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His songs are written to last and reach beyond the time in which they were written. A believer in the guiding principle of the songwriting tradition – that the marriage of the right words with the right melody can only gather in strength and meaning – his songs are neither captive to the styles of the day nor exist outside of them. 
Joe’s focus is to move the soul by the simple yet powerful expression of ideas through music. Specialising in piano ballads and an accomplished solo performer, Joe is a prolific songwriter and has recorded many of his own pieces. His songs are crafted to retain their power even when performed by a single artist, unencumbered by the trimmings of a supporting band or elaborate accompaniment, revealing their depth and quality. They range from character driven narratives to explorations of human nature that seek to both elevate and challenge the listener, revolving around themes that engage with evil and good, love and loss, joy and sorrow. These are songs that lend themselves to interpretation by performers while capturing audiences. 
One of Joe’s defining features is his voice, an immediately recognisable and uniquely expressive vehicle that lends a raw sincerity to his music – especially his solo pieces. Joe has been a musician and performer for more than two decades and written across a range of genres, including for the stage. He has previously composed the music for the AWGIE award winning musical, Shakespearean Idol, and has collaborated with Melvyn Morrow, a co-writer of the popular Shout and Dusty musicals. 
Joe Kelly was formerly the frontman for the Sydney based rock act, The Religion, and the voice of King Cross Fire’s 2019 prog-rock release, Endless Highway. In 2020, the video of his studio performance of The Covid-19 Blues – a ballad detailing the nation’s experiences responding to the once in a century pandemic – was played on Sky News in Australia. Joe’s previous solo record, Hard Love & Tender Violence, is available on Apple Music and Spotify. Produced by Michael McGlynn, the album contains 16 songs investigating the themes of love, tenderness, hard living and violence. One of the nation’s most well known political journalists, Joe has been reporting and commentating on national politics in Australia for the past 15 years.