Laura Joy

Artist Information

Biography

Chicago-based singer-songwriter Laura Joy has been known to quell dark, angry bars full of ornery old Irishmen. Drawing comparisons that range from Joni Mitchell to Alison Krauss, Laura’s percussive finger picking and buoyant voice have graced audiences from as far as the Sun Belt to the streets of Manhattan.

Laura's tales from the road and all other additional sights, sounds, and information may be found at www.laurajoymusic.com

Backstory:

In third grade, Laura was the awkward new kid. With her lofty dreams of popularity shattered by unfashionable eye wear and a shy demeanor, Laura tried out for the school musical. She landed a solo and has been singing her way through life ever since. In college, Laura started playing guitar and writing songs because it was fun, and fun was necessary. Music didn’t come into her life as a vocation; it was just something that had always made her heart feel good. Guitar in tow, Laura received her BA in English, moved to New York City, fell madly in love, and got married.

Life moved fast in the city. On her way to work, Laura’s feet smeared NYC guerilla artist De La Vega’s sidewalk chalk quote, “The pressure of survival in the big city will make you lose sight of your dream… Hang in there.” She was hanging in there, but her dream of making music was put on hold when her husband lost his job and they had to cover a newly acquired mortgage. At the same time, Laura’s mom’s health began to rapidly decline, forcing her to make frequent trips to Arizona while balancing life in New York. Music sat quietly, waiting, while Laura held up to three jobs at a time, including a few well-regarded positions in the arts as a project coordinator for high-profile jazz artists and as a manager of a small off-Broadway theatre on the East Village. She played gigs at night, doing shows across New York state and in Phoenix whenever she was able.

From 2007 – 2010, Laura was featured in the Jezebel Music Songwriter Showcase at Laila Lounge in Brooklyn and was a member of NY/NJ Port Authority’s exclusive “Tunes in the Terminal” program. She opened for Nedra Johnson and Staceyann Chin in Brooklyn (CattyShack, Michfest Halfway Soirée) and shared a night in Phoenix, AZ with Raina Rose and Namoli Brennet. For 3 years, Laura helped organize and host the successful Paradigm Shift Event Series highlighting feminist inspired art and performance at various venues across The Lower East Side in NYC.

When Laura’s marriage fell apart in 2010, she started gathering the materials for her latest CD. “What I Know” was released on June 30th, 2011. It was recorded and mixed by Grammy-award winning engineer, Dae Bennett, and produced by Suzi Reynolds. The well-received album is a collection of songs about what Laura knows: love, laughter, and heartbreak. With the CD pressed and a new job lined up, Laura packed up her belongings and moved to Chicago to start over. From there, Laura continues to play gigs nationwide, splitting her time between Arizona, Chicago and New York.




REVIEWS

“When you listen to Laura Joy, it sparks a happy feeling deep inside of you… although most artists have a sound; Laura Joy has her sound.”
- Vernon Tart, CultureBomb.net

“Laura Joy is a breath of fresh air. With a percussive fingerstyle guitar reminiscent of Ani DiFranco and a songwriting flair that recalls the likes of Joni Mitchell and Rebecca Martin, Laura Joy crafts personal tales in song that are both touching and entertaining.”
- Wildy Haskell, Wildy’s World

“Folk music so pretty you’ll have to stop your ears from floating away. “
- TheFreeGeorge.com

Instrumentation

Solo:
Laura Joy - Acoustic guitar and vocals.

NYC Accompaniment can include:
Robert Coover - Mandolin, Banjo, Bass... etc.
Mark Dance - Percussion

Discography

What I Know (2011)
Six Flights (2008)


Current Radio Play:

WIOX - Catskills, NY
WATD - South Shore, MA
radioarizona.net
Beloit College Radio

Official Website

http://www.laurajoymusic.com

Links

• Twitter
• Facebook
• MySpace

Audio

• What I Know
  Listen   Download
• Plan
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• Ride Home
  Listen   Download
• Fallin'
  Listen   Download
• Arrive
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• Courting Disaster - Live at Fiddler's Dream
  Listen   Download

Lyrics

• What I Know
• Plan
• Arrive
• Ride Home
• Courting Disaster

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Review: Laura Joy, What I Know [+ Show ]
  

  When you listen to Laura Joy, it sparks a happy feeling deep inside of you. Little elements of Tin P...When you listen to Laura Joy, it sparks a happy feeling deep inside of you. Little elements of Tin Pan Alley float to the surface in her work as well as a definite feel of Woody Guthrie’s offbeat attitude permeate her lyrics from start to finish. Though most artists have a sound; Laura Joy has her sound...

• REVIEW: Laura Joy - What I Know [+ Show ]
  

  In a world full of dark affectations and third and fourth guesses, Laura Joy is a breath of fresh ai...In a world full of dark affectations and third and fourth guesses, Laura Joy is a breath of fresh air. With a percussive fingerstyle guitar reminiscent of Ani DiFranco and a songwriting flair that recalls the likes of Joni Mitchell and Rebecca Martin, Laura Joy crafts personal tales in song that are both touching and entertaining. The Phoenix native who has most recently prowled the stages of bars and coffee houses in New York shines with brilliance both on stage and in the recording studio.

• Chicks with Guitars, Live at Red Square [+ Show ]
  

  Laura Joy: Folk music so pretty you’ll have to stop your ears from floating away. Listen to “Rose Re...Laura Joy: Folk music so pretty you’ll have to stop your ears from floating away. Listen to “Rose Remains” and you’ll only realize later you slipped into a whimsical trance.

• REVIEW: Laura Joy - Six Flights [+ Show ]
  

  It is not often that I come across a CD like this one. Six Flights is the harbinger of what should b...It is not often that I come across a CD like this one. Six Flights is the harbinger of what should be a long and lauded career. Laura Joy weaves magic with her guitar strings and her voice. Six Flights sees Laura Joy raise her game, displaying a voice and songwriting acumen that calls to mind the likes of Ani DiFranco and Joni Mitchell. Laura Joy displays a maturity in her songwriting that many artists achieve after 10 or 15 years of recording. Keep in mind that this is Ms. Joy’s 2nd album, and you’ll have an idea of what might be to come.
  
  In theory it should be easier to tell you which songs here I enjoyed less than the others, except that I can’t find one. “Six Flights” and “Plan” are near masterpieces, and “Courting Disaster” will leave you trying to figure out which of your past relationships she somehow knew about. “Ride Home”, similarly, will touch upon your memories. This is the secret of Laura Joy’s success: She has an ability to tell stories in her songs that are clearly about her own life, but they could be about a time or event in your own life as well. This is a skill that most songwriters strive for all their lives, but for Laura Joy it appears to be a natural gift.
  
  “Six Flights” is a desert island disc. This is the sort of CD you can’t afford not to own. Don’t be surprised if ten or fifteen years from now, rather than hearing people describe who Laura Joy sounds like, you instead hear new artists being said to sound like Laura Joy.
  
  Rating: Buy it Now!
  
  

Setlist

Basic Requirements

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