Where the Light Lives - New Album | Released 8.4.23

Joy Zimmerman’s superpower is her ability to find light within the cracks. This brilliance is illuminated on her lush new album, WHERE THE LIGHT LIVES. Joy’s honeyed vocals invite the listener into complex stories of immigration, divorce, identity, and perseverance. Her uplifting album embodies community with its seventeen musicians, including Katie Dahl, Jeff Freling and Erin McGrane (Victor & Penny), and Danielle Anderson (Danielle Ate the Sandwich). 

Each new song was born of challenge, and the results are empowering. Joy shares her great grandmother’s immigrant story (“How Shall We Sing”) and her hopes for her sons following divorce (“Bend Not Break”). She makes peace with her mistakes (“I Stand Corrected”), celebrates her identity (“Say What I Need to Say”), and emphasizes kindness and intention (“Nobel Prize”). Esteemed singer/songwriter Katie Dahl joins Joy for a unique duet of a Bruce Springsteen love song (“If I Should Fall Behind”), while multiple vocalists sing of hope (“We Are a Bell”) and (“Keeping Vigil”). Joy’s sense of humor is clear as she faces down social media (“Hoping for a Click”). Two previously released singles, “We’ll Hold the Light” showing our gratitude and acknowledgement of the trauma and service among medical professionals and first responders and “Hear Our Voices” with its diverse voices singing about their need for reproductive choice, have been redone for this record. 

WHERE THE LIGHT LIVES was recorded and mixed by Maggie Heeren at La Luna Recording & Sound in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Joy Zimmerman and Maggie Heeren co-produced this album with mastering by Anna Frick of Ally Sound. Kansas City musicians were recorded at Weights and Measures Soundlab by Duane Trower. 

Joy’s acoustic guitar and soulful violin are featured on WHERE THE LIGHT LIVES, along with a grand collection of musicians – her son Ryan Dugan (guitars), Mike Fuerst (bass), Carolyn Koebel (percussion), Christine Broxterman (cello), Adam Danis (electric guitar and Rhodes), Jeff Freling (electric guitar), James Isaac (sax), Joel Tyrone Myers (mandolin), and Beau Bledsoe (dobro). The vocals of Joy Zimmerman, Katie Dahl, Danielle Anderson, Erin McGrane, Eboni Fondren, Maggie Heeren, Ryan Dugan, Jeff Freling, Beth Patterson, and Mike Anyonga ring out. 

Joy Zimmerman is a touring folk & acoustic roots artist and multi-instrumentalist. Her previous album, The Canvas Before Us, debuted at #8 on the FAI Folk Charts in August 2021. Joy curated a portrait exhibit at the InterUrban ArtHouse based on “Women Who Walked on Water,” her #4 single in March 2022. A former social worker, Joy lives with her wife and lots of plants in the Kansas City area.

Where the Light Lives

Joy Zimmerman

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Joy Zimmerman’s superpower is her ability to find light within the cracks. This brilliance is illuminated on her lush new album, WHERE THE LIGHT LIVES. Joy’s honeyed vocals invite the listener into complex stories of immigration, divorce, identity, and perseverance. Her uplifting album embodies community with its seventeen musicians, including

Joy Zimmerman’s superpower is her ability to find light within the cracks. This brilliance is illuminated on her lush new album, WHERE THE LIGHT LIVES. Joy’s honeyed vocals invite the listener into complex stories of immigration, divorce, identity, and perseverance. Her uplifting album embodies community with its seventeen musicians, including Katie Dahl, Jeff Freling and Erin McGrane (Victor & Penny), and Danielle Anderson (Danielle Ate the Sandwich).

Each new song was born of challenge, and the results are empowering. Joy shares her great grandmother’s immigrant story (“How Shall We Sing”) and her hopes for her sons following divorce (“Bend Not Break”). She makes peace with her mistakes (“I Stand Corrected”), celebrates her identity (“Say What I Need to Say”), and emphasizes kindness and intention (“Nobel Prize”). Esteemed singer/songwriter Katie Dahl joins Joy for a unique duet of a Bruce Springsteen love song (“If I Should Fall Behind”), while multiple vocalists sing of hope (“We Are a Bell”) and (“Keeping Vigil”). Joy’s sense of humor is clear as she faces down social media (“Hoping for a Click”). Two previously released singles, “We’ll Hold the Light” showing our gratitude and acknowledgement of the trauma and service among medical professionals and first responders and “Hear Our Voices” with its diverse voices singing about their need for reproductive choice, have been redone for this record.

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"Joy Zimmerman has the knack for taking an audience on a musical journey with storytelling and music in a way few artists are able to do. With her latest album, Joy surpasses even herself. This album should be in every folk music lover's collection."  ~Dani Goodband, Lakeside Music

"Joy Zimmerman's follow up to her very fine 2021 album, The Canvas Before Us, is an even better representation of her considerable singing, songwriting, and violin playing skills. If I had to choose one adjective to describe this album, it would be 'uplifting.' It's difficult for me to pick which of these songs will get the most play on my radio show, as there are so many good ones."  ~Bob McWilliams, Host of Trail Mix, Kansas Public Radio

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