RS: In addition to that, you also mentioned a track you have coming out on another label?
Joi: Twisted.
RS: Twisted, and what song is that?
Joi: That one's called “Mind Control.”
RS: Is that a new song, or who are you working with on that track?
Joi: It's a Joi and Jorio record, Jorio and I co-wrote the song and he produced it and I sang on it.
RS: And do you have your earlier records with him?
Joi: Yes, “I Won't Waste Your Time” was a Joi and Jorio record, “Hot Little Body” was Misbehaving which was myself, Fred and Behavior. And we did one other song, “If We Try”, which actually came out on April I believe. There's so many at this time that I feel like I'm losing track of where, what came out, but those are the three records we did. In addition to the fact that the new version of “Club Lonely” that I did is with Fred as well, so that's the Joi Cardwell record.
RS: That's the Lil Louis song?
Joi: It used to be. The Lil Louis song, yes, I decided to do a new twist on it and make it a little darker and a little more progressive because, even though it's a classic, sometimes when I perform it or, it just seems too slow, you know, according to what's going on these days. So, other than keeping it a classic, we just decided to do a fresh perspective on it because that will always exist. So this way it was like my little version of it.
RS: What else are you working on these days?
Joi: I'm working on a new project actually, kind of a new persona for myself entitled Pleine Jane, and I spell it like pleine in the French way, P L E I N E J A N E, and it's going to be kind of like my more groovy, chilled-out kind of persona. Which should pop through here and there over the years, but I think I have to separate that person from Miss Joi Cardwell which everyone equates with dance diva.
RS: Sort of like an alternate mode, so like the remixers have two or three different names for different styles, different names for your different artist profiles.
Joi: Right. So I think it would be, it's going to be pretty good and I'm trying to get a band together and it just has to be a whole different kind of vibe.
RS: Wait, wait, wait, you mean you'll sing with a live band?
Joi: Yes.
RS: I thought only dance singers could only sing the tracks, I didn't know they were allowed to sing with bands.
Joi: Yes, right. Well, before I was a dance artist I was a recording artist and an R&B singer and a known singer, I didn't have a classification. And I prefer to do it but it's just prohibitively expensive to have a band in the clubs, I mean the type of club music that I do, they're not expecting a band. I fool them every once in a while and pull out the rhythm section, bring a drummer in or bass drum and guitar and just enhance this stuff that I'm doing. But, I haven't done a full brownout like band thing since maybe five - six years, and even then it's been for special occasions.
RS: So, where do you yourself, since you're always on the cutting edge of things, where do you see the music industry going right now?
Joi: I defiantly see labels turning from being manufacturing/pressing type of situations into more of marketers. I think music is becoming less of a separate entity and more of an integrated part of other things, you know, coordinate it with fashion. I mean it's always been that way, but I think, as far as making money, as an artist, in particular I think that the business has to be integrated with other things. People are not that interested in just albums or even singles anymore, it has to be tied in with something that's relevant for them. So, I think that's the direction that we're heading towards right now; tying in yourself with the fashion show or a fashion line. The commercialization of music is definitely here. And I think that the old line way of going into a record store and just, seeing them all lined up like you're in a library is just kind of tired and finished and we have to find new ways to entice people to be interested in hearing what we have to say. And I think that's the direction that we're going into, marketing more than music… It always seems so strange and horrible when it first happens, but ultimately it works for everybody.
RS: Cool. Is there anything else you'd like to say to the people out there?
Joi: I would just like to say thank you for all the years of support and just go on over to www.joicardwell.com and listen to some new music and look out for me, I'm coming to a city near you as soon as possible