Joel Timmons is a music industry veteran who is finally stepping onto centerstage. He was raised on Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, where he grew up surfing, strumming his guitar, and soaking in a community where music and nature intertwined.
Timmon’s musical journey launched when he met lifelong bandmates Ward Buckheister and Russell Clarke, leading to the formation of Sol Driven Train in 2000. Their brass-infused roots rock—equal parts joy and genre-hopping mischief—has rippled through the jam and Americana scenes for over two decades, with 13 albums and 1,500+ shows.
In 2004, a near-fatal battle with Guillain-Barré Syndrome left Timmons paralyzed in an Indian hospital. Music became both a refuge and a resurrection. He’s since played with Maya de Vitry, Lovers Leap, and his wife, Shelby Means, in Sally & George.
His debut solo album, Psychedelic Surf Country, was released in February, and it channels everything he’s experience thus far—waves, wonder, and life’s wild ride. The Third Eye corresponded with Joel via email, and he was kind enough to answer some of our questions about his new record, his South Carolina roots, and much more.
Interview with Joel Timmons
Third Eye: Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your music?
Joel Timmons: Howdy! My name is Joel Timmons, and I’m a middle-aged guitar picker, singer/songwriter, musical collaborator, and South Carolina surfer. I’ve been fortunate to make my living in music for the last 20 years, creating sound and traveling with people that I love. My longest running project, Sol Driven Train, is a group of some of my oldest childhood friends.
The sound and the pace of the band have evolved over the decades from a hard touring funk/reggae/jam outfit into an expansive rock show that seasonally breaks out to destinations like the Caribbean islands and Rocky Mountains.
Since meeting my wife, GRAMMY-winning bassist/singer/songwriter Shelby Means, my musical expression has veered toward country/folk/bluegrass with projects like Sally & George and Lovers Leap.
My work with Maya de Vitry has been really rewarding as I’ve leaned into the role of supporting musician focused on lead guitar and harmony singing. I feel so blessed to have such a wide variety of avenues for musical expression!
Third Eye: You’ve been an in-demand sideman and music industry veteran for a long time, but Psychedelic Surf Country is your solo debut record. What was it like making your own record as opposed to being a sideman?
Joel: It was SCARY! But so rewarding. My other recording projects have mostly been as a band member, collaborating on every decision from song selection, arrangements, mixing choices, packaging, etc.
I’ve also been hired on sessions where I just show up and play guitar or percussion, but have no say in the final outcome of the recording. As “the artist” I really felt the pressure to make good decisions and deliver my best performance at each step in the process.
Luckily, I was surrounded by an incredible team of musicians and engineers that helped buoy my confidence and bring my songs to life. It was truly a simultaneously humbling and inspiring experience.
Third Eye: You’re currently a guitarist for Maya de Vitry, and she also produced Psychedelic Surf Country. What was it like working with Maya as the producer on the record? Was the familiarity with her a big plus?
Joel: Maya de Vitry did a fantastic job as producer on this record. Through the tight-knit Nashville Americana scene, our relationship has evolved over the years from fan-boy to friend to collaborator to band member and eventually production client.
I still proudly wear all those hats for Maya! Before we stepped foot in the studio, she helped me select songs, strengthen the arrangements, and mentally and spiritually prepare myself for the sessions.
Together we assembled the band from the rich talent pool that Nashville offers, and she helped me get a foot in the door at an incredible private recording studio north of town. During the tracking days, she steered the ship with gentle grace, eliciting joyful performances from everyone in the band.
Trusting her to maintain the vision of when to push deeper and when to change directions allowed me to be fully present in the music. 90% of the record was tracked live over four days, but Maya’s careful listening and attention was invaluable when it came time to add overdubs from folks like Cary Ann Hearst, Oliver Wood, Dominic Leslie, and Jason Carter.
Through mixing, song sequencing, and mastering she guided me to the finish line. I feel so lucky to have made the first record that Maya de Vitry produced for someone else!
Third Eye: Psychedelic Surf Country feels like a record that is very situated in South Carolina, where you grew up. How much did your upbringing and South Carolina background influence the record? And what was it like to look back on those times?
Joel: I’m glad you picked up on that. To me this record feels like a combination of my Carolina roots with my Nashville community. Songs like “Just a Man” and “Cottage by the Sea” are set in my childhood on Sullivan’s Island. Though I didn’t write it, “The Swimming Song” sums up my youth fairly accurately.
I used some vintage 8mm films shot by my mother for the music video, proving I was indeed a naked beach baby in the sand. There’s deep gratitude tinged with bittersweet nostalgia that I feel peering back through the years to my sunny childhood on the coast.
Third Eye: How long had you been working on the songs on this new record? Were there any – or many – songs that you had been kicking around for a while until you recorded them?
Joel: Most of the songs were written over the last few years, some in Nashville and some back in South Carolina after Shelby and I relocated back here in 2020. However, one song “Here We Are” was written in high school in the late ’90s and occasionally performed by my high school band The Churnstyles.
Third Eye: Last question – What’s next for your solo career? Would you like to continue recording as a solo artist in between your other musical endeavors?
Joel: As an independent artist, my main goals in any recording project are to make an artistic statement and make enough $ to get back in the studio and do it again. I hope that Psychedelic Surf Country finds enough ears to make that happen.
I am booking a few appearances, and it’s been a ton of fun to perform these songs for live audiences. I’m heading back out on tour with Maya de Vitry this spring, and we’ll be incorporating some of these songs into those sets as well.
At the moment, I have a few other recording plans brewing, but I hope to make another solo record some day.
Check out Psychedelic Surf Country by Joel Timmons on Bandcamp here.
Joel Timmons: Bandcamp | Official Website | Instagram
Leave a Reply