In this interview with Joy Burklund, the artist opens up about her album Songbouquet, exploring its themes of personal change, love, and community. The album was inspired by a period of immense growth and transformation in Joy’s life and serves as a tribute to the people who supported her along the way.
Joy discusses the importance of love and partnership, especially within the context of her own journey as a trans woman. She also speaks to the collaborative nature of the album’s creation, emphasising the invaluable contributions of the Philadelphia trans music community.
For Joy, music and activism are deeply intertwined. Her live performances often raise funds for social causes, reflecting her belief in the power of music to create change. As she continues to explore her identity and challenge societal norms, Joy’s music remains a powerful expression of self-discovery and a celebration of the trans experience.
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Hi Joy, thanks for taking the time to speak to Lock! How’s the start of 2025 been for you?
Weird! I keep telling people I feel like as I age it feels the contrast dial on life keeps getting cranked harder. World: bad. Personal life: pretty amazing. High highs and low lows, I suppose!
Songbouquet explores a period of immense personal change in your life. Could you elaborate on how these experiences shaped the album’s overall themes and lyrical content?
I think that time in my life (roughly Spring 22-Fall 23) was the roughest and also best time in my life so far (again with the heavy contrasts). A painful (re)birth. There was a lot of internal growth happening, so that’s where my energy was focused. The songs exist as a record and a byproduct of that period. It’s also a love letter to the people I became close with and evolved alongside thru it all.
The single “Steady Heart” is a touching tribute to your long-term partner. How did your relationship inspire this song, and what role does love and partnership play in your music?
I often say all my songs are love songs- be it for partners, for the self, for community, or for an idea. Steady Heart is one I wrote for my husband. We’ve been together for 19 years, and started dating in high school- over 10 years before either of us transitioned. To me, the album is about change, but that song is about gratitude for a constant love. It’s a hell of a lot easier to change when you feel loved and supported. I’m real lucky that’s what happened in my case. A lot of trans people don’t have that close interpersonal support during their transitions.
Your music draws inspiration from anti-folk artists while incorporating indie punk elements. How do you blend these genres to create your unique sound, and who are some of your biggest musical influences?
In high school, I was lucky enough to have friends who would put Kimya Dawson next to Ted Leo & the Pharmacists next to Cat Power on a mix CD. All of it is in there (points to heart) somewhere. Instead of pursuing any one sound in my musicmaking, I just trust those voices to come thru and support me when I need them. If there is an aspect of genre that I do find useful, it’s thinking about it as musical lineage. I was fortunate to fall in with Diane Cluck through her songwriting class, who later would mentor me in some of the writing of these songs. And her connection to the anti-folk scene definitely brought forward my love for that really uncool (complimentary) heart-forward-freak music I first listened to when I was in my teens.
Songbouquet was produced by Mattie Chaya Kimberly Klauser and features many trans and queer collaborators. Could you speak about the importance of community and collaboration in your music-making process?
Despite this being a solo record, its creation top to bottom was deeply collaborative. Mind you, I don’t know how to do any of this (gestures broadly). Kimi Klauser was a champion for this project (you have to look up her bands Pillow Princess and Mandy Valentine). I’ll die indebted to her. And I also must shout out Pansy Lee Erskine who at the very beginning of this project helped spin my measly chords into the rich sonic tapestry of arrangements you hear on Songbouquet.
You’ve mentioned that the creation of Songbouquet was a “collective labor of love” by and for the Philadelphia trans music community. How did this sense of community impact the album’s sound and message?
I wouldn’t be making this record if it wasn’t for all the phenomenal trans and queer musicians and music lovers in Philly who’ve encouraged me, inspired me, and pulled me out of my self-doubt. It’s been true of my past creative lives that the works of art fade away, but the friendships endure. I try to always remind myself before any performance, recording session, rehearsal- that’s the important thing.
Many of your live performances have been fundraisers for local mutual aid efforts and social causes. How does your music intersect with your activism, and is there any message you hope to convey through your performances?
The way we take care of each other in this deeply inequitable and extractive time is so important. Music has always been a part of social movements, and the way we gather has always been political. Is there really that much difference between organising a show and organising a protest? Sure, a lotta my songs are about having a dumb crush, but even sharing our gushy feelings can be an act interconnected with the way we dismantle forces of oppression.
The press release mentions that you started coming out as trans publicly in 2022. How has your journey of self-discovery influenced your music and artistic expression?
For me, transition is not just about changing my gender. It is about realising- oh, if this one aspect of my identity (assigned to me non-consensually) can be changed for the better, how else can I locate the assumptions in my life that are invisibly blocking my way? How can I throw the sheet over the ghosts in my house so I can chase them out the back door? More songs about chasing ghosts forthcoming, I promise.
What do you hope listeners take away from Songbouquet, and what are your aspirations for the album’s impact on both the trans community and the broader music landscape?
I wanna say the takeaway is “trans is beautiful, dumbass!” … but in case that comes off as crass, I’ll simply stick to “trans is beautiful.”
Finally, any shows or upcoming events you’d like to shout about?
Our record release show is March 26, 2025 at PhilaMOCA in Philadelphia! Very trans lineup featuring Lizdelise (@lizdeliseband) and Lars (@lars.is.me).