JOSEPHWATKIN.com

"Joe Watkin has a talent so compelling you cannot help but watch in awe as he bares his soul open through one of the most expressive voices I have ever heard on stage....hard to believe he is still so incredibly young"

"this young man delivers a live performance with such intensity of feeling, such authenticity of raw and vulnerable emotion that you very quickly realise that the reason why he has caught your attention is not just because he is obviously very charismatic on stage, but also because he is in fact plucking the strings of your own heart through his cleverly crafted chords, melodies and lyrics"

The Rock Garden, London

"a truly compelling young artist...no one has a richer understanding of the power of feeling, of love, life and longing... a truly awesome young talent is rising from these shores"

Cambridgeshire's JOE WATKIN has created a thoroughly emotionally driven demo cd. His heart-heavy songs really leap out to you in the first listen of his 2005 demo and allow you to feel his passion for writing and recording. I also get the feeling that these four songs were written because they needed to be written, not because he just felt like writing some songs one day.

"Emily"
is the perfect introduction to Joe's material and starts the demo off with warm acoustic tones, despite it being about a lost love. Track two, "Him" is perfectly able to hold its own but i feel that it could benefit from backing vocals being added to it. Musically it seems a little too light at times and perhaps some more guitar would also give the song more weight to match Joe's rising vocals.

"I Need You Tonight"
has been perfectly crafted and balances the power of Joe's vocals with the guitars which leads nicely towards "Unity", which takes the demo to a close. This last song is aided by percussive accompaniment and contributes to an epic ending of what feels like a completely raw, honest but upbeat collection on personal thoughts and feelings. Superb. In Conclusion : "Joe Watkin's Demo is an incredibly personal and intimate note to himself..."

Richard Taylor - Acoustic Mayhem Magazine

"Joe Watkin delivers an amazing 3 track E.p! And with tracks like 'Him' and 'Mrs. Violet' on offer, I shouldn’t imagine any lack of interest coming his way soon! The record introduces itself with ‘Him’; a punchy, bitter-sweet song with a strong melody and some very catchy lyrics! It seems very well written and performed by someone who obviously has displayed their emotions out loud. Something not to be underestimated, and I must admit, this one’s been on my car stereo since it arrived! It then takes a sudden twist towards a very subtle, yet understated pop song called ‘Mrs. Violet’. At first, this track appears a little ambitious; with a soft ľ time signature and some Spanish sounding chord progressions, it appeared somewhat ‘same-old-same-old’ but when the vocals begin, and the melody is created, my mind is put at rest! As well-crafted as a song should be, I think this song displays the immense poetic soul that lies at the heart of this young lad! Finally the E.p is brought to a close with ‘Emily’; a larger than life love ballad with emotionally rich lyrics that pull you in and really make you appreciate how much effort has been put into the song-writing. This successfully brings his winter E.p to a dramatic end!”

Chris Yates - Producer of TLS's 'live at the london studios'

i think he is an exceptional talent and someone who i very much believe in, he is someone who deserves every chance given to him. I have rarely seen an artist of such a young age with such an incredible talent and potential to be a great success. His stage presence and the calibre of his songwriting is something you just have to experience. I first saw Joe at The Rock Garden in Covent Garden, and i knew i had to make every effort to get him to appear on 'Live from the London Studios'. Chris Yates Producer 'Live from The London Studios'