DK And The Joy Machine
DK & the Joy Machine is a solo Americana Singer-Songwriter from Bridgeport, Connecticut. Known for rocking out on the dulcimer, DK performs acoustic, punk and roots/Americana music with complex arrangements, and a highly innovative and percussive style on both acoustic and electric mountain dulcimer (the "Joy Machine"). During her decade-long hiatus, the queer artiste worked as a writer, union organizer and activist.
Q. How important is it for you, as a queer artist, to put queer-core material out there in the world?
It's crucial to me. Not all of it has to be explicit- I think all my music, as a queer artist, has that lens to it... the lens of someone who sees things differently. From the outside, I am not someone who has conformed to gender expectations, someone who's not, in several ways, the way a "woman" in the standard American sense of things is expected to be. That's what ‘F-U Dad!’ and ‘Androgynous Grrrl’ are all about. Also, I like to have fun with it- as in ‘Stay Cool’, where I really celebrate queer culture. My queer-core material has been especially influenced by queer-core punk. But even in the Americana and roots stuff I do, including trad music like ‘June Apple’ and ‘Jubilee’, where a line goes, "I ain't havin' no wedding with a man, and neither is my cousin!” it takes on a different meaning when taken sung by a queer woman. And we've always existed. This song dates back to the 19th century, I think. It's cool that someone came up with those lyrics back then... and it's been passed down. Also, who else but a lesbian would write a love song for a feral cat? Or a love song like ‘Lay Me Down Easy’? Music for me is largely about community... and doing queer-core work is part of that. I'm old school that way. :)
Q. You are constantly pushing boundaries both musically and politically, with a strong slant towards advocacy of social justice and LGBT+ rights. Has that been hard for you?
It's funny- when I first wrote ‘F-U Dad!’- I was worried about doing it for general, straight audiences. Are they going to be offended? Is some dad going to come get in my face? And with ‘Androgynous Grrrl’, really, I'm singing about strap-ons! And even to sing ‘Stay Cool’, where, as the narrator, this girl thinks I'm cute... or to admit I'm checking out younger women... all this takes vulnerability. But each time I decided to over ride any discomfort. I have to sing what's true. It makes for the best material. And I'm not going to hide who I am- I think that's the main thing you get as a queer person, after going through all that's involved in coming out (at least when I did), you're just not willing to compromise in any way on who you are. That's the queer gift to the world. We own who we are. We come out about it. And that liberates everyone else too. So many straight people love ‘F-U Dad!’- I see it as a gay rights anthem, but so many people, including the “straights”, relate to it. Even if you didn't have a fucked up experience with your dad, everyone on some level has always wanted to say this--it's kind of verboten--it flies in the face of the entire Hallmark cards’ Father's Day patriarchal bull shit. And that's the point. You don't have to be queer to want to fuck with the patriarchy. It’s the same thing with ‘Androgynous Grrrl’... so many really “femmy” women come up to me after the show and thank me... they tell me that they feel the same way. This sort of blows my mind, it really brings out how, as women, we are all under such huge pressure to look a certain way, hold our bodies a certain way... it's constant.
Q. How important has the role of inspiration been in your musical journey?
Huge! Well, first of all, every single song I write is inspired by someone or some situation... ‘Lay Me Down Easy’, written for my ex partner of 15 years; ‘Andro Grrl’, a bloody Valentine for an ex; ‘Jasmine Girl’, for this feral cat I fell for. I specialize in feral cats and unrequited love! I should be doing country music! :) ‘Selkie's Coat’- the instrumental intro to Shy One, where I bow the dulcimer, that's really about my continued grieving over leaving Eire (Ireland)... I feel like the Selkie who's lost her coat! So, all the songs are inspired by something... or most basically, by the dulcimer itself. The melodies I write come completely out of dulcimer modes and scales that are really nothing like any other Western music. It's the queer folk instrument! More broadly, I am repeatedly inspired by other artists-- PJ Harvey, Courtney Barnett, Amy Ray and Mary Gauthier. I had given up music for a really long time for various fucked up reasons and saw Amy Ray live -doing her solo work- and that really inspired me. It was a great show and she keeps pushing the envelope. Nothing stops her. So what excuse do I have? Seeing that show really was the final nudge to get me back on stage performing; different peeps had been saying it to me, including Terry Roche, who I know through a friend, but seeing Amy Ray was the final inspiration.
Q. As a musician, who has truly emerged as a trail blazer, what would be your message to our readers- youth from around the world?
Do what you got to do. Don't let anything stop you. Go for your passion. What do you have to lose? I literally do not know any starving artists. I mean- if you want to end up in a big McMansion with an SUV and that's what matters to you, then I guess maybe you want to take a different course in life. Having an interesting life is the best revenge. Peeps always say to me that I've had an interesting life. But what other life is worth living? You got to be authentic. I hope I inspire others-- of all ages-- to go for it, and challenge the status quo.
Q. What are you currently working on, with respect to your music?
Well, I'm really excited about performing now with Michelle Fury (on vocals, guitar and drums) and Tine Kinderann (on vocals and saw). I am also collaborating with others, for other shows. It's fun doing live shows solo too, but there's definitely something added with back up vocals and other instruments and musicians. I'm also working on new material--recently finished one called ‘Falling’, that's more Americana sounding but am sure there will be some punk numbers coming out too-- it seems my psyche likes walking both sides of the track. When possible, I really like performing with women artists too. We're still really under-represented in the music industry- that ties in to my arts activism. I run a monthly show called the Songbird Series that showcases women artists. That's my way of being the change- creating opportunities.
Q. How important is it for you, as a queer artist, to put queer-core material out there in the world?
It's crucial to me. Not all of it has to be explicit- I think all my music, as a queer artist, has that lens to it... the lens of someone who sees things differently. From the outside, I am not someone who has conformed to gender expectations, someone who's not, in several ways, the way a "woman" in the standard American sense of things is expected to be. That's what ‘F-U Dad!’ and ‘Androgynous Grrrl’ are all about. Also, I like to have fun with it- as in ‘Stay Cool’, where I really celebrate queer culture. My queer-core material has been especially influenced by queer-core punk. But even in the Americana and roots stuff I do, including trad music like ‘June Apple’ and ‘Jubilee’, where a line goes, "I ain't havin' no wedding with a man, and neither is my cousin!” it takes on a different meaning when taken sung by a queer woman. And we've always existed. This song dates back to the 19th century, I think. It's cool that someone came up with those lyrics back then... and it's been passed down. Also, who else but a lesbian would write a love song for a feral cat? Or a love song like ‘Lay Me Down Easy’? Music for me is largely about community... and doing queer-core work is part of that. I'm old school that way. :)
Q. You are constantly pushing boundaries both musically and politically, with a strong slant towards advocacy of social justice and LGBT+ rights. Has that been hard for you?
It's funny- when I first wrote ‘F-U Dad!’- I was worried about doing it for general, straight audiences. Are they going to be offended? Is some dad going to come get in my face? And with ‘Androgynous Grrrl’, really, I'm singing about strap-ons! And even to sing ‘Stay Cool’, where, as the narrator, this girl thinks I'm cute... or to admit I'm checking out younger women... all this takes vulnerability. But each time I decided to over ride any discomfort. I have to sing what's true. It makes for the best material. And I'm not going to hide who I am- I think that's the main thing you get as a queer person, after going through all that's involved in coming out (at least when I did), you're just not willing to compromise in any way on who you are. That's the queer gift to the world. We own who we are. We come out about it. And that liberates everyone else too. So many straight people love ‘F-U Dad!’- I see it as a gay rights anthem, but so many people, including the “straights”, relate to it. Even if you didn't have a fucked up experience with your dad, everyone on some level has always wanted to say this--it's kind of verboten--it flies in the face of the entire Hallmark cards’ Father's Day patriarchal bull shit. And that's the point. You don't have to be queer to want to fuck with the patriarchy. It’s the same thing with ‘Androgynous Grrrl’... so many really “femmy” women come up to me after the show and thank me... they tell me that they feel the same way. This sort of blows my mind, it really brings out how, as women, we are all under such huge pressure to look a certain way, hold our bodies a certain way... it's constant.
Q. How important has the role of inspiration been in your musical journey?
Huge! Well, first of all, every single song I write is inspired by someone or some situation... ‘Lay Me Down Easy’, written for my ex partner of 15 years; ‘Andro Grrl’, a bloody Valentine for an ex; ‘Jasmine Girl’, for this feral cat I fell for. I specialize in feral cats and unrequited love! I should be doing country music! :) ‘Selkie's Coat’- the instrumental intro to Shy One, where I bow the dulcimer, that's really about my continued grieving over leaving Eire (Ireland)... I feel like the Selkie who's lost her coat! So, all the songs are inspired by something... or most basically, by the dulcimer itself. The melodies I write come completely out of dulcimer modes and scales that are really nothing like any other Western music. It's the queer folk instrument! More broadly, I am repeatedly inspired by other artists-- PJ Harvey, Courtney Barnett, Amy Ray and Mary Gauthier. I had given up music for a really long time for various fucked up reasons and saw Amy Ray live -doing her solo work- and that really inspired me. It was a great show and she keeps pushing the envelope. Nothing stops her. So what excuse do I have? Seeing that show really was the final nudge to get me back on stage performing; different peeps had been saying it to me, including Terry Roche, who I know through a friend, but seeing Amy Ray was the final inspiration.
Q. As a musician, who has truly emerged as a trail blazer, what would be your message to our readers- youth from around the world?
Do what you got to do. Don't let anything stop you. Go for your passion. What do you have to lose? I literally do not know any starving artists. I mean- if you want to end up in a big McMansion with an SUV and that's what matters to you, then I guess maybe you want to take a different course in life. Having an interesting life is the best revenge. Peeps always say to me that I've had an interesting life. But what other life is worth living? You got to be authentic. I hope I inspire others-- of all ages-- to go for it, and challenge the status quo.
Q. What are you currently working on, with respect to your music?
Well, I'm really excited about performing now with Michelle Fury (on vocals, guitar and drums) and Tine Kinderann (on vocals and saw). I am also collaborating with others, for other shows. It's fun doing live shows solo too, but there's definitely something added with back up vocals and other instruments and musicians. I'm also working on new material--recently finished one called ‘Falling’, that's more Americana sounding but am sure there will be some punk numbers coming out too-- it seems my psyche likes walking both sides of the track. When possible, I really like performing with women artists too. We're still really under-represented in the music industry- that ties in to my arts activism. I run a monthly show called the Songbird Series that showcases women artists. That's my way of being the change- creating opportunities.