Louisiana born-and-raised singer-songwriter and guitarist Joy Clark is charting her own path with her debut album Tell it to the Wind. As the youngest of five children born into a tight knit, deeply religious family just outside of New Orleans, her release is both a declaration of her independence and a love letter to the traditions that shaped her.
The album marks Clark’s arrival on the national stage as a proud, queer, Black woman blending the social consciousness of folk, the rhythms of Southeast Louisiana, and the soul-centered music she grew up with. See the music video for single "Lesson" HERE.
Joy honed her guitar chops and was introduced to the stage in her parents’ church, leading worship services with her siblings every Sunday in Harvey, Louisiana. While her duties at her parent’s church combined two of her favorite things—her family and music—she knew she just didn’t quite fit. Home schooled for most of her childhood, Joy had the freedom to study her craft, but was isolated as a young queer woman growing up in a devout household.
While studying at the University of New Orleans, Joy ventured into New Orleans’ legendary music scene, soaking up the city’s traditions—most notably its “do whatcha wanna” attitude, a far cry from her religious home just a few miles from the city center. Her newfound community of queer folks, poets, artists, activists, and people living as their authentic selves combined with her social science studies brought Joy closer to the self she was still defining. Eventually Joy earned herself a regular spot touring with living legend and Grammy winner Cyril Neville.
“Over the last several years, I’ve had the privilege of playing music and touring and learning from so many people I admire. And I continue to learn the same lesson—there’s room for all of us and the world is only made more beautiful when we all shine as our unique selves,” said Joy. “Tell it to the Wind is my story of how I learned to shine, and I hope that it might encourage others to stand out as their whole, true selves too.”
Joy’s songcraft, paired with sophisticated progressions, and themes of freedom, love and self-acceptance gained her notice on the national folk and Americana scenes just a few years ago with appearances at AmericanaFest. She caught the attention of Grammy-winner Allison Russell and was offered a regular spot in her backing band The Rainbow Coalition, earning her the chance to jam with superstars Brandi Carlile and the Indigo Girls. Talking to The Tennessean, Russell described Joy as a “a brilliant artist, writer and singer."
Joy teamed up with one of her musical heroes, 4x Grammy-nominated Margaret Becker, to make Tell it to the Wind. Becker’s influence is apparent throughout the album, with her co-writing six of the album’s nine tracks. Joy’s choice to collaborate with Becker is no small achievement. It was Becker’s music that Clark would learn to play and sing in the church where she was closeted. The magnitude of Becker’s embrace of Joy as a queer artist making music on her own terms, is felt throughout the entire album as it is a soul-wrenching, at times jubilant call to put your stake in the ground and claim your rightful place as an individual. Joy’s masterful guitar-playing and smooth vocals are perfectly complemented by a rousing string arrangement on the album’s title track and sophisticated piano on “All Behind.” Tell it to the Wind is an announcement, an arrival heralding an era for Joy and for those tuned in enough to dive into the album.
