INTERVIEW: Jofi's iso single 'All My Friends have Boyfriends' explores the ups and downs of lockdown
It’s clear Sydney singer-songwriter-producer Jofi hasn’t been a fan of isolation and lockdown, but she has taken the opportunity to create some brilliant music, and doing it all her way: writing, producing, recording as well as filming the music video for her new single ‘All My Friends Have Boyfriends’ entirely by herself in her family home’s spare room. “All my friends have boyfriends / Stuck in isolation / Kinda wish I had one / For this situation…my dog doesn’t quite cut it” she sings, lamenting the cons possibly every person not in a relationship has railed against since lockdown and isolation took effect all over the world.
It is a beautifully quirky track, which mixes pop with an otherworldly vibe of opera, musical theatre and 1920s jazz whilst not taking itself too seriously with a wry humour in the lyrics that add a spice to the delicate melodies: “It would be nice if I had someone to share this wine with…I guess it’s alright, there’s no bottle I can’t finish.” You can expect to see a mountain of art dedicated to isolation and quarantine in the coming months, but we doubt anyone will do it as well, intriguing or charming as Jofi. We recently spoke to her to find out more about her music, her career and her isolation experience.
Hey Jofi! So good to chat to you. How have you been surviving lockdown and isolation?!
Hi! Lockdown has brought some highs and lows, but overall I’ve managed it pretty well, keeping myself busy and keeping in touch with friends online. I’ve been quarantining with my family plus four cute dogs which has been awesome.
Speaking of isolation, your completely amazing latest single ‘All My Friends Have Boyfriends’ was inspired by your isolation journey – can you tell us a little bit more about the inspiration behind the song?
The ‘highs’ to this experience are that I’ve become much more independent and comfortable in my own company, but every now and then I’ve gone a bit insane from my own company and really wanted somebody to hang out with. My two best friends have been quarantining with their partners and I’m not going to lie, I’ve been a bit jealous. I wanted to make sure the tone of the song wasn’t the soppy ‘I’m so lonely, I need a boyfriend’ but instead ‘well quarantine sucks, it would be nice to isolate with someone’. I also wanted to make a song that speaks not just my mind but other people’s as well, because we’re all going through this together, and feeling lonely is very justified!
The single is almost the definition of an independent release – you wrote, recorded, produced, filmed the video yourself in the spare room, even the single cover was taken by your sister on her phone. Is it a first for you to create your music from beginning to end entirely alone, and if so how did you find the experience – empowering, overwhelming…?
While this release was very independent due to the current situation and inability for face-to-face collaboration, I also saw this as an opportunity to learn new skills, so I set out to do it on my own.
I’ve been writing music since I was 12 and it wasn’t until I started studying Music Composition at university that I discovered I could be in complete control of my creations, rather than just taking the ‘singer/songwriter’ role. This isn’t the first time that I have released music entirely by me (throwback to my first release) but I have grown so much as a producer in a year that I’m embarrassed to listen to what put out a year ago.
I find it very empowering to know that I can bring my visions to life without the assistance of other people simply because I’m not skilled or able. It was a challenging experience, but it was also fun and a great, productive way to spend my time!
The lyrics in the song are really relatable and explore the human desire for love and companionship, which coronavirus has really made us all appreciate more. What do you think the effect the global pandemic and isolation will have on personal relationships, both for yourself and also society?
The pandemic has deprived us the ability to meet new people, and instead people are valuing their existing friendships more. Quarantine has definitely made me appreciate the people in my life more and has helped clarify who my close friends are and who doesn’t really keep in touch. Quarantine has forced me to adjust to spending a lot of time alone and find joy in other parts of life. I feel less dependent on other people to supply me happiness.
What role did music play in your life when you were a kid?
My youth was filled with music from my Dad’s upbringing as he would play The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Stevie Wonder, The Sweet and Jellyfish around the house and on car journeys. When I was 12 I realised that I could sing pretty well and from then on it pretty much became my life. I wrote songs for fun, plus involved myself in various ensembles in school. I was also in a pop/rock band for a few years.
Who were the musical artists you looked up when you were growing up?
Honestly, my first favourite artist was P!nk because of her boldness, energy and ‘I don’t give a crap’ attitude.
My Dad introduced me to many artists growing up, but one in particular that stuck was Nick Drake. His music never gets old.
Was there a moment when you decided you were going to pursue music as a career?
There was never a moment where I thought, ‘maybe I should do this instead…’. I have just known for as long as I can remember that this is what I was supposed to do.
What artists or music have you been getting into recently?
Lately I’ve really been vibing Rina Sawayama, Snoh Aalegra and Jockstrap. Jockstrap are a unique electronic duo with strings and soulful vocals combined with rhythmic and distorted electronic production, it’s really cool.
There has been a lot of talk in the past couple of years about gender equality and sexism in the wake of #metoo. What are your thoughts on the role of women in the music industry and how they are treated and perceived, both from the inside and by the general public?
I’ve observed that there are very few women producing in the music industry and I really hope that changes as more women realise their potential and embrace their creativity. This year so far has been so exciting for women in music and I can’t wait for this to continue and expand.
What’s up next for Jofi?
My first body of work which involves an EP of music that crosses over the pop, R&B and classical genres. Stay tuned!
‘All My Friends Have Boyfriends’ is out now. You can download and stream here
To keep up with all things Jofi you can follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
