Joshua Oliver, is the London based singer-songwriter and producer that is desperately missing from your life right now. Joshua, better known by his artist name Jolé, is the incredibly cool, indie-folk artist of the moment, and he’s back again with his latest offering, the Silver Lake EP, released on the 21st of August. 

Silver Lake follows on from the EP’s lead single ‘Alpine Green’ which was released earlier this year. ‘Alpine Green’, from its debut, received steady coverage from YouTube tastemaking channels like The Alternative Way and Indie Folk Central, as well as exceedingly positive critiques from the press.

Jolé’s Silver Lake EP was inspired by a trip to Los Angeles that the artist took with some friends and the title of the EP itself was even taken from one of his favourite locations on the journey, and acts as a tribute to his time spent there.

“I spent 6 weeks with 2 friends, writing, travelling and living in a studio apartment. With all the amazing moments that came with the trip I also missed my friends and loved ones back home and was reminded how grateful I am to have them in my life. I had written my first album 2 years previous to this so musically I was writing very differently. Having written a lot for other people in the lead up to the trip, these songs were a bit of an experiment to see where I was going with my own songs.

I wanted to create something simple, based around the guitar and vocals, putting emphasis on the lyrics. This group of songs are some of my most personal to date and each one holds its own identity. It’s about sharing experiences, travelling the world, soaking in your surroundings and being grateful for what you have.”

Jolé describes Silver Lake as a “labour of love” and it’s clear to see, (or hear in this case) that the singer poured his heart into this project and was kind enough to let us all have a sip. The opening piece, ‘Alpine Green’ is a song about wanting to share the space of a beautiful place or time with someone special. The lyrics resemble the message of a holiday postcard, yet they read like poetry on paper, perfectly setting the mood for the remainder of the project. 

The following tracks, ‘Pictures of You’ and ‘Still’ ft. Marie Gallo are similarly gentle, stripped back tracks filled with contemplative, honest lyricism and a guitar-led, acoustic feel. Silver Lake EP touches on themes of love, loss, hope and happiness but in a delicate and empathetic fashion that’ll resonate with a lot of listeners. 

Follow Jolé on Instagram.