A Chat with Jo Beth Young (07.03.24)
With mesmerising melodies, silvery vocals and a rush of hypnotic charm, singer-songwriter Jo Beth Young is renowned for her authentic, genuine and creative music. Flitting from dreamy folk to alternative pop and indie-rock, Young is a talent not to be pigeonholed. We speak with her about her recent album Broken Spells, what music means to her, future plans, and experiences that make her feel old.
OSR: Cliché but what made you decide to become a musician? What drew you to music?
Young: A bit of a cliche answer too! I started singing before I could talk. I don’t really remember a time when I didn’t sing or make up songs so it wasn’t a point in life that I decided to become a musician as such. However, I think it was in my teens that I realised this was more than a hobby to me, it was something I was deeply passionate about exploring. I started singing in Church as a soloist as a child and I was going through many challenges including being bullied very badly. I think I realised then what a healing refuge music was and I’ve always had a motivation to provide a refuge for others in the music I make, if that’s possible.
OSR: What can you tell us about your most recent album Broken Spells? Is there a theme or backstory?
Young: Broken Spells started from the track ‘Burning’ which was an improvised and very prescient song I wrote just before lockdown existed. The whole concept of the album is to explore personal and collective spells that can and may need to be broken. It was a very personal journey for me to make it as I was questioning everything in my life and the world at the time. I started asking hard questions about goodness and evil, darkness and light, the nature of illusions and spells and whether I could be brave enough to admit I could have been wrong about many things. Most remarkable was the fact I became a born-again Christian during the making of this album. That really was the spiritual outcome of my own revelations after a lifetime of being wrapped up in all kinds of ‘new age’ spirituality (for want of a better word.)
Ultimately it’s understood that spells can be caused by words that are spoken over our lives or things we’re told that are not true that we then buy into. That could be a comment that was made about you as a child or a media message or government policy.
OSR: What was the most exciting and most challenging part of creating Broken Spells?
Young: The most exciting part was learning to make music in a different way than before. I explored using loops and many more electronic ideas on this record. This was in no small way due to battling with hand pain/rheumatism caused by Lupus that was stopping me from playing guitar. I thought I would not be able to play at all at one point so I experimented and ended up making ‘Brigid’. It was a total relief to learn I could still make music and could find a way! I’m relieved and blessed to say I no longer have lupus symptoms but the battle was part of making a new sound. It’s also always exciting to make music with the amazing musicians I’m lucky to work with too!
Challenging-wise was that I mixed half of the album myself. This was due to being turned down for a grant 5 times to complete the album. I’ve never mixed before and don’t feel qualified at all! But at least this album really does have my fingerprint on nearly every part of the process!
OSR: How do you feel Broken Spells compares to your previous material?
Young: I feel Broken Spells is quite a different album. It’s probably the deepest material I’ve delved into and due to the nature of the experimentation in sound and mixing, I’m imagining it sounds quite different too.
OSR: What inspires you to make music?
Young: I think there are many inspirations. Firstly, there’s a compulsion to make music in that I simply function better as a human when I make music and it’s a natural part of my life. Even if no one gets to hear it, I’d still make it. Next, I think life, nature, the need to understand truth, to self-explore; that is also an inspiration. I also believe music is one of the greatest healing arts we have, and that inspires me as well as all the amazing music I hear.
Last of all, music is worship. Wether you believe it or not, we’re all designed to worship something in life and music is designed for that and therefore it inspires me to create that worship, even if it’s to worship your way out of the darkest corner of your life. Music brings a balm of hope and healing. It’s healed me and I hope it can do that for anyone that hears it.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Young: Very much what I’ve said above really. It has felt like music has given me so much in life. It’s given me the strength to carry on. Songs have seen deeper into me than anyone around me sometimes. Music has connected with me and met me in an intimate place beyond words. I think that’s what it does to all of us. It’s a language of the heart. It’s my love language I guess!
OSR: What is your creative process?
Young: Because I’ve been making music since I was a child, I think my process is still quite childlike! It’s experimenting, trying things, not being afraid to make mistakes. I don’t have one way of doing things. Sometimes words come first, sometimes melodies come first, sometimes it’s music, sometimes it’s improvisation. I think that what keeps me going is to keep it playful and fun in its creation. To approach things in your own way and not to worry too much about it if it’s the ‘right way’ to make music.
OSR: Random questions: You have been in the music industry for about 15 years (give or take). What advice do you have for young, upcoming artists?
Young: I’ve been in the industry probably longer than that to be fair. I give very much the same advice. First of all, know WHY you are doing it. Being a musician can be thankless. Rejections are thick and fast and my advice is to get used to it and be thankful for rejections. They either teach you what to do better or they protect you from working with people who are not the right match for you. Be prepared to work hard but be prepared to be rewarded by those who support you.
We have a tough life being musicians, it’s not stable, there’s a lot of ‘luck’ involved and it’s a very changeable, sometimes very dark industry. Don’t devalue yourself or override your principles. Ultimately, you are totally unique. Not one person in this whole world can do what you do, the way you do it. That is your superpower and there are definitely people out there waiting for your particular way of doing things. Don’t be afraid to be the first to do something and please don’t worry about your age or it being too late. Music is timeless.
OSR: What recent experience made you feel old?
Young: Apart from holding labels far away to read them properly you mean? 😂 I think realising how old some of the music I grew up with now is! I think I feel ‘older’ rather than old. There are many rewards that come with getting older, not least that you’re not so driven in an unhealthy way. You know why you’re doing things and you’re less willing to put effort and energy into things that don’t hit the mark for you. Integrity and peace of mind become the bigger achievements. Overall, I think I love learning now more than I did when I was younger and I’m excited about that, about challenging myself.
OSR: What can we expect from you in the future?
Young: After this album journey is over, I’m starting work on another project that has been on the sidelines waiting for this record to get out of the way, so I’ll be squirrelling away on that! I’ll be sharing more about that later in the year and carrying on with my Patreon and newsletter Vlogs. I’ll be doing a couple of live shows later this year and I’ll be exploring worship music and music for worship too! I’m excited to try out some new things now and to share them.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Young: Just a HUGE thank you for taking the time to read this interview. I’m honoured you spent your time having a read of this. If you want to hear any more from me, I have a newsletter where I send out vlogs and other things! You are welcome to join me there .. it’s on my website www.jobethyoung.com
Many thanks to Jo Beth Young for speaking with us. Find out more about Jo Beth Young on her official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
