Better Joy Announces Debut UK Headline Tour & New EP ‘Heading Into Blue’

Fresh off a triumphant support run with Hard-Fi, Better Joy, the indie project led by Manchester-based Bria Keely, is set to embark on her first-ever UK headline tour this spring. With eight headline dates throughout March and April—including a much-anticipated London show at Old Blue Last and a hometown gig at Manchester’s Night & Day (upgraded due to high demand)—this marks a significant moment in the artist’s meteoric rise.

The tour coincides with the release of Better Joy’s eagerly awaited debut EP, ‘Heading Into Blue’ (out 28th March), a collection of six tracks produced by Mike Hedges (The Cure, U2, Manic Street Preachers). The EP will feature recent singles ‘Waiting on Time’, ‘Carnival’, and ‘What a Day’, alongside two brand-new songs, ‘Couldn’t Run Forever’ and ‘Can I Land the Plane?’. A vinyl edition is available to pre-order now.

In the lead-up to the tour, Better Joy has released the introspective new single ‘Quiet Thing’, a song that has evolved through various forms since its inception. Speaking on the track, Bria Keely explains:

“I was originally inspired by someone close to me who was describing the quiet kind of love they needed when going through a tough time. It got me thinking about how important those unspoken moments in relationships really are. I wanted to write an ode to them—but not in a sweet, delicate way. I wanted the lyrics to be offset by music with some grit.”

With ringing guitar textures, honeyed vocals, and a euphoric chorus, ‘Quiet Thing’ perfectly encapsulates Better Joy’s signature fusion of classic and contemporary indie influences, a sound that has drawn comparisons to The Cure, The Smiths, and Phoebe Bridgers.

Since her arrival in late 2023, Better Joy has earned significant critical acclaim, with The Line of Best Fit calling her music “so fresh… a deft fusion of classic and contemporary influences,” while NME has tipped her as “UK indie’s next breakthrough act.”

Following the UK tour, Better Joy will take her music to Europe and festival stages, with performances lined up at Liverpool Sound City, London Calling in Amsterdam, Truck Festival, and Y Not Festival.

Better Joy – UK Headline Tour 2024
📍 27th March – Garage (Attic Bar), Glasgow
📍 28th March – Zerox, Newcastle
📍 29th March – Dead Wax, Birmingham
📍 30th March – Bodega, Nottingham
📍 1st April – The Louisiana, Bristol
📍 3rd April – Old Blue Last, London
📍 4th April – Night & Day, Manchester (upgraded from YES)
📍 5th April – The Joiners, Southampton

Additional Dates
📍 25th Feb – Melkweg, Amsterdam (Supporting Kawala)
📍 10th April – V11, Rotterdam
📍 11th April – Supersonic, Paris
📍 3rd & 4th May – Liverpool Sound City
📍 16th & 17th May – London Calling, Amsterdam
📍 27th July – Truck Festival, Oxfordshire
📍 3rd August – Y Not Festival, Derbyshire

🎟️ Remaining tickets on sale now: https://linktr.ee/betterjoy

For more information, follow Better Joy on Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, and YouTube or contact rob@sonicpr.co.uk.