Introducing: Joey A

From bedroom beats to BBC Introducing, Swindon-born producer Joey A (aka Joe Anderson) is proof that passion doesn’t fade—it just waits for the right moment. After first falling in love with DJing at 13, Joey’s journey took a backseat when fatherhood called. Now, with his daughters grown and his creative fire reignited, he’s back in the game, crafting high-energy tracks designed to move bodies and lift spirits. With a love for the limitless possibilities of Ableton and a deep-rooted respect for pioneers like Jamie XX, Goldie, and Joy Orbison, Joey A is carving his own lane—one big, bouncing beat at a time. We caught up with him to talk about rediscovering music, the joy of simplicity, and his latest track Assimilate Your Vibe, recently spotlighted by BBC Introducing.

You’ve been passionate about DJing and production since your teens — how did it feel returning to music later in life, and what was the moment you knew you had to take it seriously again?

I can’t recall a specific moment when I knew I wanted to take it seriously again, it’s always been a draw to be around music in some form, from a young age, whether that’s playing guitars, singing, DJing or music production, I love the creativity and freedom of it all, and I love sharing music with other people. Usually people get excited about hearing a new song or track, but the excitement for me comes with sharing that music with other people.

How has becoming a parent shaped your creative process or your relationship with music over the years?

Becoming a Dad is best thing that’s ever happened to me, and its allowed me to find contentment in my life, and that then lends itself to being more open to try different things, and let my creative side develop.  Both my daughters love different styles of music, my youngest is into Jazz and my oldest is into hip-hop, so it’s a pretty eclectic household !

You mentioned using Ableton and loving the simplicity of keeping everything ‘in the box’ — what does a typical session in your home studio look like, and how do you stay inspired?

I typically start my sessions with a blank Ableton screen (which can be pretty daunting!), I know that some people use templates and have everything saved so it loads up automatically, but ive always found that that can encourage you to create very similar work each time, so I start with a blank canvas, and see where it takes me.  I usually get the drums going first, get a groove locked, and then build a bassline around that groove.  Because I make electronic/dance music I find once I’ve got the drums and bass getting along with eachother, the track can flow from there.

I draw inspiration from everything really; films, people, books, old music, new music, it is hard sometimes to stay inspired and I, like many producers, have had writers block many times, but you have to keep going, keep opening your DAW,  even if what you are currently making is utter sh*te, at least you turned up and did something, and you probably learnt something in the process…. I find the magic happens when you least expect it, and usually the good tracks come together very quickly without thinking about it, they almost write themselves… if only one could harness that magic in every session !

Your track ‘Assimilate Your Vibe’ was picked up by BBC Introducing — how did that recognition feel, and what impact has it had on your confidence or goals moving forward?

It felt great, I sent it in on a whim and didn’t expect anything, and within a couple of days they wrote back and said they loved it.  It’s a real confidence boost when your music is recognised by respected people in the industry, so im very thankful for that.  BBC Introducing is a great platform for up and coming artists.

With such a diverse list of influences — from Jamie XX to Goldie — how do those sounds filter into your work, and what kind of vibe do you aim to create when you're building a track?

I try to make tracks with a lot of energy that will translate well on dancefloors, I am a big fan of the old rave scene, jungle and drum and bass also, and so I think that’s where this came from.  I used to go raving at The Sanctuary in Milton Keynes back in the day, to see the likes of DJ Hype, Randall, Adam F etc… the energy at those raves was so infectious, so I guess I’m trying to bring that to my own music in some way.