Joe Cool Releases “Firm Man” As Toronto People Rocker Previews New EP, Blood Sweat and Beers
Toronto folk-rocker Joe Cool is again, calloused fingers and all, with the lead single from his third EP, Blood, Sweat & Beers. The monitor, “Firm Man,” is a blue-collar anthem for anybody who’s ever punched a clock, buried their desires for a gentle paycheque, and tried to maintain their head above water in a world that doesn’t all the time make room for poets and pick-up vehicles. Written by Joe Cool (aka Joseph D Coulas) and produced by longtime collaborator Jack Wiktor, “Firm Man” is out now, providing the primary sip of a report that goes down like a chilly beer after a protracted shift.
Constructed on ringing acoustic chords and the sort of worn-in vocals that solely come from life expertise, “Firm Man” captures the quiet resignation of working-class life, laced with simply sufficient hope to maintain going. Assume Jason Isbell if he clocked in at a manufacturing facility. Assume Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska if it had been written with a Canadian postal code. It’s a tune that doesn’t flinch—it tells the reality, straight-up, no chaser.
Blood, Sweat & Beers was recorded in late summer season 2024 at Toronto’s beloved Cadence Home—a studio that’s been the beating coronary heart of town’s Bloorcourt scene for over a decade. With the studio closing its doorways shortly after the classes wrapped, the EP took on added emotional weight.
“It felt like one final shift earlier than clocking out,” says Joe. “We weren’t simply making a report—we had been closing a chapter.”
Wiktor, who additionally engineered and produced, steered the classes with the benefit of somebody who knew each the artist and the area just like the again of his hand.
Alongside Joe and Jack, the EP contains a trusted crew: Dan Wiktor on drums,, Jason Wolowicz on electrical guitar, and Jack on bass. It’s a lineup that brings simply the correct mix of sweat and sweetness—tight the place it must be, and ragged in all the suitable spots.
Joe Cool’s songwriting has all the time leaned into the on a regular basis—the busted pickups, the yard beers, the silent goodbyes—however “Firm Man” takes that ethos and distills it to its purest kind. It’s not only a tune for the working man. It’s a tune for anybody who’s ever felt caught, unseen, or underappreciated. Followers of John Prine, The Struggle on Medication, Steve Earle, and even The Maintain Regular will discover themselves in good firm right here.
The lyrics to “Firm Man” learn like pages torn from a hard-luck diary:
An excessive amount of, too late
I’m gonna persist with the plan
Out of contact and old-fashioned
However I’m only a firm man
It’s trustworthy, unvarnished, and aching in that approach solely fact may be.
Catch Joe Cool on the street this spring and summer season as he brings Blood, Sweat & Beers to audiences throughout Ontario and past:
Could 17, 2025 – Palmerfest, Palmer Rapids, ON
June 28, 2025 – Cottagefest, Combermere, ON
August 30, 2025 – Freakfest, Bells Rapids, ON
Hello Joe! Good to satisfy you! Care to introduce your self to the readers for these not aware of your music?
Hello there, I’m Joe Cool and I’m new on the scene! Have been writing songs since I had nothing to put in writing about, and singing songs since earlier than I might sing! I wish to suppose that my songs seize real-life emotion and depth and can join with the listeners in numerous methods.
“Firm Man” feels prefer it was written from deep private expertise. Was there a selected second or job that impressed the tune?
Not a selected second however extra like a career-long studying lesson about accountability and leaning into versus pushing again in opposition to it, one thing that I nonetheless wrestle with…
You’ve stated this report felt like “one final shift earlier than clocking out.” How did recording at Cadence Home, particularly understanding it was closing, form the emotional tone of the EP?
It positively added to the emotional weight of releasing the music. A few of my greatest reminiscences (over a few years) are from making music with my foremost man Jack at Cadence Home, and it was unhappy to say goodbye, however we despatched it out with a bang!
You’ve constructed a trusted crew round you for this EP. What does it imply to make music with individuals who know you so properly, each as an individual and an artist?
It means the world! Making music is among the joys of my life, and with the ability to share that with my greatest buddies is one thing I wouldn’t commerce for something. I’m very grateful!
The EP is known as Blood, Sweat & Beers. What does that title imply to you—and how much tales ought to listeners anticipate from the remainder of the report?
I hope that listeners will just like the title as a lot as I do, haha. Humour is an enormous a part of my life and goes hand in hand with my songwriting, which can let the reader use their creativeness!
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