Joel P. West is an acoustic-style singer songwriter. His album Something Makes Us Move is available on his website. His 2008 album Dust Jacket Project was recorded while he worked days as a high school teacher. The album is offered as a download in trade for poetry, art, photography, or whatever creation someone chooses to swap with.

In Autumn 2010, the Tree Ring frontman began recording a new album with Midwinters piano man Chris Hobson, who is also a recording engineer. The following year, he was awarded a $17,815 by the San Diego Foundation Creative Catalyst Fund to produce an album inspired by local landscapes, featuring local chamber music ensemble Camarada.

As of 2016, West was living in Los Angeles and scoring films like Janey Makes a Play, Lily Tomlin’s Grandma, and The Glass Castle, starring Brie Larson, Naomi Watts, and Woody Harrelson.