Joy Oladokun with Bre Kennedy at the Fine Line

With her major label debut album, in defense of my own happiness, Joy Oladokun is forging her own path, sharing the unique perspective she's gained from living in today's world as a black, queer woman and first-generation child of Nigerian immigrants. Born in Arizona and now living in Nashville, her musical exploration began at age ten when she was inspired to learn guitar after seeing a video of Tracy Chapman -- the first time she'd ever seen a black woman play the instrument.

The new record, which features collaborations with Maren Morris, Jensen McRae, and Penny & Sparrow, has been named one of the "Best Albums of 2021 So Far" by Variety and Rolling Stone, who proclaims, "a serious talent with a kind of low-key, casual ease...she's always seeking out the light to point the way, making for one of the year's most uplifting listens." Additionally, NPR Music declares, "She has a remarkable ability to distill how forces at work in the world...she can make even social and political protest feel like an intimate, warmly human act."

Singer-songwriter Bre Kennedy creates music soaked in rich storytelling with piercing pop sensibilities. For many years she wrote with other artists and for other artists, and is now allowing her own music to take center stage. Influenced by mesmerizing talents like Brandi Carlile, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, and Cat Power, her delicate, raspy sound simply soars.