Five years ago, Joseph Nevels received some advice that stuck with him.
It came from a businessman, who told him to look at the full picture when it came to his career as an artist. “When you look at the front cover [of your album],’” the businessman said, “you want to be able to turn it over and see your name on the back as well.” Nevels took this to mean he needed to be in full control of his projects – and he’s now a lawyer, CEO, songwriter, and artist who is dropping his debut EP I Should Write A Book in the fall. And yes, his name is plastered on both the front cover and back credits
I Should Write A Book chronicles Nevels’ life and philosophical approach to the world. Raised in Florence, Kentucky, he was a preacher’s kid who grew up alongside three brothers and two sisters. His reserved nature made others brand him the “shy” one” — a mislabeling, he says. “I was more so watching and I would pick up on different things,” Nevels explains. He’d observe the habits and patterns of those around him, which would later help develop his knack for songwriting. Because of Nevels supposed bashfulness, his family was unaware of his ability to sing until one day, his father overheard him singing Albert Von Tilzer and Jack Norworth’s baseball anthem, “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s an antisocial thing,” he explains thoughtfully. “I feel things heavily, whether I want to or not. Even when I’m writing, it’s like ‘Okay, how did I feel when this happened and what was I thinking?’ If it’s something I haven’t experienced, I try to place myself in someone else’s shoes. I was number five out of six [kids], so I think that came into play because as long as I had my music, I was cool.”
Nevels’ inner compass is what’s guided him through journalism, business and entertainment law, and music. He never really had a dream job per se, but he knew he wanted to do something that went beyond the horse farms he grew up next to. Following high school, he attended the University of Kentucky, where he played football and majored in journalism. After quitting football due to repeated concussions, he transferred to Florida International University in Miami, where he continued his studies in journalism, coupled with a minor in gender and women studies, which he credits for being “super informative on the rest of my life.” Upon graduating, he returned home to the Bluegrass State, where he attended Northern Kentucky University’s law school.
As an artist, Nevels’ creative process thrives in the quiet — or as the biblical scripture from Philippians 4:7 states: “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.” That’s a message his father, Reverend Michael Nevels, could be found preaching on any given Sunday. “I feel like God is always speaking,” Nevels says. “It’s just a matter of if things are calm enough and if you’re at peace enough to hear what’s going on. Sometimes I’ll wake up in the morning and just hear a song that I never heard before. Something just starts coming and I’ll pull out my voice notes and just start recording.”
He used this process to build the structure of I Should Write A Book. The cover of the project features Nevels next to a typewriter, indicating that the personal nature of these songs. “These are all different aspects of my real life and my experiences.” He describes what influenced the project’s title:“I have a lot of stories,” says Nevels. “I remember in college, when I was at school in Miami, all my friends were like, ‘Bro, you always got a story and you leave [us] on a cliffhanger.’ I have all of these different stories to tell and I put them in song form. They’re all different aspects of my real life and my experiences.”
On Aug. 16, Nevels will release the album’s single “Alive,” shaped around poetic lyricism that turns into a dance tune midway. Songs like “Blueprint” are both political and spiritual statements. Over a funky bass line, Nevels sings, “Too many lies that I see through/ You take the lives of the people/ When they know too much, you try to keep it hush hush,” illustrating the plight of Black people who are forced to operate in oppressive systemic structures, specifically within the entertainment industry. Then there’s “How’s LA?”, which depicts the typical line of questioning Nevels receives from his loved ones since his move from Kentucky. The song’s second verse, “Mama told me, boy, look out for snakes/Always remember you got what it takes,” serves as a double entendre; an ode to his mother — who has a phobia of the limbless reptiles — and also a warning to beware of deception. “Me Too,” is a gut-wrenching song that depicts heartbreak and hurt, which Nevels experienced in a previous relationship. He says the song bonded him and producer Emery Mesich, who related to the song’s message. “He had the same thing happen the week we created the song and I was like, ‘Man, this is like my sign that I need to make a song about this.’”
The album has a range of emotions: “It’s You” is a song for lovers, and in it, Nevels showcases his vocal range, nodding back to Lauryn Hill and D’Angelo’s “Nothing Even Matters.” “Show & Tell” is a personal favorite for Nevels as it pays homage to his R&B heroes like Babyface, who never shied away from singing about deep feeling.
While music is the focal point for Nevels, he’s also determined to run the whole operation. He heads up his own company, DreamCoat Entertainment, where his expertise in journalism, law, and music collide. The ability to represent himself as an independent artist puts him in a position to help others as well. On Aug. 17, his 2020 song “In My Soul” will premiere in the upcoming movie Terry McMillian Presents: Tempted By Love, which will air on Lifetime. He is also still practicing business law on the side and he’s become well-versed in contract negotiations and informed at executive meetings — a skillset many artists lack.
“Sam Cooke was always one of my favorite artists, not only because of his influence with the culture and the music but more importantly, his grasp on the business side of things,” Nevels says. “He started his own company and signed different Black artists and he was living here in Los Feliz, the same part of town I’m in. He was way ahead of his time. It’s good to be knowledgeable, not just about your craft but the business because at some point, business people are going to come in.”
Nevels is looking at the bigger picture. He wants to incorporate not only his perspective as an artist, but his core values of creative control and full transparency. “The business aspect will hopefully help with the artistry and will also help other people,” says Nevels. “The artistry is just a part of who I am. I can’t really escape that because I can’t not have songs in my head. That’s just the way I’m designed.”
