Joel Corry is getting candid.

Embarking on his United States tour, That Grape Juice caught up with Corry while he was on the road, where he talked everything from new music, to working with Saweetie and Charli XCX, praise from Ed Sheeran, and more.

Join us below for her words on these topics and so much more…

That Grape Juice (Ryan): For those who are just discovering your music, who are some of your influences?

Joel Corry: So, I guess there’s like two answers to this. There’s sort of like my DJ influences and my producer influences. I’m a DJ at heart.  I started DJing when I was like 14 years old. And when I started DJing, I was actually playing dance music. My early influences of DJing were dance DJs like Todd Edwards.

I used to play a lot of his records. Still do. Then, I sort of got into dance music once I started going to Ibiza. I saw Carl Cox, play at Space nightclub but I remember just being absolutely blown away and just thinking this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. And production wise, I mean, obviously you’ve got the absolute goats in the game, Calvin Harris and David Guetta.

That Grape Juice: Now, your new single ‘Out Out’ is already a top 10 hit, how does this make you feel?

Joel Corry: I did actually get my break with my first hit single which was a track called ‘Sorry’ which was in 2019. Since then, I feel like the preparation over that like decade before and I was ready for it. And once I got the first track like the charts, I was already ready with my follow up single to that which was ‘Lonely’ and then ‘Head & Heart’ came after ‘Lonely’ and ‘Head & Heart ‘went to number one in the UK and then I had my collaboration with David Guetta and RAYE which was ‘BED’ which is also another top 10 and my latest single now with Jax Jones, Charli XCX and Saweetie, ‘Out Out’ is again, it went on top 10. So, I am so happy that this has worked out and it’s everything I ever wanted it to be and I’m just gonna keep my head down and keep working and I feel like I finally kind of got my formula together now and I know – but I think those years of working towards that is kind of been the preparation for me.

That Grape Juice: Can you tell me a little about how the song came together and your creative process in general?

Joel Corry: I had samples on a Stromae classic record which was a huge record for me back in the day. I used to play in my club sets all the time. The original record is in French and it was quite big in the UK. I love the original and I had the idea to sample it for a few years actually.  I actually got the sample cleared. I kind of left it on the backburner a little bit and then I was on tour with Jax Jones just before lockdown happened and Jack’s became a really good friend of mine and we said we should do something together.

So, we kind of kept talking about it and then sending each other ideas back and forth and I sent him the ‘Out Out’ idea with the Stromae sample and he was like, oh my god. I love the original as well and he sort of had the same passion as me towards the original record. So, it felt like that was the perfect track that we could collaborate on. And we got in the studio and we started trying different top lines on it and working on it. They announced when the Freedom Day was coming when the clubs could open and we’re like, this summer 2021 is the right time to release ‘Out Out’ now when we go out again. And getting Charli XCX on the vocal was just the perfect fit for the ‘Out Out’ record. Then Saweetie jumped on it as well which was literally the icing on the cake.

That Grape Juice: You’ve worked with everyone from David Guetta, to Raye, to MNEK, how does it feel to have your work recognized by your peers?

Joel Corry: It’s pretty surreal to be honest. I’m so lucky. As you mentioned, MNEK, what an amazing talent he is. And I’m so glad to be part of his journey of ‘Head & Heart’ and it was his first number one single as well and he deserves it so much. So, I feel so grateful just to be on the journey with him and then obviously collaborating with RAYE and David Guetta. RAYE, I’ve been a fan of hers for so many years. She’s just a queen and then David Guetta, a legend. We’re working on some new music together as well at the moment which I’m really excited about.

My recent single, ‘Out Out,’ I collaborated with Jax Jones and Charli XCX and Saweetie which is, again, a great collaboration for me to work so closely with Jax as well. He’s become a really good friend of mine. So, it’s almost like the friendships that I’ve made through these collaborations is actually what means the most to me. I get on really well with everyone I work with and it’s like a little family.

That Grape Juice: What can you tell me about some new music coming out?

Joel Corry: I’m hoping to release a new single before Christmas that I’m actually going to be wrapping up next week. I’ve got some exciting stuff in the pipeline for 2022. Already working towards the album as well now which is so exciting for me. So hopefully I’d be looking to release the album next year. Before that, I need to drop a few more bangers for you guys. I’ve got some special records that I’m really proud of that I can’t wait for you guys to hear what’s coming next.

That Grape Juice: Who would you like to work with in the future and why?

Joel Corry: I like to say that the music comes first. So honestly if I hear something that I love, it doesn’t matter who it is. The most important thing, it’s good music at the end of the day. I’m lucky enough to work with some amazing songwriters and work with some other great producers and if it feels right, has the right vibe, it doesn’t really matter who it is.

But my dream collaboration is with Mr. Ed Sheeran himself. I would love to one day work with him. I just actually remixed his single ‘Bad Habits’ and he sent me a message on Instagram and he just said how much he loved the remix and he loved ‘Head & Heart’ and he loved ‘BED.’ So, it was so surreal to get a DM from Ed and I had to think that he knows who I am and likes my music and stuff. That would probably be my dream collaboration because I’m the biggest Ed Sheeran fanboy.

That Grape Juice: But it has to be really kind of surreal, doesn’t it, to be able to have one of your idols recognize your work? It really makes you think about how far that you’ve come on your journey. You know what I mean?

Joel Corry: I went to my mom straight away and I was like, Mom, you gotta believe who just DM’d me, like Ed Sheeran. It’s pretty mad, it’s crazy to think that he listened to my music and stuff and obviously I’ve done the remix for him as well and he was super happy that I’ve been playing in my sets all the time as well. It’s definitely working rather well for me.

That Grape Juice: Outside of DJing you have a love for bodybuilding. How has that influenced your career?

Joel Corry: It’s a massive passion of mine. It goes alongside my music passion and my DJing. They were my two hobbies and I kind of pursued both of those things throughout my life and in my 20s, I really took my fitness stuff seriously. I was doing competitions and stuff and the discipline I had to have to win those competitions has been such a great thing for me in my life because it’s really – I don’t think it’s anything harder than doing those competitions. It was so grueling, the dieting and the training for them. And I feel like it made me mentally really strong and able to be so disciplined. It’s helped me in other aspects of my life where if I need to focus on something, I’m so motivated and so hungry to achieve that and I think some of that roots from what I did in the fitness stuff because preparing for those competitions was so tough and to get through it, I kind of really had to be strong.

That Grape Juice: Where do you see yourself in the future?

Joel Corry: Well, we’ve got touring back again and I just love it so much and you know my dream is to play like at the biggest stages or the biggest festivals. There are so many that I want to play at and hopefully next year, I might get the opportunity to play a few of them.  Because of the COVID stuff and the lockdown, I kind of missed out on a bit of touring. I need to just keep working hard on my music. And just keep my head down and keep working hard, and hopefully, it will lead to more touring and more traveling. And that’s the thing I love to do most in life.

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Joel’s latest single ‘Out Out’ is out now and can be streamed here.

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