Without support from other musicians, it can be lonely and nerve-racking to get on stage and play.
It's something Erin Mills singer/songwriter Joe Chammas has certainly struggled with.
Those who attend his concert on Friday at the Executive Snooker Club's Lost Lounge can expect a confident and composed Chammas playing selections off his debut album, The Window. The new album is entirely acoustic, with Chammas playing guitar and singing.
"It's very stripped back," Chammas said. "I think the reason it took so long to record (about a year) is because any time I recorded my vocals, I always wondered if I was good enough technically to pull it off with just my voice and a guitar. Still, (the acoustic style) represents me pretty well."
On his debut, Chammas worked closely with co-producer Ron Schuller. Having a second set of ears to listen to the recordings helped immensely.
"I think every artist is their own worst critic and I found it really hard to be happy with a take," he said. "Ron was great to have around. He wasn't overly critical, but I knew he would never tell me a take was good if it wasn't."
Many of the songs on the eight-track album are autobiographical.
"We're trying to tell a story, and it's a little bit of my life story," he said.
For example, Broken Heart Complex, Mandy and The Last Goodbye encompass a relationship he was in.
Chammas also had high praise for the Executive Snooker Club. The venue has allowed him to develop as an artist and performer by giving him, and other local youth, a stage on which to play.
"(The club) is fantastic and it's a really good thing to have in any community," he said. "People really want to share their art and (the club) is a place to do it. I did a couple of open mic nights in other places, but I really haven't found a lot of venues that offer you a chance to play your music in Mississauga."
Samples of his music can be heard at www.myspace.com/joechammas.
The doors open at 8 p.m.
Tickets cost $8 and can be purchased at the door. Four other musicians are also on the bill.
cclay@mississauga.net
