Joby Fox

“He has always been an emotional artist, but this is exceptional work ... with a brooding power that’s akin to Christy Moore and Van Morrison.” (Stuart Bailie)

Joby Fox is a native of Belfast and a songwriter, musician and storyteller; an authentic musical voice of his hometown, and a humanitarian. Joby is a diverse artist currently living between Ireland and Denmark, but always with his roots firmly in Irish soil, interpreting his culture in new ways through international collaborations.

Joby has a long history in music from the Punk era with The Bankrobbers, mentored by Rory Gallagher’s band, to UK/Ireland chart topping with his Celtic rock band Energy Orchard, and to his solo career as a crafty writer and performer.

Although love is the drive there is much more to Joby's songwriting than love songs. His often hard hitting and honest words have paved the way for difficult conversations around conflict, identity and reconciliation. A diverse artist with his roots firmly in Irish soil he has been involved in great international and local initiatives as an advocate for peace. His End of the War show opened the inaugural UN Peace Festival in Hong Kong in 2014.

Joby started his career in a post-punk band called The Bankrobbers, mentored and produced by The Rory Gallagher Band. They were scooped up by EMI they went to London, where Joby went on to form Energy Orchard when The Bankrobbers took a natural hiatus.

Energy Orchard landed a 5-albums deal with MCA. It was Energy Orchard's first single 'Belfast' written by Fox as a teenager that made it to No.1 in Ireland and became a UK chart success. The song became the unofficial anthem for the city.

After his much celebrated wilderness years Joby embarked on a solo career and released his first solo album End of the War in 2011. The Irish News described it as “... beautifully wrapped up for mass consumption, like an iron fist in a velvet glove”.

As a diverse artist with his roots firmly in Irish soil Joby is known for his involvement in great international initiatives using music as an advocate for peace and humanitarian work. He was awarded 'Best of the West Songwriter' by Belfast Media Group and achieved an Aisling Award in his hometown for his music and humanitarian work in 2018.

Joby travels extensively with his music, from North America to the Middle East and Asia. In 2015 he opened the inaugural United Nations Peace Festival in Hong Kong, and in 2016 he was musical director of the Orchestre des Refugies et Amis, fusing contemporary sounds with traditional tunes from the homelands of migrants and refugees.

In 2018 he joined the renowned artist residency, Byrdcliffe, in Woodstock, New York where Bob Dylan wrote some of his best works in the early 1960’s. In 2020 he commenced a new collaboration with some of Denmark’s upcoming young jazz and folk musicians, and with top producer Soren Mikkelsen from Medley Studios in Copenhagen.