Stefanie Joyce
Phantom Power Music Blog
Stefanie Joyce - “Presidio”
New Country – Stefanie Joyce - Presidio
It’s refreshing to hear new country songs that do not have the modern trappings of synths, drum machines, and harmonized effects. That’s what you get with Presidio, the new song from PNW native Stefanie Joyce.
We’re getting a heavy Bakersfield vibe from this, with a voice as smoky as Sara Evans. The melody is a beautiful cascade through the verses, where it rests in the upper register in the chorus. Great tones from the banjo and lead guitar lead us into the second verse, where the electric punches through reminding us of good western US 70’s rock. Nice vibe. Pedal steel takes over the lead slot in the solo and leads us nicely in the bridge where the only noticeable vocal effects help reiterate the point that the singer doesn’t trust herself. It works. With the final chorus and ending, she leaves us hanging on the five chord, and hanging with the memory of an honest song and a clean production.
Joyce has been in Nashville since 2017. Her influences are not the standard faire one would expect from a female songwriter today. Where most fall back on the pop sounds of today’s country, she counts authors Flannery C’Conner, Cormac McCarthy and Annie Proulx among her influences of Gillian Welch, Evan Felker and John Prine. It’s evident in the authentic and raw tones of this recording, and others.
She’s a regular at some of the premiere writer’s nights around town, a spot she’s earned based upon her previous work that landed her on the Bobby Bones Show, Billboard, and iHeart Radio’s Next Women of Country. She’s got an authentic take on the genre and we’re happy to feature her work on this blog.
CHECK IT OUT NOW!