Susannah Joffe: The Next Queer Superstar
Image courtesy of Corrie Aune
Onstage, Susannah Joffe is decked out in homemade denim chaps, completing the rockstar look with fake blood and a full face of bold makeup, all while rocking out to her latest EP Your Mother’s Name.
Joffe released Your Mother’s Name on February 2nd of this year. The album includes six tracks, including “Die Your Daughter,” “My Football Team,” “I’d Hate Me Too,” “Deer in Headlights,” “Your Mother’s Name” and “My Dog Died.” Joffe says the EP has been a “gamechanger” for her career: “the visual world I’ve created around the EP is a lot stronger than my older music, and it excites people more.”
Joffe has gained notoriety for her song “Backseat” on TikTok, which she first posted in 2021, and her new track “Your Mother’s Name” currently has over a million streams on Spotify. “Tiktok is something I have a love-hate relationship with but will always feel grateful for,” says Joffe. “‘Backseat’ doing as well as it did was exciting because it gave me lots of opportunities, and was how I met my management team. ‘Backseat’ brought me my OG fans, which I am forever grateful for.”
Following this online traction, Joffe has since performed at the SXSW music festival twice, both in 2022 and again this year – “getting to play South By [Southwest] twice, as someone who grew up in Austin, is a surreal experience.”
Not only has her hometown been a vital part in her musical discovery, but Joffe continues to be inspired by her childhood. For one, Joffe references different genres of music with her unique tone, saying she grew up going to bluegrass and country shows and says, “that really shaped the way I use my voice.” Additionally, her father has been involved in her introduction to the music industry as a sounding board and co-writer, writing “My Football Team” and “Deer in Headlights” with Susannah. Next up for the two’s collaboration is forming a band and releasing projects together. “We couldn’t be more different, with regard to writing music. I write from my stream of consciousness and he is very logical, but it’s fun to work with him, to challenge myself and fuse those two styles together,” Joffe explains. Ultimately, her parents are her biggest fans, even when her tour outfits are “a little too much for them.” Joffe’s parents are cheering her on from the barricade.
Image courtesy of Corrie Aune
In the past couple of years, Joffe made the move from Austin Texas to New York City, and notes the “jarring” shift: “I definitely needed to leave Austin, and I think moving to New York was the best decision I could have made for myself.” The move inspired her overall career, as she now feels “personally and artistically and professionally challenged and inspired [in New York] on a day-to-day basis.” Mentioning the inevitable adjustment period after moving somewhere new, Joffe says she also appreciates the change in music scene, stating that she especially loves the DIY indie rock scene in New York City.
Joffe says that being queer is also central to her personality as an artist. “Growing up being queer in Texas is going to find its way into my music, whether I’m directly writing about queer experiences or not. That voice is always going to be the undertone of everything I write because that is how I exist in the world.” Without a doubt, Joffe’s fanbase has connected with the queer themes in her music.“It’s rewarding to write songs that are meaningful to so many different people,” she says.
Another way Joffe connects with her fans is through touring. “Opening for people is always really scary because there’s the excitement of the opportunity to make so many new fans, but also, is anyone here going to know who I am?” When referencing her first two tours with Sunroom and Adam Melchor, Joffe says, “During my first two tours, nobody had any clue who I was, but I honestly loved that. I met so many new people and made new fans and connected with the audience.” Joffe also mentions her most recent tour with The Moss, where a lot of people at the shows knew her music: “That was a first for me and a super surreal experience.”
Image courtesy of Tiffany Jung
In regard to her upcoming shows, Joffe says, “I prioritize playing [live] as much as possible because I grew up seeing how much connection and community the live shows [bring].” And while “Spotify numbers are fun, having people show up to the shows and know the songs is really where it’s at,” for Joffe. Noting the new element of competition in the music industry, she admits, “It’s hard not to get caught up in comparison, but connecting with fans and hearing about how my music plays a role in their life is so rewarding.” Joffe says her online aesthetic doesn’t always match her “jovial and silly” personality, and that interacting with fans is extremely rewarding for that reason.
Looking to the future, Joffe shares that she has a lot of new music releases coming up: “I have about six new songs that I am working on releasing and I am so excited to see what people think of them.” Fans are excited to see what Joffe has in store and attend her upcoming shows!