The headline show was in The Fox and Newt just outside the town centre and was his second last gig as part of his hugely successful UK Tour.
"It was an amazing experience. We played 7 shows in a range of different towns and got a really good reception. For me, the most important thing is that people enjoy my music, I don't mind if I get 20, 100 or 200 people to a gig, once they like what they're hearing! Incidentally, I used to live in Brighton and we played a gig in The Hope and Ruin and that was great because I saw lots of familiar faces! But I'm really excited at the moment because I feel as though things are headed in the right direction with touring and new releases - there's lots of exciting things in the pipeline."
This tour was also the first time Joe has brought a proper full band with him on the road and he says that made for the experience to be much more enjoyable too!
"Despite that fact that I'm playing with a band, the shows are still quite stripped back and intimate which I love! But like, this was the first proper tour that I actually had a band with me. I did an EP launch with a band and played a couple of gigs before but nothing to this extent and it's been really fun because often when you're touring on your own it can be pretty tiring and if things don't go right, you have no one there to support you or whatever so they guys have been great to have with me!"
As Joe said earlier, and it was something that really caught my attention, "there's lots of exciting things in the pipeline", naturally I was intrigued to know what was going on, as I'm sure his fans are too!
"Some things are still being put into motion but there is definitely going to be at least one, if not two tours, I'm going to be playing quite a few festivals over the summer which I will be announcing over the next couple of months and then also going to be releasing some brand new music too which I'm really excited about because I've been playing some new music on this tour and it's been getting a great reaction and everyone seems to be really liking the new stuff so it's filling me with a lot of confidence ahead of releasing it."
One thing to note is that he is an independent artist and he seems to have organised quite a lot of this stuff on his own, but like everything, I'm sure there are pros and cons?
"The funding bit is really tough because everyone would love to do bigger and better, especially me because I love to put on the best show I can. I mean, I'd love to make sure we had the best gear and play in the best venues but sometimes it just comes down to budget and that isn't always possible. But that said, I'm happy where I am at the moment and I don't compare myself to artists that are signed because it's a completely different way of doing things and I don't think either is better or worse. And although funding can be tough, I find it really rewarding when I make something happen just off my own back if that makes sense?"
For up and coming artists nowadays, media plays a massive part in helping them connect with people and reaching new audiences and Joe agrees that the likes of Twitter and Facebook have played a pivotal role in his career so far.
"Social media is probably the most important thing out there for artists at the moment, whether you're signed to a label or not. You can't put a price on that instant connection to people and it's so useful for artists to be able to grow and promote themselves. Twitter and YouTube really helped me out when I was starting out and it still helps me with letting people know about new music and upcoming shows!"
Joe Dolman is definitely a name to be keeping tabs on in 2017 because with new music and upcoming tours planned, you'll be hearing a lot more of him before the year is finished! In the mean time, check out his latest video on YouTube - the official video for his single "Separate Ways".
