Joey Sachi…singer, songwriter & J-Pop ghostwriter
Photo Credit Yuto Kudo
Joey Sachi has just released her latest single ‘Fractured’, a beautiful and vibrant song written with the theme of love and hope. We caught up with the Australian-born artist who is now based in Japan to ask her about the new song, what prompted the move and what it’s like to make music in a country where English isn’t the first language.
For those that haven’t heard your music before, how do you describe the Joey Sachi sound?
It's always hard to put music into categories. I suppose the ‘Joey Sachi’ sound is the vibrant synthesis of electronic production and pop songwriting. Obviously, this is a well-trodden path so the challenge has been differentiating through harmony; if there is an opportunity to take a more interesting harmonic path, I will!
You have just released your latest track 'Fractured'. What was the inspiration for the new song?
An all too familiar shared experience... ‘Fractured’ was inspired by a past love that lingers with you still while you remain quietly hopeful that one day in the future you may reunite again. It may be that the end of the relationship was due to the longing for a shared pursuit of self-discovery and personal growth. This is all about the importance of standing firmly on your own two feet and the gut feeling that this is the best self-work of all. The imagery of the ‘Fractured’ heart was important for me to work into the lyrics as I wanted to capture that feeling of a heart not entirely shattered, thanks to that glimmer of hope.
“Sitting at a beautiful, old upright piano with dusty keys, the pre-chorus came to me immediately”
What did the creative process look like for this song?
The track came together really quickly! A pleasant surprise I must say.
Sitting at a beautiful, old upright piano with dusty keys, the pre-chorus came to me immediately. This pre ended up serving as the silent ‘oath’ made to one another when you first parted ways. The rest of the track fell into place around the strong pre-chorus. Once I’d finished writing, my co-writer Akinat put his spin on some of the chords and I took it to my producer Andy Mak up the coast near Avoca who worked his magic into the production.
Did 'Fractured' turn out how you originally envisaged it?
Honestly… better than I had envisaged! I’m utterly grateful to have worked with such an unbelievably talented producer like Andy Mak—someone I felt deeply aligned with creatively. His production elevated the song to a completely new level.
Will 'Fractured' feature on a forthcoming album?
No, it won’t feature on a forthcoming album, it is very much a stand-alone single. However! I do have my debut EP in the works, a body of work I’m releasing in early 2024. Definitely look out for it, it features some of the most insanely talented electronic producers!
“Australia will always be my soul home and forever remains at the top of my list of dream locations to tour.”
You are currently based in Japan so are there plans to come home and tour for the single?
I would love to!! Australia will always be my soul home and forever remains at the top of my list of dream locations to tour.
Is it more challenging making music in a foreign country?
Initially yes it was as I struggled to find a studio space where I could create and write. Now that I have sorted this, I can enjoy being immersed in this lively, eclectic, neon-lit city!
“Aside from Joey Sachi, I am actually a J-pop ghostwriter!”
How are you enjoying your move to Japan, was there a catalyst for the move? What do you hope to achieve music-wise while there?
There were a few different personal and work reasons for the move, and I couldn’t be happier so far. I feel like I have settled in fairly quickly, though as I say this, I realise I have been here 9 months!! It's quite terrifying how quickly time passes, I guess that's a cliche for a reason. A really significant moment for me was meeting and shooting the cover art for this track with the remarkably talented Japanese photographer Yuto Kudo. While I’m living here I would love to meet Japanese producers to create with. Electronic music is so popular in Tokyo, so I have no doubt I'm exactly where I need to be!
Aside from Joey Sachi, I am actually a J-pop ghostwriter! It feels so surreal getting to be here on the ground writing in the home of this industry, previously I have always worked remotely.
Who in your crew or team deserves a shout-out but never gets one? And what is it they do that keeps your world turning?
I am so happy this question is thrown in here! I am overjoyed that I can give a much-deserved shoutout to AKINAT my co-writer. Whenever I complete a song without fail he re-structures sections and adds his magic to the track which creates a depth and sophistication to the music that I wouldn't be able to achieve without his help. In ‘Fractured’ specifically, he also came up with the melody for the chorus, it was the only section that felt as if it wasn’t sitting quite right. AKINAT then swooped in to suggest the current melody and my lyrics matched it perfectly, truly one of those serendipitous moments creatively! I cannot express how deeply grateful I am to have him in my corner, he is an exquisite musician and his talent is unparalleled. In addition to this, his support for me as an artist is unwavering and I feel exceptionally fortunate to have him as such a huge presence in my life.
What's next for you? What is in the works for Joey Sachi?
So many things! This is shaping up to be a super exciting year for me! As I create this EP I’m in the process of organising an EP launch in early January 2024, as I will be back in Sydney for Christmas and a dreamy, balmy summer!
Interview by Michelle Symes
August 2023