INTERVIEW – Mollie Coddled @ Manchester’s Year’s End Festival
14 December 2023
Joely June brings us a vulnerable folk pop ballad with ‘Not a Crier’. Previous singles from the indie folk singer-songwriter include the upbeat ‘Cool’ and ‘Time and Space’, which delivered shoegaze rock textures and soaring melodies. ‘Not a Crier’ returns to her acoustic roots, as a song showcasing vulnerability under a brave face. Joely June has been featured on numerous Spotify editorial playlists, championed by BBC Introducing and racked up an impressive 50,000 all time streams in 2023. She has played live across the UK on tour including at Truck Fest, Rough Trade, The Folklore Rooms and selling out her homecoming show in Oxford.
In the film photos that can be found across her social media, Joely can be seen wearing chunky Doc Martens, pale blue old school jeans and vintage waistcoats, frequently pitched against a backdrop of a vibrant, nostalgic spring. Joely’s sonic aesthetic matches this casual lo-fi look; her music often feels like summer in a song. It is only fitting that her latest single ‘Not a Crier’ is a breath of spring air, with a wash of warm textures supporting her rich yet delicate voice.
‘Not a Crier’ begins with a lo-fi, sparse texture cut through with gritty and metallic guitar. The tender acoustic playing introduces Joely’s heartfelt voice, which comes in singing ‘give me just a second / need to catch my breath again’. The mix gives us more space to hear her soft vibrato; the vocals are close miced, illuminating every breath and articulation of the honest lyrics. The song is an anthem for those of us who cannot bear to break under pressure: the hook ‘I’m not a crier/ but for you it’s all I do’ lands an emotional twist on the last line of the chorus. The swung three time is picked up by the introduction of soft drums, building from verse two onwards, giving it an americana feel. A slide pedal steel adds to this rocking country ballad, as the drums drive the track and vocals build in strength. Whilst regaining an air of vulnerability and ethereality, Joely’s voice passionately insists that in every heataching stage of her life she has had ‘two dry eyes every time’, before resigning once again that crying is ‘all I do’.
‘Not a Crier’ is the crack in an emotionless facade; here strength is showcased by vulnerability instead of being ‘dry eyed’. Having brought us indie rock, shoegaze alt pop and most recently a heartfelt folk ballad, we look forward to what more variety this era of Joely June will bring us.
