Meet Tonic Music’s New Ambassador – better joy
- 12 hours ago
- 4 min read
Singer-songwriter better joy (Bria Keely) opens up about her mental health, challenges of being a musician, and becoming a Tonic Music Ambassador.
From studying languages, to releasing two EPs within the same year, singer-songwriter better joy has come a long way on her ongoing journey of self discovery, something of which she now has a much clearer understanding of.
It started at university, where she spent her days studying Spanish while quietly nurturing a love for music in the background of her life. When she was not attending lectures, Bria could be seen serenading her friends with a guitar in hand, playing original songs she had written.
Without a solid plan after graduating, she soon realised that songwriting and performing were the only things that she truly wanted to pursue. But finding her style did not fall into the singer-songwriter’s hands straight away, as Bria went through a long period of her life feeling “lonely” due to anxiety.
“I got triggered by something and that was it really, my brain seemed to shift,” she explained, “It was debilitating and tough inside my head.”
When Team Tonic spoke to the singer-songwriter last year, she confessed that her early attempts at songwriting were “pretty bad” when better joy first came to be. It was until she met record producer, Mike Hedges (renowned for his work with The Cure, U2, and Manic Street Preachers), in 2024 that she felt her sound begin to take shape.
Since then, Bria has not looked back since.
Last year was a big one for the singer-songwriter, where she released two sister EPs. Bria admitted that her debut EP heading into blue “felt like the first time I was dipping into a part of me I have not touched.”
Themes of heartache and hopefulness are heard throughout the six-track record, portrayed through Bria’s gentle vocals, shimmering guitar melodies, and vulnerability within the lyrics.
Later on during the year, at dusk was released, mirroring similar themes from the sister EP. Bria’s favourite track when recording her second EP was plugged in, a song that she explained encompasses her lyrical style the best. “It is the most ‘me’ song I have ever written to date,” she told us.
As well as this, to top off her year full of musical firsts, the Manchester-based solo project set off on tour with Scottish singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald across the UK and Europe.
“I am so honoured to be a Tonic Music ambassador, to be representing mental health in music just feels right.”
BETTER JOY
We first met Bria at the Tim Burgess Merch Market in Manchester last year, which led onto the solo project raffling a test pressing of her debut EP, with all proceeds going to Tonic Music. The raffle raised £580 for Tonic Music, with the proceeds helping us to support music professionals and music fans access free therapy sessions, peer groups, skills workshops and training courses.
Now, we are pleased to announce that better joy is joining the Tonic Music family by becoming an ambassador.
“I am so honoured to be a Tonic Music ambassador,” she said, “to be representing mental health in music just feels right. I love music and I try every day to make my mind a place I want to be in, they are two important things to me.”
“It is a tough industry full of comparison and doubt. Mental health has previously been a bit of a taboo topic and now more than ever people are really talking and opening up about their experiences and struggles, so to be able to be a part of something that provides support is so important.”
Something that the singer-songwriter still struggles with is balancing multiple tasks to do on one plate, like writing and recording new music, while also having to actively post online.
“Socials have definitely gotten easier for me, they scare me less now,” she said, “finding your own voice on social media is hard if it is not something you are natural at, but I am getting there!”
Despite this, Bria has come a long way to honing her craft and pushing towards bigger and bolder dreams.
“It took ages for me to try to manage my anxieties. I had to really start letting go to shift my mentality, which I found very hard but as time went on, I could feel myself returning to my old self. It felt great!”
So, what is better joy up to now?
“I have just started the journey of my debut album,” she told us, “it is very early days but I feel like I am at a point in my life where I truly know who I want to be as an artist.”
“I am going down a slightly different road sonically but one that feels so in line with where I am at in my life, so the plan is to crack on with this!”
Ultimately, all Bria wants for herself and her indie-pop project is to “grow as a person, an artist, a writer, and see where my music can take me.”
Upcoming better joy gigs:
5th June - Night & Day, Manchester
Don't forget to check out all our Courses, Groups and Workshops currently open for registration for working musicians and those working within the music.
