Hailing from the Netherlands, Joyce Martens is a singer/songwriter who began her musical career at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. I first discovered the artist when I stumbled upon her beautiful single ‘Perfect‘, and was completely entranced with her sound and vocals. I then heard ‘Today’ and ‘You Bring Me Home’ and I was completely sold!
Wanting to get to know Joyce a bit better, we were thrilled when she agreed to an interview. Chatting with us about how it all began, her debut EP ‘A Little Time’, and how it’s never too late to follow your dreams, please give a big welcome to our friend Joyce Martens!
Hi Joyce! Thanks so much for chatting with us! Can you tell our readers when your love affair with music began and what made you start writing music?
Hey, thanks for this opportunity for the interview!
I have loved music all my life, but only 3 years ago, I started playing and writing music myself. In 2020, during the first lockdown of the pandemic, I was home with my kids and had to start homeschooling. When I was thinking about how on earth I could fill in their days, I read an article about the ukulele and playing music with kids. Until that time, I had never played any music before and I had the belief I couldn’t. But in the magazine I read the ukulele was very accessible, so I wanted to give it a try. It turned out I loved it!
I remembered I loved singing (although I only did that when nobody was home) and I found a way to express myself by singing and playing songs. So the wish to write an original was conceived because no words are stronger than your own. A year after I picked up the uke, I wrote my first one. I remember, that very first time I put lyrics to a melody, it felt like coming home, like I was supposed to do this and I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. Sometimes I regret I didn’t find out sooner that songwriting is my passion, but like the title song of my EP says; “Sometimes it just takes a little time”. We can’t control our own lives.
So, as you know, I first discovered your music when I heard ‘Perfect’ – and it’s still on my “On Repeat” playlist to this day! Do you remember the song’s “birth” so to speak?
Yes, I do remember very well! I wrote it about a year ago, I had just written ‘Today’ which would become my debut single. When I wrote ‘Today’, I felt like I wanted to record that song professionally and release it. I spoke about my ideas with a few people close to me, some of them supported me but others told me, it might be better to wait and give myself the time to grow as a musician and songwriter. I understood what they said, however, I felt such a strong feeling from inside, I needed to do this, and I still can explain it. I was kinda torn apart between my heart and my mind and the conversations went over and over in my head.
Shortly after, our daughter, who has been severely ill in the past, had to go into the hospital due to a complication. Luckily she recovered quickly, but that life event reminded me, we never know what life has after us. If we really want to do something, we should follow our hearts and do so. The right time to do it will actually never come, because we always keep growing. The time that I would find myself good enough would maybe never come, there would always be something more to work on. While we were in the hospital I started writing ‘Perfect’ and I put all these thoughts in there.
Just a few days ago, you put out your debut EP in the form of ‘A Little Time’. How proud are you of the record and who do you think needs to hear it most?
I am super proud! Being ambitious and a perfectionist, I always want to grow and improve, but sometimes all we need to do is look back and see how far we’ve come. It is only 3 years ago I picked up an instrument, and if you would have told me, I would have released my first EP 3 years later, I would not have believed you. I am so happy it’s out there now, after working for about a year on it. I am happy I have something real to leave to the world and something for my children to have.
All my songs are heartfelt, sensitive stories and I hope they will be heard by the people who need them. From a young age, I have been interested in other people, what they think and what they do. These 5 songs are a way to connect with those people. They are written for the ones that go through rough times, for the sensitive people, for the perfectionists, for the overthinkers and the melancholic ones.
Next to this, I released this EP to show the world you can still follow your dreams and start as a musician, even if you are a mum after 40. I hope to inspire everyone else with hopes and dreams, to never let them be held back by other people that think differently.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences? Who did you grow up listening to? And would you say that your tastes have changed over the years?
My musical influences have been changing through the years, but that said, I have never really been sticking to one genre in particular. I always felt like a musical chameleon. My parents used to listen to classical music. When I was young that was not really my cup of tea, but when I got older, I learned to appreciate instrumental pieces way more. I grew up in the eighties and nineties and when I was a teenager, my friends used to listen to rock and metal music. I myself enjoyed alternative rock music and apparently, I still like the pop rock sound. Lately, I have been more into singer/songwriter, indie, folk and country music. I always like to discover new sounds.
Is there a show or concert that you attended (or perhaps even played at) that just stands out from all of the rest? If so, please do tell.
The latest concert/festival that I have been to stands out the most for me now. It was a small ukulele festival in the north of the Netherlands, called Ukestock. They had a few bands, playing music from the tin-pan-alley genre, featuring ukulele, guitar and double bass. The double bass is so charismatic on stage! Normally I don’t listen to this kind of music but I felt totally inspired. The fun about it is that every piece of music I hear gives me ideas and direction for my own music. Since I have been writing music, I listen to music in a different way and it is really inspiring to listen to how other musicians have crafted their songs.
What song do you love that you wish you’d written?
Recently I discovered a Dutch independent artist called Sylvia Aimee, she just released her new EP. One of the songs on that EP is ‘Odd One Out’. It is a song about embracing being different and following your own path and it felt like I could have written it myself. It is the first time I heard a song that resonated so much with me and with the path I am walking at the moment.
For a very long time, I thought that being different and not fitting in with the crowd was a weakness, but recently I realized that it is actually a strength. I think a lot of creative souls don’t and that makes them interesting people.
Not that I am that bold, but I always felt different from others, making other decisions and thinking differently. It took me 40 years to discover my mind might be a bit weird but I can use that really well in a creative way. Now I am learning to accept myself the way I am.
What do you love most about being a musician? And on the flip side, what are some of the biggest challenges that you’ve faced so far?
What I do love about being a musician is that in my creativity I have found a way to express myself, to heal myself, to connect with others. In my opinion, it is the greatest gift you can be given but it is also the greatest challenge.
When you put yourself out there and you write about your deepest thoughts and emotions, people will look right into your soul. That is just super vulnerable. Every time I release new music I feel like I am naked. I have put my deepest thoughts and emotions in my songs and once they are out there, there is nothing to hide anymore, no masks, no being invisible.
Music is art and is subjective though. There will be people that like what I do and there will be people that don’t. That is natural, but it takes something to accept criticism on something you have literally put your heart and soul in. On the other hand, when the criticism is well-funded, it can help you grow.
What would being successful in the music industry look like for you? And do you see it as an imperative or more of a cherry on top?
Streams and listeners are something objective to measure success, but what means much more to me is when people tell me they genuinely like my music and they are moved by my songs. Personally, that is the best compliment I can get.
“Doing” music is imperative for me. Since 2020 the days that I haven’t played, sung or written are rare. It is something I need in my life to keep standing, to deal with the world. So I will continue doing what I am doing. But next to music, there is also another life that is as much important, like my job in social healthcare and my family, my kids, and my friends. So it’s also a cherry on top. It is both. It is a part of me.
What comes next for Joyce Martens?
I am working on new music at the moment. I am still writing new songs regularly, and I intend to record and release more music. Probably, I will release the first of these new tracks at the end of the year. Maybe there will be another EP or even an album, I don’t know yet. I decided to take my journey step by step, enjoying and cherishing every moment, and we’ll see what comes next. It is a freeing thought, everything is possible but nothing has been written in the stars yet.
