AcoustiMix: Discoveries — Joy Ike

Today we'd like to tell you about Joy Ike

Polished and precise, yet buoyed with an airy grace, Joy Ike paints with a broad palette that defies easy categorization. The Nigerian-American, Philadelphia, PA-based artist crafts music at turns soaring and plaintive, draped around a voice all dusky suede. Fiery, free, and immediately arresting, Ike possesses a powerful instrument which she wields with humble virtuosity. As warm and beautiful as the lovely tape hiss on an old jazz record, her songs leave the listener uplifted, perhaps a little teary-eyed, and very much satisfied.

Drawn to both down-tempo folk and indie rock as well as mainstream pop, Ike writes from a place of purity, following her muse to create art that speaks from the soul. While her music might be incredibly soulful and rhythmic, it has always resonated more within the folk world, and for that she makes no apologies.

Most recent release: Bigger Than Your Box, April 2018

Also check out: The Pittsburgh native’s cover of Fred Rogers’ (yep, Mr. Rogers) “Won’t You Be My Neighbor.”
”The feel-good video for the song shows Ike dancing and leading children through Pittsburgh’s North Side. The kids look like they’re having the time of their lives making crafts, playing cardboard instruments and swaying to the happy tune. But most of all, it’s an infectious blend of Ike’s folk style with Rogers’ pure lyrics.” —Chris Pastrick, TribLive.com

You can also find Ike on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. (If you go to YouTube, be sure to subscribe to her channel!)