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Released on April 26, 2024 by Molano Music, storytelling is at the heart of ‘A Kind Of Calm’, the new album by Craig Joiner.

Whether lamenting a love lost, celebrating the calming beauty of nature or relating the epic tale of a struggle at sea, Craig’s songs are informed by experience, observation, vivid imagination and a desire to take his music “deeper into folk”.

As a dextrous and highly accomplished guitarist, Craig is fully equipped to play out his compositions against an acoustic musical backdrop which perfectly suits his subject matter and vocal delivery.

Featuring seven original songs by Craig, two trad arrangements and one cover, the album’s ten tracks combine to carry the listener away on a journey of the mind.   “My hope is that my music will help people escape the pressures and the madness of the world we all now live in and provide them with...a kind of calm, if only for a short while,” he says.

Although Craig has forged a career and won repute in the rock arena, folk music has always been his true muse and calling.  “As a 15-year-old, I played my first gig, guitar in hands, at the Cellar Folk Club in Hemel Hempstead,” he recalls.  “Life and opportunities then led me elsewhere, but here I am again, having travelled full circle.  It feels like home and it’s so wonderful to be here.”

Craig released his debut solo album, ‘Art Of Landing’, in 2018 but his incredible journey began back in 1987 when his band Romeo’s Daughter was signed to Jive Records and released their debut album a year later. The self-titled album was produced by the legendary Robert ‘Mutt’ Lange (Def Leppard, The Cars, AC/DC, Shania Twain), spawned a whirlwind tour of the USA and saw the single ‘Don’t Break My Heart’ shoot up the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart there.

Over the years the band’s infectious music has attracted the highest calibre of established artists, with Heart covering their single ‘Wild Child’ on their multi-million selling album ‘Brigade’, achieving No.2 on the US Billboard Rock All Play charts.   Eddie Money also enjoyed a huge hit in America with the band’s track ‘Heaven In the Backseat’.

Songs written by Craig have also been recorded by artistes as diverse as Bonnie Tyler and Steps and featured in major Hollywood movies, A Nightmare on Elm Street, 102 Dalmatians and Jack Reacher among them.  

Craig has been equally successful writing library music for TV and radio; his compositions have been used on programmes including Friends, Cold Feet, European Golf and by Disney.  Craig is the co-writer of ‘Bar Fight’, the theme tune for the long-running BBC 1 comedy panel TV show Would I Lie To You?  As a session musician Craig has played guitar for an impressive list of names, including Tom Jones, Jane Wiedlin and Peter Collins.