Joy Crookes has spoken to Music Week about battling self-doubt as an emerging artist.
Crookes is signed to Sony imprint Insanity Records and was shortlisted alongside Beabadoobee and winner Celeste for the BRITs Rising Star Award this year. The Londoner starred in Music Week’s On The Radar column earlier this month.
“I'm really proud of myself, but I’m also someone that suffers from a lot of doubt,” said Crookes. “I often feel like it’s never good enough and I need to keep going and keep going. And that's not for the industry or X, Y or Z, it’s just me.”
Crookes has just announced a series of intimate shows for Ibis Hotels for next month and plays Oslo as part of Annie Mac’s AMP London 2020 showcase event.
“I'm really shocked at,the response I’ve had,” the singer said. “I’ve always had quite an anxious brain. I was the type of girl that thought I’d fail my GCSEs and then did really well. Some would say I’m a pessimist.”
Crookes revealed that she “got all As and A*s at GCSE. “They’re the only qualifications I’ve got in my life apart from my driving licence. They say the best drivers pass third time!” she said. “All the people I know that passed first time drive like they don’t know if they own the car or not. That goes for my music if you want to take that analogy, I’ve worked really hard and I continue to put myself through a lot of stress to be able to create what I do.”
I'm really shocked at the response I've had
Reflecting on her journey as a live performer, Crookes said that fans coming to shows has a big impact. “They love everything you do, and they know every word and it’s like, ‘Oh my God.’ But I still struggle with my mind. I have mental health issues and I go through the motions quite a lot. There’s a thing of, ‘If I’ve done it once I can do it again,’ that’s really important to live by.”
Crookes said her live band are like family. “I’ve accumulated this beautiful thing, all I have to do is look at my guitarist, drummer or bass player and it feels so good. We have so much fun while we’re performing.”
The singer plays the first of three Ibis shows in Manchester on March 11, before dates in Liverpool (13) and London (18). Local emerging artists will provide support on each night, with tickets available from March 4.
Click here to read Music Week’s Joy Crookes profile in full.
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