Past College Captain Joey Brady hasn’t let the rolling COVID lockdowns hold him back. In addition to completing a Health Sciences degree at La Trobe in 2020 (now starting a Masters in Physiotherapy), Joey has been busily writing and performing songs under the name Roy Brady.

Always the passionate musician, he largely revelled in the experience of being in a band - making music with his mates. However an impromptu gig Joey did with his brother in his hometown of Koroit at the beginning of 2020, gave him the confidence to go out on his own. “It was really the first time I’d had a go at singing.” Joey explains.

With some further encouragement from his cousin, Tyson Burgess, who mixes and produces Joey’s songs from his set up in Townsville, Joey started writing and recording. “[Tyson’s] been a great mentor over the past year and is as passionate as I am when it comes to my work.”

From what he describes as a “little set-up in the bungalow”, he creates all the sounds needed for the tracks he is developing. Now with three singles and an EP, Bungalow Sessions Vol 1, under his belt, the budding musician is gaining attention beyond the support of his family and friends. His song Southport, off the EP, reached the Top 10 in the Indie Charts on Triple J’s Unearthed.

“The response has been very surprising! From what started just as a time killing activity during lockdown in Melbourne, is now something that takes up a lot of my life. I’m just trying to play in front of as many people as I can, and it’s something I just love. My friends and family are very loyal followers who support all of my music to date, through sharing on their socials and coming to all my gigs which I just appreciate so much, even though I think they’d have to be getting sick of me!”

His latest single, Sue Me, is a change of pace for the growing musician. An upbeat track that is proving to energise the crowds at gigs, Joey highlights that it did push him outside his comfort zone. “It’s a song that I feel I connect to the most out of all I have written previously.” he admits.

Jumping on any opportunities to gig as they arise, Joey has already enjoyed playing a number of gigs in 2021, both in Melbourne and Warrnambool. Performing with his mates still lying at the heart of why he does it. “When I play live I have a band behind me, which includes my brother Paddy on guitar, an Emmanuel College friend Ben Fogarty on the drums, and Will Keech from Deniliquin, who I met through University. Our debut gig at the Workers Club in Fitzroy is something that I won’t be forgetting soon. It was our first gig live in front of real people and we managed to sell the place out! We had some supporting bands (including past students Ewen Stewart and Austin del Rio), so was a heap of fun. Playing live is addictive!”