Press

Biography

New York-based singer/songwriter Amy Jay harnesses the power of vulnerability by bringing introspection to the forefront with euphonious alternative indie-folk that conveys her experiences as a deep feeler.

In February 2022, Jay released her first full-length album, Awake Sleeper. The album, whose intimate and honest lyrical storytelling was inspired by Jay’s inner monologue during her train commute, expresses the dichotomy between a quiet exterior and the angst that lies within.

Following that album’s release, Jay reflected on her relationship with her work and the expectation and uncertainty of pursuing a career in music. She found that forcing a cohesive storyline across an album and holding on to songs in order to perfect them was unnecessary, even stifling. “I don’t care about writing a hit song,” she says. “I just want to express the moment and let it go in as real time as I can.”

Jay hopes the feeling of raw storytelling comes through in her fourth project, a series of singles released over the next two years. The songs stray from sectional song structure; not because the music is without integrity, but because Jay aims to capture the emotion of moments as they happen rather than refining them. “Distance can sometimes take you away from the feeling you had writing it and miss the point,” she says. “In the spirit of letting go and not holding things too precious, I thought that even if the song didn’t have the ‘proper form’ but I expressed what I needed, that was enough.”

She feels the less time she spends polishing and tweaking a song, the more accurately she can convey the emotion behind it. As a result, this project will be split between home-recorded and studio-recorded music in an attempt to shorten the distance between writing and releasing a song. Bones, a powerfully bare expression of interlaced grief and hope was a one-take based song she recorded at home with only a guitar and a microphone. Another reflection of the “one-take” mindset lies in the album art, comprised of photos she took on a disposable camera on summer trip out West. In exploring the depth of everyday experiences, Jay aims to reveal truths about identity.

As she continues to navigate her self-expression and search for solace in the music she creates, Jay’s future releases will embody the same refreshing honesty and striking minimalism. In her own words, it’s “melancholy wrapped in melody.”

Listen & Watch

Amy Jay · New Amy Jay

ATWOOD MAGAZINE - “An achingly intimate experience, Amy Jay’s debut album ‘Awake Sleeper’ radiates with tender turbulence: Sonically raw and emotionally moving, it’s the kind of musical upheaval we feel in our bones."
AUDIOFEMME - “An ambitious musical piece, haunting and torrential… [Amy Jay has] a knack for stirring together the synthetic with the organic, and her forthcoming Awake Sleeper continues the work with equally creamy, ethereal blends.”
LOUDNESS - “Disarmingly honest.”
THE REVUE - “Jay’s newest single is reminiscent of the intimacy and emotional power of Lady Lamb and Dacus’ close friend Phoebe Bridgers.”
IMPERFECT FIFTH - “An enchanting, nostalgic new earworm that will have you lost in thought... Amy Jay continues to impress, carving out delicate landscapes and memories as her story unfolds.”
TREMG - “Folk artist Amy Jay needs to be on your favorite playlist if you’re a fan of artists like Phoebe Bridgers. One of the best representations of her signature storytelling is her airy new single “Lucid Dreaming,” a thoughtful track that explores memories and maturation through the lens of public transport.”
AMERICANA UK - “A taut examination of those parts of the personality we tend to keep hidden – or at least try to keep hidden – as we negotiate societal interactions.”
EARMILK - “Over a surreal, nostalgia-inducing soundscape provided by Brooklyn based producer Jon Seale of Mason Jar Music (Feist, Josh Garrels, Aoife O’Donovan), the soft-spoken act delivers a rich, expressive performance that resonates deeply within the soul. Her passionate vocals are only matched by the smooth ambient soundscape she sings over and her genuine, reflective lyrics that everyone can easily relate to.”
WHEN THE HORN BLOWS - “Undeniably beautiful in every way a song could be. Sure, it’s wholesome, but it’s also a very thrilling listen. ‘Hourglass’ highlights Amy’s gift at creating vivid, natural imagery in her lyrics that evoke all of the senses and offers escapism from our own individual reality. ‘Hourglass’ also poignantly philosophizes the passing of time, loving bravely and living in the moment and we are rooting for a happy ending in her love story.”
HIGH CLOUDS - "Amy Jay‘s music will remind you of Laura Marling and by reaching the first spot of iTunes’ New Artist Spotlight, she shows that she is maybe as talented as her. The New York-based singer-songwriter will drop her debut “Supposed To Be EP” on July 15 and the second single, “Only One”, is a smart mix of folk and atmospheric pop music."
SHOUTOUT LA - Guest Post “The biggest thing that keeps me going is having a community of creatives around me struggling together, and connections with the people who resonate with my music.”
VOYAGE LA - Guest Post “Rising Star Amy Jay”

Marketing Drivers

Streaming

Over 800,000 streams on Spotify worldwide
Playlisting on Spotify's 'Folk & Friends'
Playlisting on Spotify's 'Soft + Slow'
Playlisting on Spotify's 'Folk Pop'
Playlisting on Spotify's 'Fresh Finds Folk'
Playlisting on Spotify's 'Fresh Finds Rock'
Playlisting on Apple Music’s ‘Morning Coffee’
Playlisting on Apple Music’s ‘Acoustic Memories’
Playlisting on Apple Music's 'A-List: Singer/Songwriter'
Playlisting on Apple Music's 'Best of the Week' in the UK/Ireland
Playlisting on Apple Music's 'New Artists: Singer/Songwriter'
Playlisting on AlexRainBird Indie/Pop/Folk Compilation November 2018, January 2022 and best of 2023
Charted on Spotify's 'Viral Hits Canada'
Appearance on Spotify's 'Just Blogged' playlist by the Hype Machine
Appearance on iTunes 'New Artist Spotlight' for Singer/Songwriter

Other notable accomplishments

Cover of Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend” featured in Christmas 2022 TV ad spot for Unser Weihnachtsfilm | Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken reaching TV and Radio audience in Germany, as well as 300k+ views on YouTube and being ranked in Hot 100 Tracks on Tokyo-based J-WAVE weekly chart. The ad was selected as Best Christmas Campaign by Horizont readers, with over 1.6MM monthly audience
Official Music Video for “Lucid Dreaming”produced by Casey Sincic (Little Miss Perfect, The Wannabe, The Goblin Song)
Official Music video for “Grief” produced by Casey Sincic
Lyric video for "Only One" produced by Andy DeLuca (Wolf Alice, The Struts, Gallant, Lauv, Bayside)
Light rotation of "Only One" on WRFI in Ithaca, NY
Christmas song "In A Whisper" released December 1, 2016
Remix for "Only One" produced by ELIS - Elliot Jacobson (VÈRITÈ, KAYE) and Chris Leon (MERCI RAINES, LANEY LYNX)
Live performance video session with Sound & Color Media, July 2019
Interview and live performance video session with City View Sound, August 2019