New Zealand based music artist Joy Adams has always sung. “I would be the one who would get up in class at school and sing at around the age of five or six. My dad had a great voice as did my aunty and cousins. I loved family get-togethers,” she recalls.
At around the age of 12, Joy Adams was in school productions and also played the Melodica in the school orchestra. She began to sing in the local Country Music Clubs, doing a lot of small concerts with other singers. Her dad bought her her first guitar at the age of 14. “A beautiful Ibanez I had to grow into because it was the jumbo size. I still have it,” she notes.
Joy Adams loved doing productions at High School and was in Oliver and Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Only a few years ago, she was Sister Hubert in Nunscense, which was so much fun for her.
After taking a near ten year break from music to get married and have children, Joy Adams began to write songs in her thirties. The first song she wrote was called ‘Come Home Baby Darling’, which went on to win NZCMA Best Country Song in 1990 and won me the coveted title of NZCMA Songwriter of the Year in 1990. People started to catch on to the song at shows, so she recorded the track. She went on to write and release more songs, and awards followed, and then her debut album came out in 1992.
Joy Adams notes that she was influenced by the music that was playing on the radio growing up, or on her parents’ old stereogram. When she was 16-years-old, the first record she bought was Marty Robbins. My treasured records include ‘The Best Of The Smith Girl’ – Connie Smith and Hank Snow and Anita Carter. “I do enjoy some of the music coming out of Nashville but I certainly favour the more traditional sound,” she comments.
Moving forward to 2023, Joy Adams has released her brand-new highly-anticipated 12-track album, Just One Little Thing. The title cut and accompanying video approaches the subject of it only taking one small thing to make a huge difference in someone's life. There are 12 cuts that while having country music leanings also appeal to an adult contemporary market. Traditional, strong harmonies, excellent subjects, and positive reinforcement of values in a time that the world struggles. For an album that wasn't supposed to happen it's a pleasant reminder that the world can survive with, “Just One Little Thing.”
Joy Adams comments on the album, “My hope is that people will enjoy the mix of songs on this album, clear vocals and lovely instrumentation. The album is not ‘overproduced’.”
The title-track is a powerful song. It’s very different from what Joy Adams has ever written. She’s worked with producer Gary R. Farmer, who has been quietly producing albums for artists worldwide for the last 30-years. He started working with her and kept proding her to try new things. They started co-writing together, which is something he always steers clear of. "Things can get messy with co-writes. Publishing, percentage of ownership, song direction, production, just lots of variables to take into account. We have a good working arrangement. I do a music background and an idea. She runs with the lyrics and melody....it just works.”
When Joy Adams discussed this project, she told Gary R. Farmer how she got her then 10-year-old grandson to do some voice-overs for her for her radio show. “He walked out of here 10 feet tall and bulletproof. That one little thing made a huge difference to his confidence. Likewise, I believe we should all do random acts of kindness. It doesn’t have to cost money. Just sitting listening to someone’s story. Holding their hand when they are ill, giving someone flowers from your garden,” she comments.
This song and associated video is supposed to make you think. The rest of the album is pretty traditional. A mixture of old country standards like Buck Owen’s Act Naturally, Make The World Go Away, Columbus Stockade Blues and of course the original songs Gary R. Farmer and Joy Adams created.
Joy Adams notes that this is the last album she will create. “I will still write songs and release them on downloading platforms but it’s not likely there will be another album.” Going into more details about this shocking revelation, she continues, “During the recording of this album, I had real challenges with my voice. Nodules are a singer's worst nightmare. My issues are still ongoing, but having the luxury of recording these songs at home when my voice was strong and clear has made me feel very proud. of what we’ve come up with. This is album #21 for me and I absolutely believe it’s my best.”
“I’d love listener’s to put my CD or download my music to listen to in their car,” Joy Adams comments on what she wants listener’s to take away from her music. “turn it up really loud and sing to their heart's content. To know that you don’t have to be signed to a major label or base yourself in Nashville to have a beautifully recorded album.”
Joy Adams, has had a long and eventful career. She has recorded over 20 successful albums, traveled the world performing, won numerous awards, had her songs recorded by other artists, been a DJ, a philanthropist with the StarBuddy Charitable Trust which she founded, and the list goes on and on. She has had the type of career today's country music artists dream of. The laurels of her successes would be something to retire upon. And Joy had fully intended to do exactly that. COVID restrictions caused the elimination of public performance and it seemed the perfect jumping off point to complete her career on a high note having just received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Zealand Country Music Association.
With all of this said, Joy Adams has had a lot of musical highlights, thus far. She notes, “Doing shows in Denmark and Norway. Hanging out backstage at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and meeting two of my favourite singers – Connie Smith and Hank Locklin. Meeting Kenny Dale from the USA who was a super star here in NZ and then getting to organise a very successful 13 show tour for him in New Zealand.”
Joy Adams wants to write that one song which will make a difference to her career. “I have a huge network of friends from my travels. I’m not done travelling yet,” she notes when asked about her mission as a music artist. “Hopefully I can help those coming up through the ranks in the future. Ultimately, I’d like my children to be proud of their mum and know that they can achieve anything they set out to do if they want it badly enough. I'm still living my dream.”
The album is available at all download sites and direct CD sales.