How She Floats – An Interview with Joy Ike
What was your experience with Lilith Fair?
Playing Lilith Fair was probably one of the best experiences of my young career thus far! Everyone was nicer than I expected. I’m not one to get overly excited about “brushing shoulders” with “famous” people, but we (my band) really did get to share the day with some incredible women.
I got to be on a panel with women whose music I’ve listened to for years – like Sarah McLachlan and Butterfly Boucher. I got to have extensive conversations with Jill Hennesey about living and traveling as a musician while being a mother. We also talked about her acting career (she plays a District Attorney in one of the Law & Order series). And it was just great to be in the same space as artists like Sarah Barielles.
About your on-stage performances, have you worked with anyone that has left an impression on you? Do you have anybody in particular you’d like to perform with (musicians, singers, etc.)?
Anybody I’d like to perform with? YES! It’s sort of my dream to tour with Brooke Waggoner or Sara Groves. These are my favorite singer/songwriters and I have so much respect for their art. I’d also like to have dinner with them… and also My Brightest Diamond. And any other female singer/songwriter who is beautiful and strong and overflowing with depth. That’s asking a lot… I know!
I love your band, I’ve seen them once before. You guys have incredible chemistry and feed off each other’s energy so well. Have you ever thought of different types of instruments or cultural styles to incorporate into your sound? Maybe something impromptu during a performance (like Björk used a sitarist for a couple performances of Big Time Sensuality, adding a completely new dimension to the song)?
I’ve thought about this a lot. Now that I’m learning the ukulele, it has, by default, opened the doors to some new sounds. I’ve recently written a song that sounds very South American. I hear castanets and maracas. Also since re-picking up Spanish this year, I’ve wanted to experiment writing songs in Spanish. I think that will come down the line as I still have a long way to go with my vocabulary. I also want to welcome a more tribal sound into my music. Upon returning from Nigeria a few months ago, I thought it might be cool to have some songs I can take back with me when I revisit. All-in-all, I think I will continue to introduce new things little by little. Once I become comfortable with something new, I’ll add on something else. Hopefully, it will continue to evolve and stay fresh.
Well, I know you’re going on tour along the East Coast, your (small) World Tour. How about you give me the dates and I’ll make sure people get a chance to see you live.
Okay. Here are the performance dates:
April 27 – Midtown Scholar – Harrisburg, PA
April 28 – LAUNCH Music Conference & Festival – Lancaster, PA
April 30 – All Asia – Boston, MA
May 1 – Bing Arts Center – Springfield, MA
May 2 – Living Room – New York, NY
May 3 – Milkboy Main Stage – Philadelphia, PA
May 4 – Ebenezers Coffeehouse – Washington, DC
May 5 – Club Cafe – Pittsburgh, PA
Thanks so much, Joy. It’s been awesome talking with you again.
Thank you!
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To get in contact with Joy and follow her movements as she continues to expand her horizons, you can visit her website, her FaceBook page, or follow her on Twitter. If you’d like to listen to or purchase any of her music, you can go directly to her online store or on iTunes.
