Angela Josephine



ANGELA JOSEPHINE began her career in 2002 after appearing at a Border’s open mic in Northern Michigan.  She asked if she could use an original painting as part of her performance and was told, “As long as there are no naked people in it.”  She went on to sing, “I got up in the dark of the night, I went out in the rain wearing nothing but your sweat…”

Well… they never said anything about naked lyrics.

Angela’s words have a way of undressing the superficial; stripping us down to raw experience.  Tony Cummings of Cross Rhythms Magazine UKsays, “Angela Josephine shows herself to be a poetic songwriter able to pen songs that get under the shield of the post-modern muse with power and poignancy.”  More recently she has been compared to “a modern, female Nick Drake” (David Faulkner, CRD), while Northern Express reviewer Kristi Kates cites “a more jaded Sarah McLachlan.”

Her self-produced debut album, A Restful Sense of Urgency (2002) was recorded during the waning months of summer in a barn studio in Northern, Michigan.  The intimate, unassuming work drew an eclectic audience with independent reviewer Sonia Vannest asking listeners to “please pause a moment to hear some of the most creative musical expressions deviating from the norm.” For her sophomore album, Grace Exhaled (2005), Angela teamed with producer John Pisciotta of Paradiso Music to record at the Sound Kitchen in Franklin, Tennessee.  The album – her most unapologetically spiritual –  was a finalist in the 2006 Detroit Music Awards and explores themes of struggle, grace and redemption.  Lyrically rich and composed with a sparse, yet lush sensibility, Stone Bright Solid – Volume 1 (2012) marked a new direction for Angela as a refined folk artist. Further defining Angela as an innovator is the packaging. “This four-track EP is the most original I have seen since the days of Delirious releases such as ‘Live And In The Can’ and ‘Kingdom Of Comfort,’” says David Faulkner of CRD. “It comes in a tin box with five alternative magnetic photos and a choice of 160 magnetic words (lyrics to the songs). In true postmodern style, this CD can be what you want it to be – not so much reader-response as listener-response.”

Angela’s latest full-length album Daylight is at once a folk-rock opera and personal exploration. A project spanning seven years, from its demo inception in a pole barn in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (2011) to a fully produced album recorded in Detroit and Ann Arbor, Michigan (producer Chris Bathgate) (2018), Daylight delves into themes of darkness and light .  The cinematic prelude “This Light” invites one into an expansive landscape that unfold with unexpected beauty and lush discovery, culminating in the haunting finale “Face to the Wind”.

Angela has graced the stages of countless festivals and venues. Her soulful voice combined with art, poetry, and diverse instrumentation (guitar, mandolin, piano, hammered and mountain dulcimer) paints an intimate self-portrait, all at once relatable. Even before social media, Angela was connecting people. It started when early festival audiences gathered to sing her choruses as she handed out roses following her set. That kind of spontaneous action is just one hallmark of her performances. Concert goers might be invited on stage for a light-hearted jam session with toy guitar and bike horn. Mid-concert could have attendees approaching the front of house where daisies are exchanged. Crowd sourced harmonies. Community canvases. Analog networking in a digital world.

In 2007, Angela was an Artist Ovation Contest Winner for Unity Festival in Muskegon, Michigan, and her song “Spirit of Motherhood” received an honorable mention in the Great Lakes Songwriting Competition. In 2011, she again was a finalist for the Detroit Music Awards in the category of Best Instrumentalist for hammered dulcimer. She has also participated in ArtPrize, performing for “Jukebox” (2011) and “The Looking Box” (2012)by artists Royce Deans (Traverse City) and Tali Farchi (Amsterdam) who interpret music with paint.  Angela’s paintings were recently featured in Grand Traverse Art Bomb 2013, in the juried exhibit Women: Reflect, Rejoice, Reform at the Jordan River Art Council, and her paintings are represented by Blissful Gallery in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Along with music and art, Angela is a published author, having had poetry and articles accepted to various publications. As an ambassador for Compassion International (2002-2011), Angela represented the plight of children in third-world countries at her concerts. She has spearheaded numerous benefit events, including Hope for Haiti, and was the public relations representative for State Theater Colorbook Project.

Angela continues to support numerous causes, both locally and globally. Her studio is located in beautiful Northern Michigan where she lives with her husband Joe.  He often joins her for performances and specializes in cajon, chimes, wine glasses, and all manner of the unexpected.