KATIE JOY MUSIC, 12th October.

Heyaaa my lovelies and thank you so much for clicking on
this! And a special hello to any newbies I've picked up. 

Any questions, rogue thoughts, or exciting updates you have from your life: send me a DM on Instagram (@katiejoy.music). I want to hear whats going on with you, and I may feature them and respond in next week's letter!

Thank you again for showing interest in my crazy life and for supporting my music. Can't wait for you to hear a new song soon :)

Lets get into it with the weekly newsletter update…

Covering: 

• Studio: lead vocals, guitar editing, getting "The News" spick and span, ready to bounce and mix!! Many, many harmonies too. 
• Crowdfunding video FILMING. Looking at buying a haze machine and some better lighting for my music vids! So we can make them ourselves! 
• More meds and arm still in a sling.
• Dinnering in and out
• Going back to my uni campus!? 
• Training horses from the ground
• Writing an ad for my angel Cassie and putting her up for sale :(
• PUTTING A LIVE BAND TOGETHER
• Bristol and bestest friends!
• Trying to get an appointment to get my stitches removed
• STARTING MY FESTIVAL APPLICATIONS!

But before I get into it, here's the bits and bobs of the week..

1. Songs I've been listening to on repeat and think you should too: 'Not Dead Yet' Lord Huron. & ‘Powder Junkie’ by Jealous of the Birds. 
2. My watch recommendations: ‘Voicemails For Isabelle’ (movie) - this was very cute, & ‘Below’ (series).
3. THE cup of coffee of the week: literally every coffee I made because I bought a new salted caramel SYRUP!
4. Aims for next week: finish and edit two more lead vocals, & get the hospital to see me and give me some more info about my arm? + book gigs locally :)
5. My pictures of choice to capture the vibes:

Studio. My music. Progress update on the first Katie Joy albumn.

SO this week: continuing the grind of finishing lead vocals & harmonies, editing guitar, sorting levels, bickering (mainly lightheartedly) with Dad, and eating 2 out of 3 meals a day at the mixer, while editing and trying not to spill. 400 cups of tea made that Dad forgot to drink. Microwaved mugs of soup while singing: x atleast 6.

Anyway, things are getting closer every week. The exciting news is I am now working out live arrangements of my original songs (including many new ones!) at my own gigs. And I've put together a potential band so I can be booking plugged-up gigs too - AND GET THAT BIG, WARM 70S SOUND I WANT. So keep an ear and an eye out if you're in the South of England. I've also been posting more teasers of my songs behind my Instagram videos, which I am so grateful for the amazing support on so far! These songs ARE MY HEART AND SOUL, and I just want to make music that gives you goosebumps again. The kind that makes you feel understood, but on edge. That grabs your attention, and has that PROPER HUMAN BAND FEEL you can't get away from (if you're anything like me, which i suspect you all are :)

So, now moving on to Life day by day. 

MONDAY.

Monday evening I was staying with a friend in Henley and went for dinner at La Petite Maison in London, which was lovely. Baked salted sea bass with crispy artichokes, and a cocktail called the “Bikini” - that came with a pot of hand cream :) The food was amazing crashed out pretty much as soon as we got home. Outfit involved a symmetrical red-and-white striped skirt, long boots, white vest and vintage ralphy jacket. 

TUESDAY.

Woke up the next day in Henley again. Slightly devastated not to be able to help my friend ride some of the horses there, but I did have a much-appreciated lie-in. We then  went straight to Reading uni (at terrifying speeds - as speed limits are optional we do believe), as my friend is still in her final year there. It was really weird to be back, after  I graduating this summer from Reading.  I just felt like it kind of wasn’t my vibe and I’m glad I’m in the part of my life where I get to do my own thing, make music and focus on what I’m passionate about (making my own schedule, pure horsegirldom, and writing this instead of essays!)  Rather than having horrid FOMO constantly feeling I need to get involved with a uni lifestyle I'm not actually that suited to. 

I got a lift home from there cause I had quite a big bag for some reason and was just struggling to walk to the station, so mum very kindly came and picked me up. We then went and checked on the horses, making sure they had everything they needed. 

Then popped home and worked in the studio. Singing a final lead vocal for “the news”.  

Started comping it pretty much straight away, and working on the vocal effects. With this song we've put a fair bit of drive on it, and alongside a plate reverb, it gives it a sort of veil of darkness that just works. This took us on about 7 hours till 9.30. 

At which point we stopped for dinner, watching the show we’re into at the moment: “Big Mistakes”.  Just me and my parents. Honestly nothing is better than ending the day in the cozy living room with good food. The good news is I can now just about tie up the waistband of my favourite pyjamas again since the arm break. (Sainsbury’s Christmas penguin ones- comfiest things ever). As I do have movement of the fingers on my right hand again (slightly). 

Poppy Dog also very comfy below:

WEDNESDAY.

Went for coffee in the morning. Got some work done, video editing for social media, paying bills, horse admin and monthly training plans. 

And then met up with my friend Poppy for a walk and a cup of tea in town and had the loveliest supportive chat. Just about life and a couple of things that we’re both dealing with. I think I sometimes forget that proper friends in life really want to show up for you. You both truly want to take on each other's issues as if they were your own. I think it's easy to underestimate how much stronger and more understood this can make us feel. So we had a laugh, as well as a cry. 

Anyway, then headed into the studio and carried on comping my vocal. Had a chilled evening again, hot bath and hair wash (still requiring a two-armed assistant for this). Then roast chicken followed by cereal with peanut butter and honey, then an early night (my actual dream evening - self-proclaimed wet wipe). 

THURSDAY.  

In the morning, walked into town and got my coffee as usual and then went straight up to the yard with (lift from) mum. We were giving both the horses a jump with Toby. We cracked on with some flat work, then gymnastic exercises to get them thinking.  Then gave them both a jump over a few single fences in the arena, with placement poles to start with to keep them really level. Mainly just prepping for jumping a full course out in the field next week, and keeping them fit and ticking over while I’m out of action. 

I'm planning that Lucy will start going to some young Horse shows as soon as I’m fit and able to ride again, and Cassie is actually going up for sale this week, so getting her really rideable and making sure she’s jumping well. 

I just can’t afford to keep both of them at the moment, especially while not working because of a broken arm! Being financially stretched by the upkeep means I don’t get enough time in the studio either to release my debut album as soon as I'd like to! So I know it’s the right decision, but ‘child me’ would be absolutely mortified to be honest, because she is my dream horse and I worked hard to buy and train her up. Anyway - things happen for a reason. So I've spent a lot of time this week writing her ad…

Came home and finished the lead vocal edit, as well as some guitar editing.

I then went to the station to get a train from Kemble to Bristol. Where one of my best friends, Marty, has been living for a little while now. 

We had a good yap, went to a few different places - mainly Mother's Ruin because it’s got a cool vibe and good music, but mainly actually because they do 4 pints for a tenner on weekdays! 

Photo included: our pints + more than we wanted to see (our view all night).

I met her new boyfriend Jack, very nice but men are just kinda stinky and we laughed way way more once he was gone.  I'm sure we were quite annoying. I got (easily) persuaded to text a situationship. You can imagine how that went 👎

Got Truffle pizza etc at The Left Handed Giant and spoke about the two of us playing some gigs together this year :))

FRIDAY. 

Windy night, then in the AM: Charity shop browsing and coffee out; I bought halva and ate that - which was rogue and unbelievably sweet (so ideal tbh). Very friendly people in Bristol. Marty and I continued discussing doing a set together in Bristol because we both need money so badly! Deep chat about how we kinda have no plans for the next 10 yrs but that’s kinda ok.

Got train back to Kemble, went to check on horses and smarten Cassie up - good groom, main trim feet oiled etc. 

Headed home and ate lunch (feta and lentil salad + about 400 carrots with hummus). 

More atmospheric guitar editing. Slow, detailed, workhorse part of music making that people don’t know so much about I imagine. Grateful that dad taught me and continues to teach me everything he knows. 

Took Poppy Dog on a walk. 

Next, a Teams meeting with my social media strategist to update and keep planning ongoing music promotion - and what’s working as I create this lovely community! 

Pub - Drillman's with Charlotte and locals :) 

SATURDAY.

Working in a coffee shop - starting on this week's newsletter. 

Pharmacy shopping spree for some more painkillers.

Coffee meeting with Arthur. Fab guitar player with a really, really cool studio. Coming for a jam on Tuesday and to get a setlist of my music and a couple other songs sorted for local gigs!

Back into the studio and experimenting with Double tracking edit - not as intimate though so decided against this. 

That evening did filming for a crowdfunding vid in support of Nik and I making my music videos. So excited about the project - proving that properly creative video and music making is not dead to AI, and we should not give up!

Pesto baked salmon and tomatoes with sweet potato for dinner with my gorgeous parents while hibernating and watching a new show called “Below”. Literally in bed before 10pm- never have I ever got an adequate amount of sleep until breaking my arm.

SUNDAY.

Straight into the studio AM! Editing harmonies and levels on “The News”. Re-sang a couple of harmonies that didn’t fit so well. Dad and I in the studio on this job from 9am-3pm; and we’re nearly done with this song, so getting everything really tidy and polished before ‘bouncing’ the parts and making stems ready for mixing engineer Matt - when he comes to do my first 4/5 potential singles in the next few weeks!

After a lot of coffee, yoghurt, kiwis, and almond butter - I went out with another circus friend for a much-needed fun Sunday afternoon and yap. (Cocktails, salted peanuts, & live music involved).

MONDAY.

Finally got through to the hospital, which is great because they were not aware I was supposed to get the stitches out and more X-rays done. But now all good in the hood girlies - its being done Wednesdy morning.

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REMEMBER, any questions, rogue thoughts, or exciting updates you have from your life: send me a DM on Instagram (@katiejoy.music). And I'll feature them and respond in next week's letter!

The CIREN FC UPDATE: I actually could not go (fake fan) but my research tells me WE WON (against Bridport) - we are so back. I believe we play this Tuesday at Highworth - unsure if they are any good - but will get back to that when I've scrounged some more info from my Dad (a legit football fan).

Next week: gig rehearsals, albumn name discussions, filming ‘write a song with me’ video series, more hugging horses, sending festival applications, getting this sling off, OCTOBERFEST?? (potentilly), & an ABBA NIGHT (DEFINITELY!)

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Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading about another week in the life of a singer-songwriter horsegirl, soon to release music ur gonna love. And her hectic type B, pro side-questing family.

There will be more stories, behind the scenes music and songwriting content, and general yapping on a weekly basis. Message me on instagram if theres something specific you want to know or see :)

*Stay tuned and active on the socials my pookies, be part of the team and help me get to where people can hear my music!*

@Katiejoyella

Signing off, bye, love ya.

Katie Joy xx