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Joe Keery, also known as jo, is a well-known musician and actor on the popular show Stranger Things. Keery is a student of traditional art, making the chance to tour a prestigious studio in west London extremely nerve-wracking and impressive at the same time. As we explore the vast studios and cozy control rooms on a chilly day in March, Keery is mostly silent and respectful. He chooses not to play a few notes on a piano that was once used by Paul McCartney to write one of the Beatles’ famous songs, keeping a respectful distance. However, when we enter one of the most renowned rooms in the studio, Keery’s expression changes to one of curiosity and he remarks, “This reminds me of my school!”
Keery is no stranger to exclusive places. After gaining fame in 2016 for his role as the charming yet rebellious Steve Harrington on Stranger Things, he has attended numerous award shows, talkshows, and fashion events. While his second album under the name Djo, titled “Decide,” was a DIY project created in only five days due to time and financial limitations, his upcoming third album was recorded at the prestigious Electric Lady studio in New York. “Electric Lady has hosted many legendary musicians such as Erykah Badu and D’Angelo, and in the past, icons like Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, and AC/DC,” Keery shares. “It’s truly an amazing experience.”
Keery has been busy in London, as it is his first time visiting the city. Earlier in the week, he presented an award at the Brits for best new artist. After our conversation, he is taken to Soho to meet a select group of fans. During our meeting, it was announced that “End of Beginning,” a charming and highly infectious hit from Decide, has climbed to No 5 on the UK singles chart (currently at No 4). Despite the success, Keery remains calm and collected. As we chat on a couch in the studio’s attic, he is more astounded by the fact that he is in the same room where the Lord of the Rings score was mixed.
“The achievement has been difficult to measure, but it has been exhilarating. I am truly thankful that the song resonates with people,” he states. “As far as its position on the charts, I have a hard time comprehending it – my aim is to continue creating music and recording in interesting locations. As long as I can continue doing that, anything else is just a bonus.”
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Raised in Massachusetts, Keery has been involved in acting and music since his time in school. However, due to achieving success as an actor first, he has had to overcome feelings of impostor syndrome. When releasing music under the alias Djo and performing in a costume and wig reminiscent of Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, Keery aimed to have his electronic-inflected psych-rock music appreciated for its own merit, rather than just being seen as a side project of the “Stranger Things Guy.” “I did not want to use my fame as an actor to promote my music, and I wanted to separate myself from the character of Steve on Stranger Things,” he explains. Despite this, at this point, most people recognize Keery behind the mop-haired appearance and he has come to terms with it. “I don’t believe it’s intentionally harmful – in the end, I am fortunate to have a job.”
It is ironic that End of Beginning has achieved such success due to social media, considering that Keery himself deleted his accounts a few years back (“The reasons are complicated, but I don’t want to publicly call anyone out”) and some tracks on Decide reflect his dislike for it. “Isn’t it strange that social media is the very reason the song is doing well?” he reflects. “I struggle to maintain a healthy relationship with social media. I have a Djo account that I am not in charge of – otherwise, it is too easy to get sucked in. I recently saw a statistic about the amount of time – in years – that people spend on social media compared to their lifespan, and it made me realize I need to step away.”
I am inquiring if Keery is worried about a similar situation to what happened to musician Steve Lacy. Lacy’s TikTok hit, Bad Habit, reached the top of the charts, but he was disappointed to find that his fans were only coming to his concerts to hear the 30-second clip from viral videos. However, Keary is not familiar with this story. When I explain it to him, a expression of dread appears on his face. He exclaims, “Oh, that’s terrible! Oh goodness! This supports the idea of short attention spans in our culture.” He adds, “I need to find out more about Steve Lacy. I hope that doesn’t happen to me.”
Source: theguardian.com
