finishing up the music, I did some work with Brook D'Leau of J Davey, who is a fantastic producer. I adore the shit out of he and Jack. I’m a fan of their music. We even did a show together out here at Temple Bar, which was my first time meeting them. I went in with Brook, and shared some things I had been working on. We decided to create something. I hadn’t been writing in a while, and felt real dusty. I wasn’t sitting so firmly in my abilities. Jack and I were writing to a track that Brook has created. Jack is a brilliant vocal stylist and is super fly. She had some ideas, and as I listened to her, the juices began to flow. The sound was inspiring me, and I ended up writing “Stare at Me” while siting there. As artists, we can be a little unsure, but it had been a long time since I had written anything. It had been several months. Really, at that point when we started working together I was two shakes way from saying fuck music and selling insurance. I was at a very precarious place as it pertained to music. I wanted to focus in, but real life was on my back. It was taking away from my creative focus. It all ended up being a very great igniter for me to revisit the music I had been doing, and to create more. At that point, that’s where I said I was going to do this.
U.G. Digital Mag: I’m glad you did, and so many others are glad as well. Are you completely done at this point?
Joi Gilliam: Oh I’m done and mastered. The album is out in April.
night after night. That offered me a lot of inspiration, and made me focus more on what I wanted to do. For the longest time, my project was going to be called Rebekkah Holylove: Salvation Symphony. My intention was to make it a project that had a very heavy orchestral influence to it. Of course, when you think of orchestra, and I’m such a purist in my mind, I’m thinking I need a small orchestra. Of course, it’s a dumb stupid amount of money (laughing)
U.G. Digital Mag: It’ll make me happy, but I get it (laughing)
Joi Gilliam: Eventually, I will get to some sort of configuration of the Salvation Symphony. I know I will because it’s a goal of mine. I love the symphony and the impact it has had for me. However, I continue to think in my mind what I would call it. Historically, I would come up with a title first and do the music later. This title had been rattling in my head for about 10 years. Once I began to zero in and think about the music, the title changed. I wasn’t sure what it would be, but it wasn’t Salvation Symphony. I really came to S.I.R. Rebekkah Holylove over the last summer. Once I focused on
backing work with him, and brought along two of my very good sisters in music, N’Dambi and Taura Stinton. We began being hired as the Bang Bang girls. That was the very first song we all were on together. After that, we continued to work with Max over the next three years which was great. I’ve been able to go deeper into doing private instruction and teaching a curriculum I developed called artisan Polishing, which is vocal personalization and stage performance mastery for different young artists. I was able to find my legs out here once my daughter left, and figure out more who I am, and diversify my talents. I could be in a more supportive role. I went out with Outkast, and D’Angelo and the Vanguard doing backing vocals once the beautiful and brilliant Kendra Foster decided to focus more on her solo efforts. I was able to feel good about the work I was doing, not front and center. I love a supporting role. I love background vocals, and I love teaching. It all suits me very well. Once some of that slowed down, I began to think more about my own music, particularly when I came off the road with Vanguard. I was wildly inspired, and so proud of my brother D’Angelo for going back out there and killing it night after night. That offered me a lot of inspiration, and made me focus more on what I wanted to do.