Joy Crookes @ The Deaf Institute | Interview and Gig Review

Performing at the Deaf institute, Joy Crookes lit up the stage on the night of Halloween. Known for her husky and jazzy voice, the South London artist wowed her audience with a range of her songs effortlessly, from start to finish. With the chance to interview her, I was able to talk more about her artistry, sound and where she is headed in the future.

Commencing with the opening act Amun, who successfully warmed the crowd up for the headliner, the audience were excitedly met with a brief introduction from Joy Crookes’ band. Once over, a loud cheer erupted once Crookes herself walked on the stage and sang her opening song ‘Hurts.’ Watching the performance, it was clear that a connection had been established between the fans and her music. They knew every word and she engaged with her crowd with ease.

When asked about her favourite song to perform she said, “I like the intro of this tour because it’s big. The boys play crazy, I come on and sing, and I really enjoy the overwhelming mess of that song.”

Joy Crookes

The immense fusion of genres in the introduction played by her backing left an excitable impression of what was to come next. Setting the tone with the soft hues of red lights apparent in the background, a sense of intimacy and nostalgia was felt throughout each of the songs that she sang.

When talking to Crookes about her artistry, it’s apparent why fans resonate so deeply with her music. She explains; “My sound is very honest, it’s a mixture of genres and very lyrical, it’s just me, it’s how I am.”

Joy Crookes

This is evident, as Crookes transfers her personal experiences and emotions into her writing, such as in songs like ‘London Mine’, a celebratory infused song about the diverse makeup of the London people and ‘Poison’. When those tracks played, the way fans were singing to every lyric enthusiastically, which made it obvious that they can relate and resonate with her honesty in her lyrics as well.

Furthermore, the song that struck the crowd the most was ‘Mother May I Sleep with Danger’.  Released in 2017, the song has Accumulated over 8.1 million views so far on the performance YouTube Channel, The Colours Show. The sultry jazz infused song clearly struck many by the way it got the whole crowd dancing around and singing loudly. Along with her amazing stage presence, her confidence and her persistent crowd engagement allowed for a comforting yet an unforgettable show experience.

Nonetheless, this is only one of her many achievements. With the release of two EP’s this year titled ‘Reminiscence’ and ‘Perception’, Crookes has further exhausted the boundaries of what an emerging artist can do.

Replying humorously when asked about how she deals with writers block, she states, “I ring up my manager and cry.” She further explains; “I try and have a routine so, go to the gym try and keep myself healthy, eat well, sleep well and like, you kind of have to ride it out and accept that you have it and just try and work yourself after it.”

Joy Crookes

Her latest single ‘Early’ ft Jafaris, tackles the experience of ‘opposite ends of love.’ When talking about the collaboration with the Irish Hop-Hop artist she revealed, “We found him on Instagram and I invited him over to my house because I knew he’s from Dublin so, my family are from there and I just love what he’s doing.”

Joy Crookes

Talking about the writing process she stated, “it was very weird, we went for a drive and listened to our favourite songs and then we just came back and wrote Early.”

Joy Crookes

The collaboration resulted in the creation of a bubbly and enjoyable song, one that had the whole audience dancing all around the room and having a great time, with even the seated areas, loudly cheering when hearing the introduction of the song.

Despite her success, there’s no evidence of Crookes stopping any time soon. When asked about her goals she states, “Getting more confident with my song writing, with my production, with my creative control, with my videos, with my visuals, artwork and just being happy, that’s the main thing.”

Joy Crookes

Attending her show, it is clear that this is something that she has started to achieve, the significantly fitting visuals being one of the most impressive pointers of the gig. Each song played along with her sultry and jazzy vocals as stated before, creating a sense of intimacy and an enjoyable night overall. With her unique sound and vocals, Crookes is carving herself to becoming a household name as well as a standout star overtime. It will truly be exciting to see what emerges next in her career.

You can catch Joy Crookes on the rest of her tour at https://www.joycrookes.com/events/