Joel is the singer/guitarist for Distant Society. What is the Distant Society? It's a group of people brought together with the goal of distancing themselves from a society in which dreams are portrayed as being unattainable. They believe that the journey in pursuing a dream brings meaning to one's life. When a band’s first show is at an event that brings out more than 55 000 people a day, you can’t help but expect big things from them in the future. Since that first show at The Ottawa Exhibition in 2001, the band has been working relentlessly to spread their music to as many people as possible. Their drive and insane work ethic has earned them the reputation as “the hardest working independent band” (Chelsea Miller Live 88.5). Playing over 450 shows across Canada, including dates with ill Scarlett, Default, Silverstein, Buck 65, Brian Melo, State of Shock, Social Code, Wintersleep, The Cliks, People In Planes, Magni and Dilana (Rockstar Supernova), The Mudmen, Cancer Bats and The Salads, has helped DS sell over 4200 CDs independently. Their CD “The Calm E.P.” sold over 500 copies in the first month of release alone. Their single “The Cycle” has been in rotation across Canada for over a year. The band has been enjoying some fame as the result of Joel’s stint on Season 5 of Canadian Idol. He placed in the top 50 out of 10 000 and his acoustic performance of “Baby Got Back” has become one of the most talked about Idol performances of all time. The video has a cult following online receiving thousands of plays every day. His performance has been hailed the “best performance on Canadian Idol…EVER!” by YOUTUBE.COM. Idol judge Zack Werner has said “Joel is a celebrity in my house, my wife and kids watch his video every day” and Canadian Idol winner Brian Melo has been spotted several times wearing a DS t-shirt. Prime Minister Stephen Harper's daughter and her friend requested the band play their private birthday parties 2 years in a row. They were the “Band To Watch” alongside Thornley in the spring ’08 issue of Umm Magazine (Canada’s most popular men’s magazine with over 400 000 readers per issue). They’ve recently won $5000 in the Live 88.5 Big Money Shot competition. With over 156 500 plays, their presence can be felt online. They have over 65 500 plays and close to 10 000 friends on Myspace alone charting them as high as #1 on the Unsigned Band charts out of hundreds of thousands of bands. The next step in the band's plan to expand their fan base globally is the release of their new CD “The Fury E.P.” as well as Joel’s first solo CD which will be backed by constant touring. With their mix of touching lyrics and hook-driven melodies combined with an undeniable passion for creating and performing inspiring music, there seems to be no limit to what Distant Society can and will achieve.