Q&A: Dark Synth Pop at its Finest, Athena Joy Doesn’t Hold Back in “Blame it on the Brain.”
GOODNESS OF WAR AND WISDOM — Athena, is the name Athena Joy picked as her stage nickname. But her music is far from depicting joy. Her latest single, “Blame it on the Brain.,” is dark yet powerful, with a chorus easy to get stuck on repeat.
The single is based on the time in which Joy suffered from chronic pain. She was unable to play music, and relied entirely on her savings to support herself and keep up with the inhumane Australian healthcare system.
Feeling like the doctor “was basically handing me a death sentence,” Joy poured all her frustrations on paper, and that’s how “Blame it on the Brain.” was born.
To find out more about this dark synth-pop artist, Luna chatted with Joy about her musical project and new single. Read the interview below.
LUNA: How did Athena Joy come to life?
JOY: I suppose the project was kind of born like any kind of music and art created: it was an outlet for my emotional self. I wanted to kind of create this entity/space to be as weird, creative, and dark as I needed to be, which often feels separate from the me who exists in everyday life. I was also really inspired by the Lordes and Lady Gagas of the world, who kind of have this presence to their name. In Greek Mythology, Athena was the goddess of war and wisdom. That's been a large inspiration for my art and music.
LUNA: How has your music changed within the past few years?
JOY: I feel like I've always had a bit of fusion between authentic acoustic instruments, rock electric ones, [and] big pop synths. Early on I feel like I leaned into this fusion a lot, more so kind of using pop synths more as effects or to feel out a dreamy soundscape. Now I lean more into synths as main instruments to represent that gritty, large and dark emotional scape too. My music will always change and evolve as I do personally. This latest stuff I've been working on I feel like needed that forceful, in-your-face dark-pop synth sound to really symbolize the intensity of the emotions behind them.
LUNA: Who inspired your music? Who are your biggest influences?
JOY: Taylor Swift is the reason I and I think a lot of female musicians wanted to be a songwriter. The way she can communicate a tiny feeling and make it resonate and make sense to others is truly a superpower I think we wish we all had. I've also been very inspired by the sounds of Vera Blue, Lorde, Phantogram, Halsey, and many others. Kate Bush is really inspiring, too, with how she owns all her own publishing. I think for a lot of independent artists careers like hers are also very inspiring.
LUNA: Could you introduce your favorite singles you've released so far?
JOY: “Blue” always has a special place in my heart I think because of how positive the experience with it was. From the inspiration/writing process, the recording process, the release process, and how it was received by others, it was all really lovely. That being said, though, in terms of songwriting, I think [“Blame it on the Brain.”] and the ones I have been working on to come out, maybe next year … are my favorite. I feel like it's just a new way of writing for me, and I'm really into it.
LUNA: How did you develop this “new way of writing” that characterizes your music? Will you experiment with other genres in the future?
JOY: I think subconsciously your style will always be influenced by people you listen to a lot … and people you like. I'm really just trying to create music that I like, and hopefully others will like it too. I've always really liked sounds that kind of feel unique and blended. Vera Blue's first EP was like a lightbulb moment for me for what music could potentially sound like, and since then I've always liked music where the production pushed boundaries.
LUNA: Let's talk about "Blame it on the Brain.” What inspired it, and how did it come to life?
JOY: I had chronic pain and I was kind of getting stuffed around a bit by the medical system. I was seeing specialists only to be told to go home and "rest,” and then they would charge me hundreds of dollars for a five-minute appointment — it felt crazy. For context, I wasn't working at the time and [was] living entirely on savings — that money was everything. I think this happened three to four times before I went back to my GP asking for a referral for a second opinion, and he basically told me there wasn't much he could do — it was probably just mental health related and I'd probably just have to learn to live with the pain.
I was in my early twenties, not working because of it, running out of money, not able to sing or play gigs as I loved, and isolated from friends because they couldn't really understand what I was going through. It was the darkest headspace I've ever been in in my life. I felt like the doctor was basically handing me a death sentence. After that appointment, I just went home and sat at my piano and wrote “Blame it on the Brain.,” pretty much as you hear it now — minus the production, of course. I thought I wasn't ever going to be able to release music again so it kind of unleashed this very unfiltered, uncalculated way of writing. I just needed to get the feelings out.
LUNA: Who produces your tracks? How do you choose which producers to work with? Do you have some dream producers you'd like to work with?
JOY: I've worked with Jared Adlem a lot in the past. We worked together on this song initially. While I was kind of dealing with the repercussions of those health issues, pandemic life, etc., the song kind of sat in a closet collecting dust on my hard drive for a couple of years. It was last year that I reached out to another fellow producer, Blake Malone, who's also friends with Jared, just to breathe new life into the song. I wanted to make the song feel new and exciting again.
I believed [it] had potential, but I think after the whole ordeal of getting through it and then also having to pause because of COVID-19's impact on music, it all felt so gray and disheartening. It needed some fresh ears to kind of spin the song on its head. I'm so glad to have worked with Blake as well this time around — they both did a great job. I'd love to work with someone like Flume or Skrillex someday. I'd love to see them in action!
LUNA: Is music your main occupation at the moment? If not, how are you conciliating your day job with your music career?
JOY: Music is pretty much my main job, yeah! I was telling someone the other day [that] I teach kids how to sing and play piano a few days a week, and I was telling them as if it was just my day job and they were like, "So you're a full-time musician? That's not a regular 'day' job." It made me laugh.
LUNA: Have you ever been on tour? If not, would you like to embark on one? Tell us about it.
JOY: When I released my first EP I did a mini East Coast tour from Brisbane down to Byron. It was very fun, and I definitely want to do more touring. The only reason I didn't with my last EP was because it came out in 2020 — not a great year for touring thanks to our friend COVID-19.
LUNA: Who's your dream feature?
JOY: Ooh dream feature... I have to think about this one. I really love Tom Francis — he makes music that speaks to the soul, so to be honest I would love to feature on one of his songs because I feel like it's a little left of field from my singles. There are honestly too many people I could say for this; far too many talented and incredible musicians out there.
LUNA: Where do you see yourself in one year as a musician?
JOY: If I'm honest, I have absolutely no idea, and that's exactly how I want it to be right now. This is my first release in a while due to a lot of big heavy life things. Right now, I just want to be present and take life one micro-step at a time.
