William Joel MacDonald Plaskett, known as Joel Plaskett, was born on April 18, 1975, in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. In the 1990s, he lead Thrush Hermit, releasing Sweet Homewrecker (1997) and Clayton Park (1999). Plaskett then formed Neuseiland, releasing their self-titled album in 2000. After Neuseiland disbanded in 2005, Joel Plaskett embarked on a solo career with the release of In Need of Medical Attention. His breakthrough came with Down at the Khyber (2001), which earned him a Juno Award nomination for Best New Artist. With Joel Plaskett Emergency, he released several successful albums including Truthfully Truthfully (2003) and Ashtray Rock (2007).
