Joel Sarakula

Imagine if Ray Manzarek were the frontman for the Bee Gees…

It’s a neat visual introduction to Joel Sarakula, an artist who writes, produces and performs while gazing out at the world through vintage glasses, vintage threads and long blond hair. His music is informed by a rich, 1970s-inspired palette, drawing on soft-rock, funk and disco influences: sunny, uptempo jams for darker times. Self-aware that he looks and occasionally sounds like the love child of Ray Manzarek and the Gibb brothers, his self-deprecating sense of humour is always just below the fringe.

Born in Sydney, based in the UK and international in outlook Sarakula is a songwriter who has travelled the world in search of his muse, experiencing everything from being a victim of Caribbean carjackings to performing in the remote fishing villages of Norway before finally establishing his career in the UK and Europe. Since then he has released albums such as ‘Island Time’ (2023), ‘Companionship’ (2020) and ‘Love Club’ (2018) that have racked up plays on national UK and European radio and got him noticed in The New York Times, The Independent (UK), The Irish Times, Rolling Stone Germany, El Pais (Spain) and Sydney Morning Herald. He has been compared to his peers and fellow Aussies Parcels and Donny Benet as well as Prep, Benny Sings and Young Gun Silver Fox.

Joel Sarakula is a fixture on the festival and club circuit having previously performed at SXSW (USA), Primavera (Spain) and Glastonbury (UK).