Jolé Releases New Single 'Hopes'

Jolé returns with his new single "Hopes" about deep personal exploration of facing loss and impending grief, off his upcoming EP Let Go out May 5th via Nettwerk. "Hopes" builds from its gently strummed opening to a finale of stirring strings, all built around a beautiful, relatable vocal line.

"I wrote this about not being ready to say goodbye to someone, he explained. "In the chorus the line "I'm pulling my hand from your hold but I'm not ready to let go" is supposed to explain the feeling of someone gone too soon. I wrote this song after I went to say goodbye to my Gran, a very important person in my upbringing. I found myself not being able to leave and it feeling so strange knowing it would be the last time. It can be seen from many different angles but that was my perspective."

Jolé will be having an EP launch party at Strongroom, London on May 17th. Tickets available now.

Jolé went through some of the darkest times in his life, only to emerge stronger than ever before. Like most of us, the pandemic - and the isolation of lockdown - pushed unexpected challenges into his life, but he rose to every single one of them. It's a process that became a coming-of-age of sorts, marked by personal loss, fatherhood, and the patient realisation of what he wants to achieve in his life. In turn, he's embarked on a fresh journey, with a new home, a deal with esteemed independent label Nettwerk, and a daring, profoundly honest new EP, Let Go.

Let Go is his first major project in almost three years, featuring seven glorious tracks of folk-hewn songwriting, recorded in Tottenham and at Middle Farm studios in Devon. Baroque yet utterly direct, the material deals with loss, grief, and survival, as Jolé learned to re-assert his sense of self in the wake of impending fatherhood.

Raised in Frome, Somerset, Jolé was instinctively drawn to music from a young age. Real name Josh Oliver, an urge to collaboration led him to join a band, finding nationwide success before touring took them across Europe, and beyond. Once he'd been given his first taste, however, it was impossible to give up. Jolé went on to achieve extraordinary success with is 2019 self-titled debut, it's succinct simplicity conjuring visions of Bon Iver or Sufjan Stevens.

Now, freshly signed to Nettwerk, this is a key moment in the songwriter's life. Jolé has completed the strongest project of his career to date, featuring some of his bravest, most empathetic work so far. He's itching to debut his radically overhauled live show, and gain that sense of connection that the pandemic so thoroughly disrupted. Most of all, however, Jolé is looking forward to settling down in Frome, raising his children, and furthering his art.

Photo Credit: Nat Michele