Better Joy

No time for gloomy vibes on the beach? Fed up with the barrage of news on every channel? Then Bria Keely has just the antidote: a sweet-smelling indie-pop cocktail that goes down as smoothly as an ice-cold Long Island Iced Tea by the lake. The singer–songwriter from Manchester has mastered summery hooks with sleek guitar grooves to perfection, and as Better Joy, she brings these buoyant, soaring melodies to life with her velvety timbre. It’s a flawless blend of emotion, intellect, and even more emotion. And it’s therefore no surprise, then, that her debut EP, “heading into blue” (2025), was praised to the skies last year by British music critics and fans alike. But the fact that her next gem – “At Dusk” (2025), which straddles indie and jangle pop – was ready to go just a few months later was a powerful statement even for a songwriter as prolific as Keely and her now tightly-knit band. All signs point to sunshine, with Better Joy sailing full steam ahead towards better times. Next port of call: Hamburg.