'Paper Moon': Joy Downer's dreamy alt-pop release is a personal diary filled with groovy bass lines and wisdom
Joy Downer's highly anticipated debut album 'Paper Moon' is set to drop on June 5 and this collection of alternative dream-pop tunes is sure to get you grooving.
"Joy Downer, she’s not a downer at all," quips Downer when asked to describe herself. The musician was one of 10 children. Raised in the Mormon Church by parents who were musicians themselves, Downer's childhood was a sea of music ranging from Broadway musicals to disco to punk, all of which helped shape her own style. She found herself writing music throughout school, both as a way to retain the information she was receiving in class as well as to help her cope with feelings she would later learn to be depression. Following high school, Downer pursued a modeling career that took her all over the world, before eventually making her way to Los Angeles after a chance recording session at her brother’s studio led her to meet the man who would become her partner in music and in life, Jeffrey Downer.
Downer released her debut EP 'Radio Dreamer' in 2017 and not long after she found herself on board to sing a cover of 'Over the Rainbow' for a Honda TV ad. And not long after that, Downer's track 'In the Water' found a home as the theme song to Netflix’s 2020 Original Series 'Spinning Out'. With the EP bringing Downer critical and commercial acclaim, many were already waiting in anticipation of where she would take her sound next.
'Paper Moon' sees Downer take her soft, almost haunting sound to new heights. Her vocals are beautifully layered over classic synths, drum machines and guitars, all seamlessly blended together as part of nine tracks written, recorded and produced by the Downers in their Los Angeles home.
'Getaway Car' definitely carries more of Downer's familiar haunting sound while elevating her musicality to a new level. 'A Song You’d Never Want to Hear', which dropped on May 6, is an infectiously dreamy track that features some tongue-in-cheek lyrics that see Downer reminisce about ill-fated young love. The song was largely written spontaneously after Downer heard her husband play a "sweet bass line," and the words that spilled out of her in that first take are largely what ended up on the final song. "I always thought I would replace with some more clever and poetic words or a better vocal take, but when I listened back to the idea, I thought about how it put me back in the mindset of my 17-year-old self. How it resonated with who I was when I used to write romantic sappy songs for my high school boyfriend. He never really cared for them, or for my singing," stated Downer in an interview with Grimy Goods.
Following track 'Plastic Wrap', a collaboration between the Downers and musician, visual artist and painter Darren Le Gallo, has an even groovier bass, bringing in some retro disco vibes to the album. Earmilk, who premiered the track, likened the track to "Eurythmics with a distinctive modern twist," perfectly encompassing Downer's ability to be a versatile artiste while also maintaining a cohesive sound throughout the album that is recognizably hers.
Downer, no longer a member of the Church she once grew up in, does still awards some of the credit for her music and spirituality to her upbringing. The intense connection she continues to have with her family is a big part of her creative process, and she states that is the reason she included them on 'Paper Moon'. Speaking about this choice Downer states she "sampled voicemails from both my Mom and Dad, had my Mom play piano, had my brother Jon sing and play guitar at the end, and my sister Jaime played some harmonium."
Downer's brother, Jon Bishop, features on both 'Neon Turns' and the title track, 'Paper Moon', and evidently the music gene runs in the family, since Bishop's contributions, despite being subtle, add layers of emotion to the tracks that complement Downer's own perfectly.
"There’s even the song I started writing at age 17, that I didn’t 'sell to a real singer like Britney Spears'," Downer adds, thinking back on a suggestion a high school boyfriend made after hearing an early version of 'A Song You’d Never Want to Hear'. Thankfully, she held on to the track and has finally blessed us with a bop.
Speaking about the album, Downer concludes, "The collection of songs on 'Paper Moon' feel, to me, like diary entries in the form of songs. Inspired by my own personal experiences and thoughts. The inspiration was very much channeling-driven in the case of most of these songs."
Joy Downer’s debut album 'Paper Moon' releases on June 5. Follow Downer on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for more.