Joy Williams Interview Part 2

Hey y’all.  Annie here, back today to bring you the second half of our interview with Joy Williams. (Read part 1 here.) As you were saying, Joy…..

AB: For Christmas, you gave away your recording of the song “Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella”.  What made you decide to do that? (Besides the fact that you were in the Christmas spirit. ) What kind of response did you receive?

JW: I thought it would be fun to share a favorite French carol of mine that might be a little out of pocket compared to the more familiar Christmas songs. It had been over 4 years since I’d recorded anything new, so offering the tune was also a way to take a pulse - to see if anyone was still interested in what I was doing musically. I didn’t know what to expect, and I was blown away by the number of downloads the song wound up getting.

Side note from AB:  Good job, bloggers!  Getting the word out there about Joy’s free download really upped those numbers.  You are so powerful it frightens me a little. 

AB: Speaking of bloggers and the world wide web in general, how has the Internet changed the music industry for you?

JW: It’s taken away so much of the red tape! It used to be almost paramount that you signed with a label if you wanted to have a career in making & distributing music. But it’s not that way anymore. The Internet has opened up channels for artists to succeed, giving both the music-maker and the music-listener almost direct access to one another. Unaffiliated acts now have the ability to create niches, and income, for themselves online. And that has been what Nate and I have started doing with our new company, Sensibility Music. Having a Facebook, a MySpace, an iLike page, a ReverbNation page, a blog, setting up a mailing list…all these things have created a greater awareness of my music. It’s given me a chance to freely plow new ground creatively and to make more genuine connections with people who still want to hear what I do.

AB: You live here in Nashville, TN.  Is that town a good fit for you?

JW: Most days I think so, and certain days I don’t. Just depends which day you catch me on. I still miss my Northern California, but I love our home and the community of friends here.

AB: What’s your favorite lunch place in Nashville?  What do you order?

JW: I love going to Marché in East Nashville (crazy good appetizers and crépes), or Fido in Hillsboro Village (awesome salads). Too many favorites to pick just one.

AB: Just so you know, Joy, I’m not trendy enough to go to Fido alone, but when I’ve gone with trendy friends, I have really enjoyed it.  Turkey and brie sandwich?  Please and thank you!

AB: On a serious note, how can the bloggers at BMN pray for you?

JW: For peace, open doors, and creativity.

AB: The big closer:  BMN stands for Bloggable Music Network.  What else could it stand for?

JW: I’m spit-balling, but here I go…off the top of my head:
Brighter Monster Niche
Bring Me Neosporin
Bohemian Maritime Nachos

Well done, Joy.  Well done.  Bohemian Maritime Nachos?  I’m picturing crab meat, brightly colored tortilla chips, maybe some edible flowers.  And cheese.  Lots of cheese.


What other questions do you want answered by our featured artists?  Leave them in the comments or send us a note on the Contact page.

Kat here again…
Here’s a fun video of Joy making up a song on the spot. Girl’s got a sense of humor!

If you missed part 1 of Joy’s interview, (read it here.)