Illustrations by María Inés.

Illustrations by María Inés.

Singer-songwriter Joy Williams is the only person in the history of High 5 to appear on someone else’s list of favorite stuff (Paramore singer Hayley Williams told us her duet with Joy was one of the best things ever) AND to have her very own list, which you’re about to read now!


venicebeach1. Venice Beach, California. I grew up in Santa Cruz, California, and lived there most of my life before moving to Nashville to make music. I moved to Venice Beach a couple years ago. It’s just close enough to Los Angeles so that you can do what you have to do in the city, then drive back and all the sudden get a deep breath of ocean air. Being in California again kind of feels like I’m returning to myself. There’s something about being close to the water that makes my soul feel good, and makes me feel big and small at the same time.

journal2. Q&A a Day Five-Year Journal. I used to journal constantly, and I channeled all of my thoughts and emotions on paper. Then as I started making music, I figured I should spend that energy on writing songs. This book asks 365 questions over five years, so you end up writing—what would that be?—1,825 entries! It’s a really cool way to remember your life, and it doesn’t require so much time. The questions can be as simple as, “Where do you want to travel next?” or “What are you most afraid of in this moment?” It’s really fun. You can come back to any point in time over the five years that you did it and see what you were reading or dealing with or trying to sort out, and how much life has changed.

pjs3. Fancy lingerie and pajamas. Life’s too short not to treat yourself and feel decadent every once in a while, don’t you think? I have more lingerie than I care to admit, and I love sleeping in Eberjey pajamas—they’re so soft, and they get softer every time you wash them.

bitmoji4. Emoticons. I have an actual texting addiction—particularly with emoticons. On the road, it becomes second nature because it’s an easy way to stay connected to my friends, even if it’s in snippets. A well-placed Bitmoji can keep us all laughing on and off for a few hours at a time. I don’t know what this says about me, but my most recently used emojis are two colors of hearts, the laughing/crying face, a doughnut, and a volcano. I also use the thumbs up emoji more than I probably should.

naturalskincare5. Natural skincare products. I’m a natural skincare enthusiast, especially this brand called Arcona, which is based in Los Angeles. They make everything in small batches. It’s all organic, and it doesn’t have any synthetic preservatives or additives. I tend to have dry skin, and living in L.A. doesn’t help with the dryness. Their serums and moisturizers work so well for my skin. I’m a huge fan of this stuff—and I didn’t get paid to say that! ♦

(As told to Lena.)