Joy Oladokun 124

A singer and songwriter whose music fuses the deep emotions and confessional nature of classic singer/songwriters with music that encompasses contemporary folk, R&B, and pop, Joy Oladokun is a fiercely independent musician who has built an international audience for her music. While she had been playing guitar since childhood, it wasn’t until 2015 that Oladokun quit her job and took a shot at realizing her dream of making music full-time. She dropped a solo acoustic EP, Cathedrals, that year, and followed it up with 2016’s Carry, a full-band effort that included the single “Shelter,” which introduced her to a wider online audience.

Raised in a small rural community in Arizona, Joy Oladokun began playing guitar when she was ten years old. Inspired by artists like Tracy Chapman, Lauryn Hill, Bob Marley, and singer/songwriters of the ‘70s, Oladokun began writing songs but initially had no intention of pursuing music as a career, preferring to perform for family and friends, sometimes writing them new tunes as gifts. After completing college, Oladokun got a job and was planning to settle into her new position when a friend asked her what she would be doing if money were not a consideration. Oladokun replied writing songs and traveling, and her friend urged her to follow her muse before it was too late.

Oladokun relocated to Los Angeles, and initially landed gigs as a backing vocalist while she honed her craft and played occasional solo shows. In April 2015, Oladokun released a solo acoustic EP, Cathedrals, and later that year launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise the money to record a full-length album. Oladokun was able to raise more than her $30,000 budget, and Carry, featuring backing from a full band, was released in April 2016. Full of personal, emotionally powerful songs, Carry helped Oladokun expand her audience, and she followed it up with touring in the United States and the United Kingdom. The fiercely independent Oladokun continued to record and release new material in a series of singles, with “Memphis” appearing in October 2016, “No Turning Back” in April 2017, and “Sober” in June 2018. ~ Mark Deming

In 2020 she released the full-length album “in defense of my own happiness (vol. 1). Unlike "Carry”, Oladokun worked with other writers on this album, as well as taking more of a role in production.