Joe and Ellen

Joe and Ellen is a musical duo originating in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They are known for their tuneful, harmony-laden, guitar driven pop rock defined by Ellen Maureen's powerful vocals and her brother Joseph "Joe" Paul's reflective songwriting.
Formation
Joseph Paul (b. March 30, 1984) and Ellen Maureen (b. June 19, 1985) were born to musical parents who participated in the Tulsa Sound music scene of the 1970's. Their mother, Donna Williams, worked with drummer Jamie Oldaker during the early years of his career.
As teenagers, Joe and Ellen began playing with garage bands. They quickly struck out as a duo and began working the Tulsa live music scene. Immediately they garnered praise from the local scene. Thomas Conner of the Tulsa World described them as a "jaw-dropping discovery," offering the following praise in an article published Thursday, April 4, 2002:
"How do you tell if a musician is someone to keep an ear on? There are numerous critical criteria, of course, but when everyone at your table wonders aloud if they have enough money in savings to produce the band’s debut, well, then you’re onto something. Such was the case last weekend during a Borders Books and Music performance of Joe & Ellen, a local brother-sister duo with unnatural natural chemistry.... Joe & Ellen’s set...is about half covers (were you listening to Tom Waits when you were 16?) and half originals. They’re gearing up now to apply the latter half to CD. Judging by Ellen’s engaging, haunted voice and Joe’s ringing guitar, the debut is liable to make a splash - cannonball, not bellyflop."

Debut EP and Initial Touring
In 2003, Joe and Ellen set up their own home studio and began intensive work on their first EP. The result was a seven-track, self-titled CD that became extremely popular with early fans. It produced the song "Your Eyes are Beautiful", which has been a live standard for the duo ever since. During this time, Joe and Ellen gigged frequently in a regional area, often accompanied by drummer Dylan Turner (later of the Boondogs).
Mad Dogs and Okies
In 2006, Joe and Ellen were asked by Jamie Oldaker to appear on his album Mad Dogs & Okies. Joe and Ellen contributed a bare-bones acoustic cover of Leon Russell's "A Song for You," which received some national airplay. Joe and Ellen added this cover to their live performances and the cut became a much noted addition to the album, since Ellen's smooth, fluent vocals gave a new feel to the tune. This album placed Joe and Ellen in the company of well-known acts like Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, Willis Alan Ramsey, Taj Mahal, J.J Cale and Peter Frampton."
Lose You
In 2008, Joe and Ellen released their long-awaited second CD - a full-length album entitled Lose You. Featuring several songs that had been a part of the duo's live set for the past two years - such as the slow, melodic "Waiting for the Time" and the country-flavored "Have You Noticed". The debut single, "Lose You", was accompanied by a video shot in Joe and Ellen's hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Lose You became successful with the siblings' increasingly interested cult-following, and was followed with a series of regional live shows, both acoustic and with a full band.
Discography
;Albums
*Joe and Ellen (2004)
*Lose You (2008)
;Guest Appearances
*Mad Dogs and Okies (Concord Records) - Jamie Oldaker (2006)
 
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