Interview with recordJet Passenger of the Month JOEDY

JOEDY is our Passenger of the Month for May. The young artist made a name for herself as a musician and songwriter with her EP “Krank”, which was released by recordJet at the beginning of May. We asked her about creativity during the pandemic, no-go topics when writing and her guilty pleasures in music.

Hey! Who are you and what is your first memory of making music?

Hey, I’m JOEDY and I am a musician from Berlin and I have just released my first EP! Check it out if you haven’t done so already! (Click here to discover the EP!) I started to sing at the age of 6 in a children’s choir and I also started learning piano.

What did music mean to you at the time and what does your music mean to you now?

Above all, making music is a way for me to express my feelings. It’s a bit like therapy; I can work through things that have happened to me. Or perhaps I want to write a song for the good times. One way or another, the best thing for me is when other people feel understood by my songs and celebrate them!

Why is it important to support women in the music industry?

Because, unfortunately, us women are not listened to in the same way. I think it’s important to show that we are just as talented as men. There is no difference. I have often heard, “Oh that’s just girl’s music.” But that is rubbish. You can’t allocate a song according to the gender of the musician just because it is more melodic, or the topic is sensitive. And that’s why I find it’s important to give everyone a chance to be heard, no matter what gender.

How have you managed to stay creative during the pandemic?

I first did everything I didn’t get round to before the pandemic and then I wrote quite a lot of songs and thought about what direction I want to go in. But what also helped me a lot was the fact that I could carry on working and studying. That is my counterbalance to music and allows me to be more creative.

What do you think will be the biggest impact of the situation in the last few months on the music industry?

That there will be fewer musicians who can really make a living off music. Playing live is our biggest source of income and I know that some have had to get a normal job because they can’t play live any more. The successful ones will be able to survive somehow, but us newcomers are reliant on creating and playing to a fan community. And so various online platforms have become more important. But I also believe that good quality musicians will come through instead of every man and his dog wanting to make music, if you know what I mean.

You started in music at an early age – what have you learnt in your time in the music industry?

That the music industry is a dangerous place and you can’t fully trust anyone. You’re the only person you should always rely on and if you don’t have good gut feeling, then leave it be.

I no longer delegate anything to other people and I am involved in the process at all levels of a project, even if I’m not the one instigating it. I think that is very important because apart from you, who knows who you really are and where you want to go?!

How important is it for you to include your personal experiences in your music?

That is the main reason I make music. Without music, I think I’d still have as much trauma and would be constantly going to a psychologist, haha.

Are there topics about which you wouldn’t/couldn’t/don’t want to make music?

For me there are no limits when it comes to writing music. I also write for other artists and so I write everything from pop to hits etc. So no, I much prefer to express myself in all genres and languages. Anyway, I’m a free spirit and hate limiting myself.

If you could give your 16-year-old self some advice, what would it be?

Don’t be so hard on yourself and make the best out of your current situation. You will achieve everything you want to if you are patient and don’t approach things in such a stubborn way.

Do you have any guilty pleasures in music?

The very first songs I wrote. No-one should ever hear them!

What song always makes you dance?

Everything by Britney Spears or Lady Gaga!

Classic question: what was the very first record you ever bought and what was the most recent?

The first was Whitney Houston – the Best of Album and the most recent… no idea haha.

Why and how did you come by recordJet?

I have known Jorin, founder of recordJet, for a few years through the Reeperbahn Festival and you are a young, motivated and dynamic team that is always there for me. I think that’s great! I need people around me who have as much enthusiasm for the subject as I do, and I get that feeling with recordJet.

Last words?

Thanks for the great collaboration and the fact that we have been able to travel a long way together! <3

Thanks JOEDY!