Lazy TeodoraIt’s safe to say that between the March release of her debut EP, heading into blue and her first headline tour, which featured some of the UK’s most iconic indie venues and several sold out shows, Bria Keely, who founded and fronts alternative pop band better joy, has had an eventful few months. And as the singer-songwriter assures us, this is just the beginning of a packed year. Better joy just kicked off its festival circuit and the band also recently announced it will be supporting Amy MacDonald’s forthcoming UK and EU tour at the end of 2025 and beginning of 2026.
I had the chance to chat with Bria -who records and tours under the name of her band better joy- amongst all the excitement to talk about the making of her EP, letting go of perfection to embrace vulnerability and growing into her voice (and into herself).
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First of all, Bria, congrats on the release of your first EP and your debut headline tour! How has the past month been for you with all of this going on?
It’s been wild! Honestly, the most amazing time. I’ve had so much fun playing music in all these different cities and connecting with so many great people; I’m really grateful! But I’m also very ready for sleep! Ha!
Walk us through the journey of bringing heading into blue to life. Are there any particular moments that stick out to you?
Just in general the recording process of this EP was so seamless and fun. It was almost like a coming-of-age in some ways. I had moments where I wrote songs that I didn’t think were any good, then gradually, I built up the confidence to show people and was encouraged to develop and record them. The producer, Mike Hedges, was a nurturing person and really believed in me and my abilities, which had a massive impact. I had a really happy experience making this record and will always be proud of this as my debut EP.
You said in a previous interview that writing heading into blue felt like your first experience of truly believing in yourself as a songwriter and that you chose “blue” because it signifies freedom and self-expression. How do you think you’ve changed as an artist over time?
I’ve grown in confidence, for sure. I’m much more sure of myself now and listen to my gut instinct more. I don’t give my insecurities as much power as I did. I used to think I wasn’t good enough (surprise, surprise!), but I’ve come to accept that I bring what I bring to the table as a songwriter and performer, and I’m happy with that. I have a lot to learn and want to keep evolving as an artist, writer and performer, and that excites me rather than overwhelms me now. I came into this because I love what I do, and sometimes you can forget that, but I’m back remembering it now, and I think that’s why I loved the tour – I really had the best time, I just enjoyed it, embraced mistakes and focused on connecting with the crowd through my songs. It was freeing! I wasn’t self-conscious or anything.
My approach now is: I’m less about perfection, I’m a work-in-progress! I think taking away the pressure of being ‘perfect’ is freeing, and actually leads me to make better art and perform better, for sure.
It struck me as I was listening to your new songs how honest and vulnerable they are. At Lazy Women we write a lot about how personal experiences that many shy away from sharing can be profoundly relatable to others, especially women. Do you ever feel like a song is too personal to share or that you need to set it aside for a bit?
Absolutely! I’ve written things that will never see the light of day, songs just for me! But I’m trying to be braver with the songs and messages I put out into the world, so I’m definitely working on being more vulnerable and being ok with those going out. A song that’s on the EP was close to not going out because I was scared it was shit; I then showed it to my producer and suddenly, we’re recording it properly and I had to get my head around the fact everyone else was going to hear it! But that’s not a bad thing – being scared is normal I think, usually that’s where the magic is!
What did you learn about yourself while working on this album?
To root for myself. And to trust my gut. Big lessons!
I was particularly drawn to ‘can i land the plane?’; the gnawing doubt of whether you will be up to the task and then the quiet acceptance that you can do it felt familiar and intimate. Do you have a favourite song from the EP?
Ah, thank you!! ‘can I land the plane’ felt quite effortless and truthfully, when I wrote it, I never anticipated going out into the world, but it felt quite perfect to end the EP with this message, so we went for it!
I also thought that the notion of ‘can I really do this?’ is so relatable, I want people to know that just because you put a record out there, it doesn’t mean you’re not aching with a bit (or lots!) of insecurity. I’m human at the end of the day, and doubt is a real part of my experience, and I think probably a lot of people’s experiences.
But back to your question, my favourite song changes all the time, but at the minute I would say it’s Couldn’t Run Forever. I love that one.
You’ve just finished your first tour with several sold-out shows, including in London’s iconic Old Blue Last! How did it feel performing for so many live crowds in so many places?
INSANE! I am really lucky to have such a great community of listeners. People travelled to come see us, we sold out 4 shows, I met so many better joy fans who left wearing t-shirts and hats and yeah, I couldn’t be prouder.
Finally, if you had to describe your music in 3 words, what would they be?
Bright, deep, sunshine-indie-pop (technically, more than three words 😉 )
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With heading into blue, better joy takes listeners on an intimate journey of contrasts, confidently mixing uplifting, intricate instrumentals with powerful but sensitive lyrics. Working alongside legendary producer Mike Hedges (the Cure, U2, and Manic Street Preachers) and backed by the rhythmic bass lines and vibrant drumming of her band, Bria Keely is undeniably one of the up-and-coming, indie artists to watch in 2025.
Interview by Teodora Strugaru.
Teodora Strugaru is a UK based Romanian journalist, editor and language specialist. Besides her editorial role at Lazy Women, she is a weekly contributor for Lossi 36’s newsletter, covering primarily Southeastern Europe, and a Ratiu Forum Early Career Journalism fellow, where she is working on a long-form project about the Romanian diaspora in London.
Photo credits: Carys Huws, courtesy of Bandwagon Press