Singer-songwriter Joy Brown unveils her new single, “Bender,” which follows on the heels of last year’s “Prowl,” a song that functioned as both a “love letter and a warning.”
Talking about her new song, Brown says, “I came into this co-write with just the title ‘Bender,’ knowing I wanted the song to feel like a nonstop, high-energy rant. Listen, we’ve all been there. Spirals happen – it’s human to want to get things out of your system. Being this transparent about what goes on in my head while I’m in that state is a wild way to introduce myself to the world, but I know I’m not the only one who is sad alone.”
Brown does not see her story as something with a clear beginning. To her, where she is now feels like a kind of manifest destiny.
Her growth feels guided and intentional. Memphis shaped her with honesty, grit, and a direct spirit. What people see is what they get. She is not playing a part in the story of her life or seeking approval and acclaim. She is simply herself.
Brown began singing lessons at eight, but she did not believe she was good enough to make it as a professional. At eighteen, she stopped singing. At twenty, she moved to Nashville, took an internship, and later worked in artist management, where she helped develop other artists while inadvertently priming herself.
Looking back, she does not see any part of her path as random. Each moment, possibility, connection, and song helped fashion who she is. Everything came together and lined up in a way she could not have planned.
Her songs are confident. Her sound is reminiscent of a blend of Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morissette, and Liz Phair. It’s catchy, evocative, and made to sing along with at the top of your voice. It’s music for people who want to throw off decorum and live like today is all there is.
“Bender” rolls out on shimmering, flickering textures, riding a thumping rhythm that shifts to a syncopated beat topped by alt-rock-laced guitars. The highlight of the song is Brown’s voice, at once revealing and dipped in hints of uniquely inflected phrasing. It’s one of those made-for-indie-pop-rock voices that come along oh so rarely.
On “Bender,” Joy Brown discovers her sonic palette, blending an approachable melody with a measured rhythm and her gorgeous vocals.
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