Joy Flying

With the upcoming release of Joy Flying's self-titled debut Feb. 18, the quartet may no longer be one of Orange County's best-kept secrets. The band's sound draws natural comparisons to Sixpence None the Richer, the Sundays and Sarah McLachlan, thanks largely to singer-songwriter-keyboardist Chantelle Paredes' beautiful and distinctive soprano. However, it's the group's introspective songs themselves and the wide-ranging musical landscape created by Paredes' husband, Gene Paredes, on guitar, his brother Noel Paredes on drums and bassist-backing singer Megan Tucci that complete a musical world that is as artistically formidable as it is accessible. "It was a lot more mellow and acoustic," recalled Noel Paredes in a phone interview this week, only days after undergoing successful back surgery Feb. 4. Gene met Chantelle while both were students at Biola University in La Mirada in 1993. "When I used to jam with them, there was an organic feel, and it still feels that way," Noel Paredes said. Since forming Joy Flying in October 2003, the group has quietly gone from being a good band to a great one. Listening to tracks such as "The Light Went Out," "Green" and "Feathers," it's hard to imagine Joy Flying remaining unsigned for long. "On that song ('Feathers'), Gene began it on keyboards and wrote a three-chord progression. I walked around the house for a week (listening to the music) and then began to write the song lyrics," Chantelle explained, noting the feel and sound of the music and tone of the piano eventually led her to the lyrics she would write. "We're at the point where our songs are becoming more consistent," she said. Indeed, perhaps the time spent crafting songs on their own, recording in the living room of Chantelle and Gene's Mission Viejo home using Pro Tools and playing a small number of select shows at coffeehouses and universities has allowed them to prepare for the acclaim that is bound to hit once more listeners discover Joy Flying. "We're wanting to play as much as we can," said Chantelle, noting the band's CD will be available online as well as at Anthropologie stores, including the Newport Beach Fashion Island location. "We're very close because we're family," Noel said. "Our whole (musical) feel is like that connection."
- The OC Register