Everything You Wanted to Know About ‘Luminary’ Pop Violinist Joel Sunny
23-year-old pop violinist Joel Sunny is proving the violin doesn't have to be a classical instrument, one stunning song at a time.
The artist was born in Kerala, India before his family relocated to Manchester when he was 2, and then again to Sydney, Australia later in life. He originally learned how to play the violin as a child, but it was only once he was in university, stuck at home during the pandemic, that he really made the instrument his passion. He took his favorite pop tunes and reimagined them as mesmerizing songs on the violin, using his instrument the way a singer might use their voice and imbuing each one with an epic scope and cinematic feel.
He creates new, evocative worlds within each song, and that's as true as ever with his upcoming Star-Bound Lovers EP, set to release on Feb. 12. Its track list includes fan favorites "First Sight" and "Parisian Lovers," with more to come, and ahead of the big release, we got the chance to chat with Joel to find out what makes him tick. Below, discover everything he shared with us as our Man Crush Monday.
(Photo credit: Cal McIntyre)
Name: Joel Sunny
Hometown: Sydney, Australia
Birthday: June 20
Zodiac sign: Gemini/Cancer cusp
Fun Facts:
1. Joel says his weirdest habit is always trying to guess people's star signs.
2. His most-used emoji is the yellow heart 馃挍
3. A few classic video games have his heart.
"I love Harvest Moon, Pok茅mon Emerald and my favorite is the Professor Layton series. It's a puzzle adventure game set in London and it's got a beautiful soundtrack."
-Joel Sunny
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4. He's inspired by Am茅lie Poulain from the classic French film, Am茅lie.
"She's a hopeless romantic and uses that to help others."
-Joel Sunny
5. Lately, he's been watching a lot of Person of Interest.
6. He has an uncanny ability to write backwards.
7. He imagines that he'd be terrible at working with Gordon Ramsey.
"'Cause I do everything really slowly."
-Joel Sunny
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8. Which Disney prince does Joel relate to most?
"I've seen some comments saying Aladdin, but I actually like wearing a shirt, so probably Prince Naveen or Eric."
-Joel Sunny
9. His favorite song of all time is the Dan Heath orchestral version of "Young & Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey.
10. In three words, he'd describe himself as "imaginative," "romantic" and "curious."
11. If there's one thing that's core to Joel, it's his willingness to go out on a limb for others.
"I like helping people."
-Joel Sunny
For more on our musical Man Crushes, click HERE to learn all about actor and singer-songwriter Ben Barnes.