Joy Crookes — who is already garnering Amy Winehouse and Lauryn Hill comparisons from her own songs—began her musical journey years before her magpie-like introduction to brass. The daughter of a Bengali mother and an Irish father, she grew up listening to an eclectic mix of genres. Every week, while driving her to Irish dancing lessons, they would listen to a different album. Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ one week ‘Soon Forward’ by Gregory Isaac the next. As a curious, passionate, and music-obsessed 12-year-old, Joy decided to start writing her own song and honing her modern soul sound. Her first song “Seaside” was penned after falling head over heels for a boy by the beach. Seven years later, her songs might have grown more sophisticated, but the approach remains the same: whether she’s dealing with heartbreak or trying to come to terms with the latest Trump headline, Joy is committed to translating her most honest and vulnerable feelings to music. While her candid song-writing and fearless attitude have won her dedicated grassroots following, it was a baby-faced Joy singing a cover of Hit the Road Jack, which caught the attention of 600,000 viewers, and her first management company. Now she has a feature in the New York Times.
READ FEATURE HERE
UPCOMING ALBUM SKIN, OUT OCTOBER 15 |PRE-ORDER SKIN HERE
WATCH JOY DISCUSS HER “FIRSTS” FOR BRITISH VOGUE
DURING LONDON FASHION WEEK HERE
“Listening to Crookes’s soulful, intimate music can feel like intruding on a private conversation or cracking open a diary” – The New York Times”
“In her music, Crookes offers listeners a nuanced and candid exploration of her multiracial identity. At a time when many conversations about race in the arts and calls for change have only recently begun, Crookes’s commitment to vulnerability in her storytelling has helped her connect with a growing — and loyal — fan base.” – The New York Times
2021 UK IN-STORE PERFORMANCES
10/16 – Resident – Brighton
10/17 – Banquet – Kingston
10/8 – Rough Trade East – London
10/20 – HMV Manchester
10/21 – HMV Westfield White City
10/23 – Rough Trade – Bristol
10/24 – Rough Trade –Nottingham
2021 UK TOUR DATES
10/24 – Dublin
10/26 – Glasgow
10/28 – Sheffield
10/29 – Leeds
10/31 – Newcastle
11/2 – Manchester
11/3 – Birmingham
11/4 – Norwich
11/6 – Southampton
11/7 – Bristol
11/8 – London (Kentish Town Forum)
11/9 – London (Kentish Town Forum)
