Trinidad and Tobago's Joel Beazer takes Caribbean on tour

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Joel Beazer wants everyone to feel as connected to music as he is. Beazer is the lead singer and guitarist of the local rock band Death to Paradise.

He has toured many countries playing with this band, other bands and even solo. Beazer said music was his only solace when he was dealing with difficult times when he was younger.

The musician, who is originally from Mayaro, said, “I choose not to talk about my backstory right now, but the odds weren’t really in my favour as a boy and a lot of things happened in my life. The only thing that got me through was music. It got me through and helped me express myself. Instead of doing something extremely negative, I took up the guitar and let my feelings come out with the guitar and I write to help me cope with all the things I went through.”

He said that is when he realised there was nothing else he wanted to do with his life and feels as though he was born to be a rock musician.

As for the name of Beazer’s band, Death in Paradise, he said it stemmed from living in the Caribbean.

“It coincides with all the crime and murders that we all see every day. I’m not trying to be negative about our region, but when I’m in Europe or wherever, they always call here (the Caribbean) a paradise. I just say that it’s not always paradise because there are many social problems as well.”

Beazer said on occasion, he has to go solo, performing under his own name since his band members are from Europe.

“It’s really hard to form a solid rock band here that will stick together and go on tour since I travel a lot.”

All of his music can be found on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music. His self-titled album is filled with demos that he put together and his other album No Stopping Now can be found on Spotify. Death is Paradise’s also released its first music video three months ago on YouTube.

“A lot of people say they love the energy that I bring on the stage. I live for, I breathe, eat, s--- rock and roll, so I get a really good responses. I try to do shows where I know the organisers are not into pop rock and are trying to showcase original bands, so I get real reactions. I really try to push being a real artiste in the Caribbean.”

Beazer said he first started off as a guitarist when he was 17. He said he played for a few bands when his friend Graham Granger, who is the bassist for 3canal, begged him to join him in Brooklyn, New York.

"He said, ‘If the band can’t make it then you, please come.’ So I sold my guitar, amp and everything and I went. It was so hard, but he helped me go to all my auditions and when I didn’t have the cash, he’d give me money to take the train and I would audition my a-- off.”

From those auditions, Beazer got gigs playing for a few bands before heading to New Orleans to continue his musical journey. He toured for two years with a band Minervaville before it broke up.

“I came back to Trinidad, started working on my original music then I went on tour as a guitarist for Orange Sky for the That is Voodoo album. We toured coast to coast of the United States then I went to London because I had my first child on the way. So I started writing and performing there as well. I went to Horsbury and Brighton and I haven’t stopped since then.”

Orange Sky, a rock-fusion band that celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021, has produced seven full-length albums, three international recording contracts and had major tours of the US, UK, India and several Caribbean islands. It has also had multiple radio hits (on local, regional and satellite radio) and over 700 live shows. Orange Sky's members now are Nigel Rojas, lead vocals/guitar; Nicholas Rojas, bass and back-up vocals; Dax Cartar, guitar; and Dion Camacho on drums.

Beazer said his recent international trip involved him recording his song Sacrificing the Goat in Portugal which he also performed live there.

“I did one show in Portugal and a couple shows in Hard Rock Cafe, Lisbon before I came back which went really great and I just played my first Trinidadian show at Agora Bar and Lounge, Chaguanas. I got extremely good feedback from the crowd there and I even distributed my records there.”

He said he just started handing out CDs to everyone for free there to get their feedback which he said has been really good.

“For me, the most important thing is that people connect with my music. Being underground still and not having a major record deal, having the masses of people that know your songs is more important to me than to make a buck.”

As for the comments he receives, he said although the band isn’t on mainstream media just yet, he still gets a lot of meaningful responses.

“When I check the comments on YouTube or on Facebook, most of the comments are directed towards me. The last one I got, someone said I am their inspiration and to me that means so much. As I say, it’s not an easy road being a rock artiste coming from this side of the world and to know that there is anything I can inspire someone to do, I will do it.”

Beazer said he has never let anything derail him from achieving his goals and dreams and continues to be inspired by popular 80s rock band Guns N Roses, American singer-songwriter Chris Cornell who was the lead singer of 80s rock band Soundgarden, and Audioslave that became popular in 2001.

“When the odds are extra against you and you grew up with a poor family, you really go for it.”

As for his writing process, Beazer said that he mostly writes about what upsets him and he usually writes between midnight and 3 am since it’s a really good time for him.

“I would stick to something that affects me some way or the other, it could be personal or it could be something I observed. Some songs that I’ve done write themselves, but Sacrificing the Goat took a couple months.”

Beazer said he usually records his musical ideas on his phone and would jot down lyrics that come to his mind during long walks while playing the recording. Aside from touring and writing songs, he is also a tattoo artist and his work can be seen on Facebook under his Morgan Rose Tattoo page.

“I would like to open a shop again, but we will see how it goes because once it’s opened, I would have to be there and not move around like I usually do.”

Beazer said his latest accomplishment is having his single Closer played on radio stations in London and other international radio stations. He said this achievement, along with his music video has inspired him to do more.

“I want to play at huge festivals for thousands of people and represent Trinidad and the Caribbean as a rock artiste and not a soca artiste.”

Beazer also took the opportunity to thank everyone who continued to support him in all his ups and downs.