JOY.

Most 17 year olds look forward to turning 18 purely for the chance to go out with their friends and spend a night they’ll later regret, but for JOY. she looked forward to the moment when she was able to stay around at her own gigs. It’s hard being underage in the music industry.
“Usually after you play a set you have to leave straight after you’ve supported someone,” she says.
“So after you’ve supported someone you can’t stay around to watch the act but now you’ll actually be able to stay afterwards and enjoy the shows.”
Things quickly turned from writing assignments at high school to swimming fully clothed for music videos as JOY. graduated and dedicated all her time to music.
“I had to do a lot of swimming in the ocean [for that clip] and I’m not good at swimming, at all,” she laughs.
“It was so crazy because it was in the middle of winter and the current was really strong. I had to go out and get shots of me pulling myself under water, by the time we got out deep enough I was fully clothed in a jacket and getting out there against the current and going under water and holding my breath for a couple of minutes I was dead.”
While the clip was filmed with a team behind her, JOY.’s musical creation is much more personal, as she decides to create music often in the comfort of her own room.
“When you’re in a fully fledged studio environment I think there’s a lot more pressure to get it right and that can influence things,” she says.
“So [for my EP] I kept my vocal demos that I did in my room. I think vocal recordings specifically are easier to do when you’re not under pressure. It’s easier to get a good vibe when you’re in a relaxed, comfortable environment.”
Working alone is a formula that works for JOY. as her EP Ode just released was produced entirely by her – something that would prove difficult for even the most talented of musicians but she wouldn’t really have it any other way.
“I always do all my stuff myself,” she says before continuing. “I’ve never really worked with anyone else. I think I’d have to find the right people before I ever worked with anyone else.”
While her music creation process is done solo, she’s set to be surrounded thousands when she performs at Beyond the Valley later this year.
“That festival is going to be so fun, I love festivals as they’re always the complete opposite to a normal show. And the Beyond the Valley line up looks crazy,” she says.
Written by Amanda Sherring
When & Where: Beyond the Valley, Lardner Park – December 29 – January 1