You probably assume that, with me running JFH for almost 30 years, I hear a lot of music. The truth is that I definitely do, but I also have found it difficult to connect with most new music coming out these days - especially in mainstream CCM. My first introduction to the music of indie artist Amy Jay was a cold email from a PR group pushing her 2022 album, Awake Sleeper. I actually don't always get around to checking out new artists like that, but it just so happened I did this time, and I couldn't be happier. Before long, I was finding myself totally invested in Amy's introspective, thoughtful, pop-tinged folk music. And later that same year, she began releasing a series of singles, offering up an album's worth of singles that never found each other in an official collection capacity. I was soon anticipating each new single, and each one proved to be its own little nugget of emotional goodness. For 2025, Amy has put together a follow-up album to Awake Sleeper in the form of Mnemonics, and with the album slated to release in November on digital platforms, she's hit the road to promote it.

For each stop on Amy's Mnemonics Tour, she's pairing up with a different indie artist. For her Philadelphia date, she enlisted the opening talents of two fellow female solo artists, Alison Stiel and Stone Cold Grace (AKA Sarah Johnson). Both also brought just their voice and a guitar to the stage. Now, like NEEDTOBREATHE, Switchfoot, and many others these days, Amy Jay is an artist who is serious about her faith, but she isn't specifically playing to the Christian audience. So, lyrically, you'll find her songs more about relationships, introspection and everyday life than spiritual things. As a sensitive introvert myself, I've found her music speaking volumes to me. I've been in awe on more than one occasion to find her putting things I've felt into words in a way I didn't know others could ("Self Deprecation" from Awake Sleeper is a great example. "Can't Go Back" from her new album is another.)

It's safe to say, just by listening to the nature of their lyrics, that neither opening artist on this particular night have a toe dipped into the Christian market. While that's fine, their lyrics were definitely a little spicier than Amy's get. Both Alison and Sarah displayed good voices, but they also felt much more casual and informal on stage. And Sarah, in particular, seemed to abruptly end each one of her songs (before there felt like a natural resolution), which felt a little jarring. But they kept the vibe of the night light, and it worked well for this particular intimate Philly crowd.

After the two opening sets (of which each had generous runtimes), Amy took center stage. Where the openers sat on a stool during their sets, Amy stood, and that alone seemed to bring a more serious vibe from her set. She has the stage presence of a seasoned performer, and her voice - coupled with the moody melodies from her acousic - commanded the listener's attention. She ended up playing a tight ten songs, breaking briefly between them to talk about their meanings, or just hint a little about what they could mean. She opened with the 2023 single, "Avoidance," before playing the opener from her new album, which had just released as a single a couple days before, "How the Mind Can Be a Trap." Her previous single, also from the new record, "Can't Go Back," followed, and then she played two more of her 2023 singles, "Joke" and "Savior." She had dedicated the former to fellow songwriters struggling with their art - although I can say with certainty that non-musical artists can relate to this as well.

The rest of her set was filled with new songs from Mnemonics, with her 2022 single "Bones" sandwiched in between. It was a treat to get to hear new music from Amy, especially when I was expecting to not be able to hear them until the album dropped in November. But, to my delight, she announced that the production on the CD's for her new record was completed before the tour, so she had some available early (and you can bet I scooped one up!).

She closed with a song she considers as upbeat "as Amy Jay can get," and then performed "Margins" from Mnemonics. Sadly, there was no encore, but as soon as her set was done, she gravitated to her little merch table setup (an adorable little "shop" stuffed with shirts, bandanas, stickers, mugs, vinyl and CD's), where she was poised to mingle with anyone who wanted to.

Sometimes there are big arena shows, sometimes it's a shoulder-to-shoulder bar or club, and other times, it's an intimate little setup where the focus is truly on the music and artistry more than anything else. I definitely have a soft spot for these smaller shows. If you've never heard of Amy Jay, but you enjoy melancholy acoustic / folk pop (I'd say it could be for fans of Eisley, Merriment or early Sixpence), do yourself a favor and check out her music. You might be surprised to find a new favorite artist to follow.