Joy Clark: Moving Optimistically Forward
Photo: Steve Rappoport
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Joy Clark’s debut album, Tell It to the Wind, spotlights many of the influences the Louisiana bred singer-songwriter/guitarist absorbed while growing up as the youngest of five children in a tight-knit, deeply religious family. She first experienced the power of live music at her parents’ church, where she sang, but as a young, queer woman, she didn’t always feel like she fit in.
“Several experiences inspired my path,” Clark reflects. “I thought the guitar looked really cool and I had the audacity to believe that I could play it if I had one. When my parents bought me one, I learned to play, and I also learned that it was the only thing that made me feel free.”
It was while studying at the University of New Orleans that she entrenched herself in the city’s vibrant music scene, while relishing its traditions and can-do attitude. She opened a tour for Cyril Neville and later performed alongside several other iconic artists.
“I view the trajectory of my career as moving optimistically forward,” she suggests. “I’ve been a working musician for a long time, touring with artists like Allison Russell and sharing the stage with Brandi Carlile, Indigo Girls and Ani DiFranco.”
Clark’s art is also a reflection of her personal evolution. Tell It to the Wind, which was produced by four-time Grammy-nominated artist Margaret Becker—who co-wrote six of the album’s nine tracks—finds Clark perfecting her soulful, seductive style.
“My music comes from living life and maintaining a curiosity about myself and people around me,” Clark says “At the core, my music comes from a desire to connect with others through my own experiences.”
