New name, new site, new music coming soon!

Ten and a half years ago, I wiped the sweat from under my wedding wreath and became Emily Yates. A few months later, I learned to play the ukulele, wrote a song called “Try Not To Be A Dick,” and uploaded it to my brand-new YouTube channel. The views climbed to 1,500 and I wondered if I should be doing more of this songwriting thing. A few drinks and clicks later, Emily Yates, Eventual Ukulele Superstar was born. It never occurred to me that I might outlive her, but …

When he turned violent and then took off, it made no sense to me to keep half the identity of a person who very nearly permanently silenced me, but the divorce happened so quickly that it was over before I could even pop my head above the surface of grad school and breathe, much less consider dropping half of who I’d been for a decade.

Depression set in. I cursed the instruments he taught me to play, dragged myself through months of unwillingness to even live, much less perform. But finally the drive to create won out – I pulled myself together, released a new album full of songs that helped me process the monstrous mindfuck, and then, counter to every single ounce of conventional wisdom, decided now is the time to change my name.

I don’t want to share a name with anyone who’s raised a hand to me in violence. I want to wear a name that reflects my own heritage – like the one my great-grandfather brought over from Italy but anglicized to fit in because this nation has always been racist. So rather than walk around in an abuser’s family name, I’m reclaiming my own.

I’m also stepping away from a first name that’s never felt like the right fit. Named after a relative my parents didn’t even like, they told me they used my middle name till I was about 3, then stopped calling me Emmy Joy because “you turned into an angry kid.” Recognizing as an adult that this is a hell of a trip to lay on a child, I’m taking my middle name back and promoting it to the front of the line.

So now I’m creating all my music and art with my inner Joy on the outside – you can find it at my new website, JoyDamiani.com. Here’s to all of our past selves – may they rest well after carrying us as far as they can.

Love,
Joy Damiani

FINALLY A NEW ALBUM!

Pre-order Notes to Self and Others at emilyyates.bandcamp.com today!

Free digital download when you pre-order limited apocalypse-edition vinyl!

Over the past year, I’ve been plugging away at my first-ever self-produced, self-recorded full-length album and I’m so happy to finally share it with you. For full album details, lyrics, and to get all the songs streaming directly into your head, go to my bandcamp page and you’ll find everything you need!

Produced & engineered by Self*
Mix engineer: Jules Indelicato
Mastering engineer: Anna Jean Frick, Airshow Mastering
Featuring the instrumental wizardry of Jules Indelicato (vocals/galactic synth)Talia Keys (drums), Nathan Moore (clarinet/kazoos), and Enion Pelta-Tiller (violin)

*Tracks 1, 2, 9, 11 guest instruments produced/recorded by artist, Track 4 drums produced/recorded by Talia Keys & Melahn Atkinson

 

Oh hey I started a podcast!

In which my friend Sarah and I sit down with our favorite brilliant interesting exciting people and have stimulating conversations punctuated with songs and snark – subscribe to What the Folk wherever you stream podcasts! The first ten episodes are already live with some amazing guests and cover fun topics like musical oracles, psychedelic drugs, Julian Assange, anti-racist organizing, and U.S. imperialism, along with a healthy dose of folkery.

Join our pod party! 

New video! “Anyone Can Be A F******”

A brand-new little ditty inspired by a convo with a friend about, ahem, Mayor Pete, and the many faces of fascism ? I recorded it tastefully topless because nudity is natural no matter who you are, we all deserve to be heard and respected no matter what we wear, and guess what? The fascists are usually fully clothed. 
 
P.S. If you like Buttigieg but don’t like police brutality, government surveillance, or corporate whoredom, here’s why you actually don’t like Buttigieg: