You Down was released on October 5, 2010. Arthur's first solo studio album since Nuclear Daydream, titled The Graduation Ceremony, was released on May 24, 2011.

Arthur is also an accomplished painter, having displayed his works in galleries around the world. His online-only "Museum of Modern Arthur" serves as a repository for his creations. He's touring the US throughout 2011 to promote his new CD, and is exhibiting his paintings during the month of June at the Gershwin Hotel in New York City.