Formed in late 2007, Hokie Joint emerged from a shared dissatisfaction with the prevailing guitar-driven rock dominating the 21st-century blues scene. The band brought together five individuals, blending youthful energy with seasoned experience, to craft a groundbreaking, song-driven interpretation of the genre.
Over their six-year tenure, Hokie Joint captivated audiences with their dramatic, raw, and unique brand of dirty, roots-based groove music. They reminded the blues world that the essence of the music transcends mere guitar dexterity.
Their debut album, The Way It Goes…Sometimes, was released in 2008 under the Amsterdam-based label Coolbuzz. The band had the honor of sharing the stage with legendary artists such as ZZ Top, Jeff Beck, Steve Winwood, Moby, Jamie Cullum, Booker T, and Solomon Burke.
Following the success of their debut, Hokie Joint graced some of the most prestigious stages on the UK and European circuit. Notably, they delivered standout performances at the BRBF 2009 in Peer, Belgium, and the Maryport Blues Festival 2010 in the UK, where they were hailed as showstoppers.
In 2011, the band released their second studio album, The Music Starts To Play, drawing influences from the depths of the Danube and the darkness of the Delta. The album peaked in the Amazon Blues Chart’s top 10 and led to a session for BBC Radio 2 at the legendary Maida Vale Studios.
After disbanding in 2013 following sell-out headlining performances at some of the UK’s most esteemed blues festivals and clubs, Hokie Joint is set to reunite in 2025, over a decade later, bringing their unique sound back to the stage.
Critics have lauded their work, with Blues Matters (UK) describing them as “pure quality, strange, theatrical, something between Tom Waits and Ian Dury but new and refreshing,” and Rootstime (Belgium) noting that they “sound less fake than so-called hip acts like the White Stripes and Black Keys.”
"Pure quality, strange, theatrical, something between Tom Waits and Ian Dury but new and refreshing"
“They sound less fake than so called hip acts like the White Stripes and Black Keys”
