Elton John played Joesef's tunes on Rocket Hour, earlier this month- and if that isn't a high enough recommendation for an artist that's yet to release their debut album, we're not sure what else is.
Brought up on a "melting pot of good tunes", an eclectic combination of old soul and 90s bangers, Joesef started making music in his bedroom. In a world where anyone can plug their guitar into a laptop and sing over FaceTime, it can be difficult to cut through the noise, but the soothing melodies of the Glasweigan singer are a Spotify favourite for good reason.
Effortlessly fusing soul and pop comes naturally to the independent artist, but Joesef never intended to set out to become the rising singer-songwriter packing out crowds across the UK, including last weekend at Leeds' own Live At Leeds: In The City festival, where we were lucky enough to catch up with the artist.
"I was a late bloomer I didn’t think I would be a singer but aye just in my bedroom making turn and now here we are at Live at Leeds".
Inspired by the works of The Cure, Mamas and Papas and Joy Division, three years on from putting out his first single, Limbo, Joesef is now preparing to release the highly anticipated debut album Permanent Damage- which pays homage to the evolution of his musical career to date.
Ever humble, Joesef describes the album as "more of an evolved sound than people have ever heard before", having been recorded in a professional studio, rather than just plugging his guitar into a laptop, grinning at the countdown to the album release in just a few short months.
Permanent Damage will hit the shelves on Friday 13 January 2023, blowing away the new year blues with never-heard-before soulful melodies. Naturally, the alt-indie singer will be back in Leeds to bring the album to one of "the closest crowds to Glasgow"- a huge compliment given the musical talent of Joesef's home city.
"The energy is just unmatched [in Leeds] and it feels like we’re all mates, I think it’s just a northern thing […] my first Leeds gig I had people crying and that it was so funny, I can’t remember which venue it was at but we were on the floor and basically we were standing at the same level I could see everyone [...] Leeds crowd is amazing man, they always show up."
Joesef went on to explain that having played at Brudenell, Hyde Park and now headlining Live At Leeds: In The City on the Belgrave Music Hall stage, he's constantly watching the Yorkshire crowds evolve, with a solid fan base of those returning time-after-time to catch new tunes in different venues.
"I’m starting to really recognise people as well I did a wee session at Hyde Park Book Club and I’ve seen the crowd at the front at previous gigs"
We don't need telling twice that Yorkshire is full of musical talent, from Bring Me The Horizon and Alex Turner over in Sheffield to our own Kaiser Chiefs here in Leeds, but for Joesef, there was one name that outshone the rest: Mel B.
"Honestly zig-a-zig-ah! When I was a wee kid that was me and my mums first obsession and my brothers were with Oasis and we had my mum dances Spice Girls, so big up to Mel B!"
"Mel B aye she’s a Leeds icon but obviously in Yorkshire you’ve got Arctic Monkeys and that cannae knock them, cannae knock them, they’ve done alright haven’t they!"
You can catch Joesef at Stylus at Leeds University Union on Friday 17 March 2023. For more information about the upcoming tour, visit Joesef's website.
Thankyou to Live At Leeds: In The City Festival for organisingthis interview.
Feature Image- The Hoot Leeds
Audio
Jason Derulo at First Direct Arena, Leeds – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
American chart topper Jason Derulo is visiting Leeds for a night of radio bangers that will get stuck 'In My Head' and yours too.
Known for soundtracking the early 2010s and beyond, Derulo is heading back to Leeds playing out at the iconic First Direct Arena.
The Florida-born performer has five UK number one singles to his name, so it's safe to say his setlist will be stacked with massive hits sure to 'Take You Dancing' all night long.
His latest effort The Last Dance is an eight track EP featuring collaborations with INNA and Melody as well as the bouncy lead single 'Sexy For Me'.
This leg of shows is titled after this project and Derulo is asking anyone going to wear their best futuristic or metallic attire and accessories - You might end up being his 'It Girl'.
Jason Derulo gig guide
Jason Derulo is coming to First Direct Arena Leeds on 6 February / Credit: Supplied via Wikimedia Commons
Jason Derulo UK tour dates
Fri 30 Jan - Birmingham, UK - Utilita Arena
Sat 31 Jan - London, UK - The O2
Mon 2 Feb - Cardiff, UK - Utilita Arena
Tue 3 Feb - Brighton, UK - The Brighton Centre
Thu 5 Feb - Bournemouth, UK - Bournemouth International Centre
Fri 6 Feb - Leeds, UK - First Direct Bank Arena
Sat 7 Feb - Manchester, UK - Co-op Live
Mon 9 Feb - Dublin, IE - 3Arena
Jason Derulo tickets for First Direct Arena gig
If you want to see Jason Derulo 'Talk Dirty' to a huge 13,000 arena crowd over some 'Trumpets' then you'll want to get tickets to this event.
Luckily there's plenty of opportunities for you to see Mr. Derulo 'Wiggle' right in front of your eyes as there's tickets available HERE.
Jason Derulo setlist
Although the tour hasn't kicked off yet, here's one of the Pop/ R&B champs latest sets from September last year which contains some 2010s classics and big belters.
Swalla
Wiggle
Take You Dancing
Acapulco
Savage Love
Whatcha Say
Who Hurt You
Tip Toe
Breathing
In My Head
Ridin' Solo
Spicy Margarita
Love Tonight
The Other Side
Dame Un Grrr
Talk Dirty
Want to Want Me
Don't Wanna Go Home / Shots
Who Hurt You
What are the stage times for Jason Derulo in Leeds?
The 'It Girl' hitmaker is visiting the UK for his The Last Dance Tour / Credit: Supplied via Wikimedia Commons
First Direct Arena has a curfew of 11pm meaning as much as we ′Don't Wanna Go Home', at least we'll be tucked up in bed before the early hours.
Anyone attending can expect the doors to open at 6.30pm with a kick-off time expected to be 7.30pm with support from Czech rising star THERA and Manchester EDM group LZ7.
How to get to first direct arena
Bus Station
Located on Dyer Street next to Leeds City Bus Station and approx. 15min walk from first direct arena and is wheelchair friendly.
Support and help for any persons with a disability is available as the station is a registered ‘Safe place’ to come into and ask for assistance.
Nearest Bus Stops
Clay Pit Lane
Wade Lane/Lovell Park Road
Woodhouse Lane
Nearest Train Station
Leeds City Station on New Station Street is around a 15min walk from first direct arena and a major hub on the national, regional and local rail network providing connections to a wide variety of destinations.
Parking
There are over 7,500 car parking spaces within a 15-minute walk of the arena. The arena doesn’t have it’s own car park however there are lots of options nearby. To receive 5% off Q Park when attending a show at first direct arena click here
The nearest Car Park with EV charging is located on Albion Street click here.
None of the above car parks are operated by the arena so for questions, queries or comments we ask that you contact the companies directly.
Hiring Bikes in Leeds
If you’re looking to hire a bike in Leeds, here are some of the best options you can try:
Beryl bikes – you’ll find the ‘Leeds City Bikes’ from Beryl stationed throughout the city. These are all e-bikes, and they’re available to hire on a pay-as-you-go basis. It costs £1 to unlock the bikes, and then 16p per minute to use them. We’d say these are great for zipping around the city and getting from A to B.
Talio – for a wider selection of electric bikes to choose from, Talio based at Buslinthorpe Green is a great option. From this company, you can hire cruiser bikes, mountain bikes, and cargo bikes. Prices start from £20 per day for rental, but if you’re hiring for a month or longer you’ll get a good discount.
First wave of special releases for Record Store Day UK 2026 have been announced
Danny Jones
Yes, it’s nearly time for Record Store Day 2026, and the list of the first dozen or so limited edition releases here in the UK has just been announced.
With a fair few familiar and, more importantly, Northern names on there (but of course), #RSDUK26 is set to be another great one.
A total of 15 songs have been named on the lineup for this year so far, and yet again, the drops are in support of War Child, who will also be hosting a number of very special and intimate charity gigs during BRITs Week.
The two organisations have collaborated for the sixth time after having first joined forces back in 2020, and it feels like both the annual observance and its catalogue have only got better ever since.
Plenty that have caught our attention already, and there’s only more set to come…
As detailed in the post on social media, the Record Store Day team have retierated that “£1 from every single copy sold of these releases will be donated to the charity, helping to protect, educate, and stand up for the rights of the children who are living through conflict around the world.”
We quickly noticed the likes of The Cure, Fleetwood Mac, Kaiser Chiefs, Mark Knopfler and Bring Me The Horizon, just to name a few.
Once more, here is the RSD 2026 release list in full:
Record Store Day release list | 2026
Corinne Bailey Rae – Live In New York
The Cure – Greatest Hits and Acoustic Hits (compilations)
Divorce – Live at Get Together 2025 for War Child
Dr Feelgood – Oily City Confidential (OST)
Fleetwood Mac – The Original Fleetwood Mac (compilation)
James Dean Bradfield – The Great Western
Kaiser Chiefs – The Future Is Medieval
Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris – ‘All The Roadrunning’
Nicky Wire – Intimism
Primal Scream – Echo Dek
Rory Gallagher – Calling Card
Sigrid x BMTH – ‘Bad Life’
The Streets – Computers & Blues
The Vaccines – What Did You Expect…. Demos and B-sides
As always, all of these titles will be available behind the counter exclusively at indie record shops all over the country on Saturday, 18 April to celebrate Record Store Day UK 2026.
Sophie Smith -
25th October 2022 
