Tell it to the Wind. A conversation with Joy Clark.

Some voices don’t just fill a room; they settle into it, like afternoon light through an open window.

Joy Clark is a New Orleans singer-songwriter, guitarist, and composer whose soulful original compositions celebrate peace and the undeniable power of love. Growing up the daughter of a minister, Joy’s first stage was in church, where she learned to create an atmosphere ripe for emotional experience, a gift that never left her.

Leaning into her storytelling, intimacy is her superpower. Every song she writes opens its arms wide, beckoning truth, authenticity, and the quiet courage it takes to tell your own story.

The Boot describes her music as “rhythmic like the pulling of a tide,” and her debut album, Tell it to the Wind, is a deeply personal declaration of an artist standing fully in her truth. Having toured with three-time Grammy nominee Allison Russell, Joy holds her own among the best.

She sat down with Ranch Folk Festival co-producer Carissa Stolting ahead of our June 13th festival.

You were born and raised in Louisiana – do you feel Louisiana music, history, and culture has had an impact on your music? If yes, can you share one specific story that demonstrates how this sense of place has impacted your creative direction?

I certainly believe Louisiana music has had an impact on my music. I think that my comfort level for jam session or sitting in with musicians gives a nod to my upbringing in Louisiana. My songs all tend to have an instrumental break, and when it’s a live show, depending on the song, I stretch it out even more. I just really love the freedom improvisation gives me

In a performance.

Was music-making a part of your upbringing, or did you come to it later in life?

I started out playing music in church. I got my first guitar at 11 years old, and I quickly began playing church songs by ear. Before I knew it, I was leading songs at church. There was a family that grew up down the street from me, and their dad played guitar in the Vietnamese Catholic Church. He’d let me play with guitars, and my brother would play the drum set.

What has been the most difficult challenge or obstacle in building your career as a professional musician today? How are you working to overcome or address this challenge?

Finances. It’s a challenge to see it make sense to even pursue a career as a professional musician. There is just so much financial risk that it is absolutely an obstacle. Alas, I love what I get to do. I’m working to overcome the financial challenges of being a professional musician by investing in help from professionals.  That alone makes it easier to keep track of what I’m bringing in, what benefits I qualify for etc. It’s the best money I’ve spent.

If your music could inspire a conversation in the world today, what do you hope it would be? Or… what do you hope listeners will feel or take away when listening to your music?

I hope my music can inspire conversations that encourage us to really embrace joy and being good to ourselves  in our life. It’s just as important to be kind to ourselves as it is the being kind to others. I

From your latest album, the song “All Behind” is a powerful statement on grief, transformation, and renewal of identity. Can you share the story that inspired this song?

Writing All Behind was a really cathartic experience. And although various situations inspired it, the main one that reoccurred was church— at least the church I grew up in. I had to allow myself to grieve the fact that I couldn’t fit in that space that helped nurture my love for music. It was healthy for me to put up my own boundary and have a choice in the matter.

Many guests who come to the Rancho La Puerta artist retreat and folk music week are also musicians or creatives themselves. What advice would you offer to creative people who want to amplify their creativity in these times?

Be patient with yourself. Slow down and feel. Start with the little things because they’re really the big things.

Rancho La Puerta offers guests a stunning environment to receive beauty and care. What rituals or practices do you have in place for self-care as a touring musician? And what do you most look forward to during your retreat week at Rancho La Puerta?

I try really hard to take care of my body while traveling from city to city by car or plane. I love when I can set aside time for a massage or a nice slow sit-down dinner. I look forward to stillness and a lot of stretching in hopes that it brings a little clarity in this season.

Join us the week of June 13-20 for Folk Music Week and Retreat.