San Fran Voice

Tiffany Joy is a worldly woman who has traveled and performed in South America and who moved to San Francisco in 2006 to pursue her lifelong dream of living in the city. As a strong female performer making her way in a world which is often still dominated by men and as a bilingual musician who has recorded in both English and Spanish, Tiffany Joy is an inspiration to creative young, multi-cultural women. Her strength lies in her ability to admit her own weaknesses (yes, even here in this interview), her self-motivation and self-promotion efforts and her unflagging belief in the importance of following your passion.  Mark your calendars for August when her CD release party will happen at The Purple Onion and check her website for other dates when you can see her perform live in the city. Check out her website and her MySpace for more info.

What can you tell us about your musical career so far?

Well, I drove illegally to audition for my first rock band when I was
15…they were a male driven group unwilling to listen to my poetic
Rantings and it was then and there that I decided to teach myself to play
a portable instrument (the guitar) and become my own one-woman show.
That was nearly 10 years ago and it’s been quite a ride since
then. After locking myself in my room for a couple of years, composing
and polishing my songs, I finally felt ready to perform in front of an
audience and played my very first show in January of 2002 to a crowd
of over 60 people packed into a tiny coffee shop/venue in downtown San
Jose. I released an EP called Return to Bliss around the same time
which sold over 1,000 copies.

In 2004, after touring independently
around California as well as abroad (two months in Chile), I was
offered an amazing opportunity to record my first full length
bi-lingual album with producer/artist Marcio Brenes. I decided to
return to school while the album was in production stages so that I could finish my
degree. In 2006, I graduated with my BA in Spanish Linguistics. To
celebrate, I packed up all my things and moved to Buenos Aires,
Argentina for a three-month self-promoted tour. When I returned, I
decided to pursue a childhood dream of mine which was to live in San
Francisco. I am now preparing for the upcoming, long anticipated
release of my bi-lingual album “El Ritmo del Mundo … The Rhythm of
The World” due out August 2007.

If you had to sum up your sound, what would you say?

I have split musical personalities: I’m half latin jazz pop and half indie pop rock.
The album that is coming out is very much latin pop with a strong
Jazz/acoustic influence. It’s lazy Sunday afternoon music. That was
the goal.

I am in the studio now recording a very indie-pop album. All of my
music is incredibly rhythmic with strong melody lines and
unintentionally catchy choruses.

Are there differences between the music you write in English and
the music you write in Spanish?  Would you say they both appeal to the same
people?

Most definitely. My Spanish music is a bit more metaphorical and dare
I say hopeful, while the English music is rawer, more in your face, more
emotional. They may appeal to different groups of people, but it is
my hope that I can somehow find a way to combine the styles and present
it all as me.

How does San Francisco inspire your music?

God, how doesn’t San Francisco inspire me?! I find inspiration on my
morning MUNI ride, my lunchtimes tucked away in the corner of my
favorite Indian restaurant, and in just about everything really. I sat on
my rooftop yesterday as the sun was setting with a glass of wine, my
classical guitar and a journal with handmade pages. It was pretty
close to perfection.

Which spots in the city can you be found in when you’re just out
and about?

 I try to make it out to the open mic on Mondays at Hotel Utah as
often as I can. Friends, drinks, good live raw talent…what more
could a girl ask for? I like to explore - try a new restaurant every
week, that kind of thing.

I’m a sucker for the Mission. Klezmer brunch at Cafe Revolution on
Sunday mornings.  Sangria and appetizers at Limon. Osento for a little
relaxing jacuzzi dip. I like to spend Sundays tripping around checking
out galleries and window shopping.  Shoe-shopping in the Haight. Shabu
Shabu in Japantown. Drinks, pool, and loud indie bands at Edinhburg
Castle …. there’s always something to do here.

Do you have a favorite SF venue?

I love Cafe Du Nord. It was originally an old speakeasy during
prohibition and somehow that whole feeling of a hidden and forbidden
place for expression carried through to today.  It’s as if the walls
soaked in the energy of years of dancing and drinking and music. But
really, there are so many great little venues…. Cafe Revolution,
Hotel Utah … it’s a long list.

Do you have any upcoming live shows?

As far as a tour schedule goes, I’ll probably be staying close to home
this summer … I have a dinner show booked on July 28th
at the Red Victorian on Haight St. plus a few other local shows (dates
pending).

The show that I’m most excited about is my CD release party which is planned for Friday, August
17th. It will be held at the historic Purple Onion and I couldn’t
be happier with the venue or the amazing drummer and bassist that I
have pinned down to play with me that evening.

I have a few more
summer dates pending, so make sure to check the concert page on my
website, or send me an e-mail if you would like to be included on my
on-line mailing list.

Where do you want to be a year from now?

I’d like to have shared my music with as many people as possible, secured
some radio play, and have released my third independent album, Real
Joy, (which I’m now in the process of recording). By then I’ll
probably be thinking about moving back to Buenos Aires where I’ll
work, perform and live in a beautiful little apartment with a balcony
and a view of the city streets. I’m such a romantic.

If there was anything that you could make sure your fans knew,
what would it be?

I get really sad sometimes…it’s true. I feel hopeless and helpless.
I cry and complain and feel like I’m being eaten alive … and I’ve
almost given up on music more times than I can count.

So here’s what I’ve discovered: Following your passion is rarely the
easy road. But in my experience it’s the only way. And in finding and
following what moves you, you have those really priceless moments….
like for me, when I’m making really beautiful music with amazing
players and I look out and see someone…eyes closed….swaying back
and forth. Those moments that make you go…” ah, yes, I remember why
I’m here” … and all is well in your world.