Musician Joe Fletcher: 13 To Watch in RI in 2013

Musician Joe Fletcher: 13 To Watch in RI in 2013

If you haven't heard Joe Fletcher and his band The Wrong Reasons, you need to get your plans in order, as this local band fronted by the talented and charismatic Fletcher is the next great Rhode Island group poised for national celebrity.

Fletcher and the band emerged out of an ever-growing pool of top local talent to stand out in 2012, especially at this year's Newport Folk Festival where they played the Quad stage among the country's top acts. "With a down-home rock and roll sound that makes you think of late-50's rockers like Buddy Holly and Johnny Cash as well as having a contemporary style that resonates the influences of musicians like Nick Cave, Fletcher's music is catchy, infectious and is guaranteed to put you in a good mood while grooving to the rhythms," said GoLocalProv's Music Critic Rob Duguay.

In the spotlight at Newport Folk Festival

Duguay cites Fletcher & The Wrong Reasons as "one of the premier bands to have seen at The Newport Folk Festival," adding that Fletcher et al. wowed the sold-out Revival of The Columbus Theatre this month, and and "have toured constantly all over the United States to gain an increasingly rabid fan base."

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Fletcher also, with the help of a Kickstarter campaign, released White Lighter, his sophomore recording effort that gained critical acclaim in 2012, featuring Fletcher on vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, as well as Scott Boutier on drums and percussion, Jack Hanlon on upright and electric bass, Damien Puerini on electric guitar, Lily McCall Costner on vocals, and Bryan Minto on harmonica. The record also features guest appearances by John McCauley (vocals, guitar) and Chris Ryan (bass) of Deer Tick and Dave Lamb (vocals, percussion) and MorganEve Swain (fiddle) of Brown Bird.

"This has been a marvelous year for Joe Fletcher," wrote Allston Pudding critic Ian Doreian, after seeing Fletcher at TT The Bear's Place in late November. Citing what he called Fletcher's "clutch performance" in Newport and critical response to White Lighter, Doreian added, "We expect even better things for 2013."

"With his current track record, rustic voice, poetic lyrics and uncanny ability to strum a guitar unlike anybody else, 2013 looks to be the year when Joe Fletcher becomes a nationwide household name," said Duguay.

Photo: Brian Lima Photography