Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph Fell
Hi Joseph, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Joseph Fell and I am the bassist, singer and main songwriter of Fell Harvest. We are a Wyoming based band playing a mix of Melodic Death and Doom metal.
I began playing music when I was around 10 years old. My first exposure to heavy metal came when I saw the video for “One” by Metallica while sneaking a rare look at MTV (I had a fairly strict religious upbringing and at that time was not allowed to watch cable TV normally). I immediately managed to “acquire” a copy of “And Justice for All” on cassette which I listened to obsessively. I had never heard anything as intense and gripping, and it remains one of my all time favorite records.
I began to seriously study guitar, and then bass when it was obvious there were far too many guitarists in my tiny high school music ecosystem. I would eventually study theory and composition in college.
Writing, composing and performing are still my deepest passions and I’ve never lost my life long love for music, especially heavy metal of all kinds.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Trying to balance creativity with the challenges of day to day modern life is something I think all artists struggle with. I took a long break from music in my twenties in order to focus on my career. This is something I really regret. While my “day job” in technology (I am an SRE and Cloud Architect if you’re familiar with the industry) is rewarding, I wish that I had stayed focused on my creative output and musical projects instead.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Fell Harvest was formed in 2019 and established our current lineup in 2021. We have released two full length albums and one EP to date. The latest one, The Dying, was released on DI Records in May of 2023.
I consider Fell Harvest to be the culmination of all my years in the metal scene. A huge range of influences, from Metallica to Dissection to My Dying Bride and Kings X are all mingled together to form something we really feel is both familliar and unique at the same time. It’s a band whose output I take a great deal of pride in because it represents my most personal and honest creative efforts.
Finding the current lineup, with Liam Duncan on guitar and Mike Smith on drums was a rare blessing. They have each proven to be perfect collaborators and partners in bringing this concept to life.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I have several fun things that might surprise readers. While I was in music school my primary instrument was actually Operatic Voice, and I enjoy listening to and singing opera style vocals to this day (I’ve even performed in musicals a few times).
I found both Liam and Mike on Craigslist, several years apart.
Despite Fell Harvest being a metal band and using B tuned guitars, I write the bulk of our material on a traditional 6 string acoustic which I keep near my work desk. It is always on hand and gets pulled out whenever I feel an idea brewing (or when I’m stuck on a longer than normal Zoom call). Only when I decide a piece really has something special to I rework it for electric guitar and show it to the other guys.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fellharvest.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fellharvestband/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fellharvest
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@fellharvestofficial
Image Credits
Main photo – Kai Frawg Fine art
Other photos – Penny and Dime, Estavan Sanchez, Derek Webster