KATIE JOY MUSIC, 27th October.

Heyaaa my lovelies and thank you so much for clicking on
this, for supporting my music, and for showing an interest in my crazy life. I can't wait for you to hear a new song soon!

Special hiya to any newbies :) get involved on instagram to see what I'm making at the moment, and feel free to send me a message any time! I want to hear what you're up to.

Lets get into it with the weekly newsletter update…

Covering: 

• Studio: reherasals, new gigs, new songs, my band being my fave people, live covers - a new way of recording guitar
• Being quite social?
• Night out with racing lot. Irish bars.
• Cassie dramatic haircut, very mean pony 
• Still no physio 
• A lot of work, a lot of horsey admin 
• VETTING REPORTS AND READING X-RAYS
• Flared jeans and boots every time I leave the house
• Some more local pubbage :) surf boy?
• ITCHING TO FINISH THIS ALBUM SO I CAN MAKE ANOTHER ONE 
• Still no Thai food :(( Hopefully next week
• Good soup, good vibes, still broke.

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: 'Sweet Virginia' by The Rolling Stones. & ‘Strangers’ by The Kinks. 
2. My watch recommendations: ‘The Last Picture Show’ (movie), & ‘The Durrells’ (always a winner, filled with love and nostalgia).
3. THE cup of coffee of the week: a large one, a strong one and a sweet one. Also been on it with the earl gray though?
4. Aims for next week: get riding? Book more gigs, enter festival competitions, keep trying to find a drummer! Figure out a Halloween outfit, and find some cash to book a train and get to Clapham (for Halloween)! Make a hell of a lot of reels and step up the social media (kinda annoying).
5. My pictures of choice to capture the vibes:

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

SO this week: guitars in stereo, a new bassist, big rehearsals, and a rather exciting feeling that things are actually starting to come together.

My band is growing into something I’m really rather proud of. Arthur and I have been joined by Ethan on bass (a genuinely brilliant fit, both musically and as a human), and we've been bashing out songs, finding our groove, and getting a live set together. It's a very different thing hearing your songs played back at you by actual people, through actual big amps, rather than just two people going quietly insane listening to them over and over again. And I LOVE it. We're also working on some very cool covers for the live set, but you'll have to come to a gig to find out what those are.

On the album front, I'm still chipping away at the finishing touches. ‘Way Back Home’ is developing into something really special - that process will be in Instagram Reel format this week. And I've been getting some of the more delicate guitar parts down in the studio - which, given my current inability to properly use my right arm, is quite the exercise in patience, occasionally foul language, and help from my Dad. 

There's been more vocal editing, more bouncing parts down to disk, more stems, more admin, and a very exciting meeting about the release strategy. We're getting closer to booking in those all-important mix dates, and I am ITCHING to get these songs finished and out into the world.

It's a funny thing, making your first album. You spend so long writing, re-writing, recording, changing your mind, and wondering whether anyone will ever hear the things you're making. Then suddenly, little bits start coming together, and you can hear the record that you've been imagining for so long. It's still a bit of a mad juggling act — especially with a broken arm, a horse to sell, a slither of a social life, and approximately £2.47 in your bank account — but I really do think this one's going to be worth it.

Teas spilt in the studio this week: actually none. Dropped some hummus into the grooves of the carpet though.

Teas that got cold and not drunk: more like 15.

So, now moving on to Life day by day. 

TUESDAY.

Work work work. A lot of writing, a lot of video editing. Sat in a coffee shop on the laptop from 8 am until 1 pm, organising auction, content plans, set list, gigs, and festivals. Notably have also been making up a separate auction catalogue with my Dad to (sadly) sell off the Red Box memorabilia. We need the space, and the money - if we’re going to finish my debut album in a timely manner! I won’t be back working riding out the racehorses for another month or so :(  And things have been stressful enough lately, so the breathing space is crucial! And hopefully the items will mean a lot to the fans that purchse them. 

Stopped off to try and sell my old phone only to discover the back is smashed, the screen has been replaced with an illegitimate dupe, and it overheats when charged for more than two mins at a time. (I had forgotten about that stuff). Anyway, it did not go to plan. 

So headed home for lunch and to start going through and helping Dad make notes on the memorabilia. As well as sort out the auction rules. It will likely take place in November - and do message me if you are a music fan considering a Red Box piece. It’s really cool stuff!

Dropped by the stables in the evening to get some more videos of Cassie moving for potential buyers. 

Chilled eve and dinner. We’re all really locking in and sticking together to try and get financially secure, to be honest! 
 

WEDNESDAY.

Giving Lucy a jump in the morning, putting poles and gymnastic exercises out for her in the pouring rain and wind - literally matted my hair into one big knot. But she was a star, such a lovely balanced canter already. And improving every day.

Then a lot of life sorting, more financial panic, and the morning's hours spent on admin to sell Cassie. Selling horses is a fairly thankless task with the current market being very poor - and it’s always very sad on top of that. But I have a broken arm, and my album must be finished and PROMOTED. So quite a lot going on really.

Very lovely tomato soup lunch which improved my mood 10-fold, alongside receiving a clean 5-stage vetting and X-rays for Cassie. 

Afternoon spent signing documents and reading the fine print of vetting and conditions of sale/what else I need to do. 

Got outfitted and met up with bestie Poppy to take my mind off everything in the evening, and we basically had a full life rundown and love life debrief. As well as making plans for what we want to do with friends before Pops heads off to Kenya in a month or so. 

Sat in a very upright seat: 

Saw Rat Boy later on in the evening, which turned into a couple of gin and tonics and lots and lots and more yapping. Make of that what you will..

THURSDAY.  

Whaaaaat a day, whaaat a long one. Hectic horsey admin and running around! (After very minimal sleep).

Started by picking up a rental Horsebox, and heading straight to the stables early with quite a lot of coffee and orange juice - universal cure (for whatever last night was). Got Cassie ready to go, loaded her and took her to a friend's yard nearby to get some footage for a music video and artsy content, show off her flatwork for sales, as well as sedate and clip her. (This means to shave her hair off so she looks smart and professional for her sale, as well as so she doesn’t get so sweaty). 

This entailed quite a lot of drama and about 7 hours of sharp, jumpy, might-crush-you-like-a-bitch horse behaviour. Also involved my left hand incompetently clipping her face. We live, and we learn: don’t break important bones at important times. 

Anyway, we finally finished and groomed her before Matti hopped on and schooled her round for the flatwork video. She was very good, thanks matti! 

Rushed off despite some fear of the hire lorry from Cass (I love my mares👎🤸‍♀️🙂‍↔️🤬🤝). 

Got her settled in back at home as quick as possible, as I had band practice starting in 30 mins, and Arthur and Ethan arriving with lots of leads, amps and guitars. 

Only to then have a very big very traumatic palaver with a half-dead, very sick pigeon in the muck heap that we could not stop from suffering. Yet again knee deep in shit 10 mins before band practice 👍. 

Anyyyway… so happy with new bassist Ethan - match made in heaven, cool jeans, cool playing, nice guy.

FRIDAY. 

Sorting farrier this morning, editing videos of horses and posting to YouTube, alongside coffee with my lovely cousin and her (Ciren FC hero) fiancé 🫶✨. 

Had a doctor referral call mid-morning to try and get physio for my arm - as I still can’t do any twisting at all, and I should be getting specialist rider’s physio, hopefully at Oaksey House. Bearing in mind the specialist and demanding use of my arm for my riding and competing, guitar playing, and work riding the racehorses and shovelling shit: lack of strength is not really an option! Will update you on that. 

1 pm had a Music biz meeting with a release strategy expert - talking about timings, distributors, Spotify, promotion, and applications. Went very well. 

Ethan and Arthur for band practice again until late, bashed out 3 or 4 songs and we are definitely a’ grooving and a’ moving. 

Honestly was supposed to go out and see people but already 9pm with a dead social battery by then. So went out for a quick cosy Italian meal with my parents :) Before calling it a night early. 

SATURDAY.

Helped bestie Poppy (girly from the other day!!) plan her Kenya trip in the AM, and painted my toenails finally. Before doing gig + festival application admin, and email replying. As well as searching for a keen drummer on BandMix! Had lunch - nothing beats me a chicken satay sauce and neverrrr will.. 

Met up with a BOY. He surfs, good vibes, no complaints. Before a big old Cheltenham night out after race day with my co-workers at the race yard. 

Very spenny, packed Irish bar but 10/10. Fab live music. People who work with horses are always batshit and never boring, thank you, Lord 🙏✨. Also saw surfer boy again, and deeply struggled to get a cab home. But all good in the hood by 3am I would say.  

SUNDAY.

Extra hour of sleep much appreciated. 

Back on it with the work Sunday morning. In a (THE) coffee shop with Molly. Festival applications very much getting further underway🙂‍↔️🤘🏻, as well as organising which UK and European festivals to apply Red Box band for in 2027. Then went on a walk with a yap, before picking up and taking heavier winter and waterproof rugs up to the stables. 

Lunch and recording picky, delicate guitar in studio. Going on a quick run, and meeting Nik for a videography meeting before a chilled evening watching The Diplomat, editing more guitar, and a fish dinner :) 

MONDAY.

Coffee catch-up with Charlotte, errands, paperwork, etc. More time spent on the BIG old search for a local drummer! 

I'm gonna go work in the studio now… more on this Monday next time you're reading, I imagine!

……(Can conclude I finished work, and my childhood joined-at-the-hip since being 5-year-old horse girls, best friend Georgie came to stay). Quite a nostalgic, emotional catch-up - and so lovely to reconnect. Lots of yapping and a Drillman's visit, before a lovely cosy dinner and chilled eve.)

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The CIREN FC UPDATE: 4-1. I was unfortunately a busy gal on Sat, so I did not see Ciren win (we won!!) - meaning, alas, I am sadly not the lucky charm :(

But I heard it was good, and soon-to-be family member Harley DID score. So no complaints. 

Home game next Sat, don't hold your horses.

Next week expect: Long-lost childhood bestie update, and a lovely lovely time, physio, BOOKING GIGS (message if ur in Cotswold or Southwest area!! Surf boy??!! Big ol lots of band practice, band bonding, HALLOWEEN partay and night out IN LONDON, getting some more songs to completion - ready to mix. (Well, hopefully raising money to pay my mixing engineer? Maybe I'll have to organise a heist?)

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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 there's 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