Meet Joyce, an 18-year-old singer-songwriter from Switzerland, currently living and studying in Sweden. We spoke with her about music, meaningful jewelry, the people who inspire her, and the dreams that shape her world. 
WHO ARE YOU, AND WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT IN YOUR DAILY LIFE OR PROFESSION?
My name is Joyce, and I’m an 18-year-old singer-songwriter from Düdingen, Switzerland. I grew up as the eldest of nine children, so there was always a lot of life around me. Music is the love of my life. :) It’s what I’m most passionate about, and it’s also how I make sense of the world and my place in it.
I love turning feelings and experiences into songs. Sometimes I don’t fully understand what I’m feeling until I sit down and write about it. A song gives me space to explore something, find words for it, and turn it into something I can share. What makes that especially beautiful is that something so personal can mean something completely different to another person. You can write about your own life, and someone you’ve never met can hear themselves in it.
At the moment, I’m living in Sweden, where I’m studying at the Songwriters Academy of Sweden. Having so much time to focus on music, collaborate, and meet people who share that passion means a lot to me. I’m learning about songwriting, but also about myself — what matters to me, what I want to say, and the kind of artist I want to become.
My dream is to make music for the rest of my life. I want to keep growing and work hard at what I love. Above all, I hope to create songs that make people feel something: understood, comforted, excited, or a little less alone. If my music can encourage someone to believe in themselves and follow their own dreams, that would mean so much to me.
WHAT DOES JEWELRY MEAN TO YOU — IN EVERYDAY LIFE OR DURING SPECIAL MOMENTS?
I love subtle jewelry, especially pieces that have a personal meaning. Some pieces are so important to me that I never take them off.
I think it’s beautiful that such a small object can hold a whole story. It can remind you of a person, a place, a moment, or something you believe in. You might be the only person who knows what it means, but you carry that meaning with you wherever you go. I love that quiet, personal side of jewelry.
For me, its value also comes from the memories and feelings attached to it. A piece can bring back love, courage, nostalgia, or even sadness. Sometimes those feelings exist together: you can miss a person or a moment and still feel grateful that they were part of your life. I think jewelry can hold that beautifully.
IS THERE A PIECE OF JEWELRY THAT ACCOMPANIES YOU CLOSELY OR TELLS A SPECIAL STORY?
I have a necklace that says “Darkland,” which is what I call my world. It’s a place for my dreams, my feelings, and the stories I turn into music. It gives a name to something that can sometimes be difficult to explain—the world inside my head, where so many of my songs begin.
I love that necklace so much, and I wear it all the time. It feels like a little piece of that world that I can carry with me. Wherever I am, it reminds me of who I am, what I’m creating, and why it matters to me.
I wear it together with a star necklace. I’ve always loved stars. To me, they represent dreams, life, and a sense of eternity. Looking at them makes me think about how much exists beyond the things we see and understand in our everyday lives. There’s something comforting and a little overwhelming about that.
Stars make me feel both very small and deeply connected to something bigger. My worries can suddenly seem tiny, while the fact that I’m here, able to feel and dream at all, seems extraordinary. It’s a strange mixture of feeling that everything matters and wondering how much anything matters in such a huge universe. I love that feeling, even though I can’t always explain it.
WHAT IS CURRENTLY INSPIRING YOU OR GIVING YOU STRENGTH?
People. Always. The people I love give me so much strength. Their encouragement, their belief in me, and sometimes simply their presence help me keep going. It means a lot to have people who care about what I’m doing, but who also care about me beyond the music and the goals I’m working towards.
I’m also deeply inspired by the people I meet. Everyone has their own stories, their own way of seeing things, and experiences that have shaped them. I love those conversations where you gradually move past the everyday things and begin to understand someone a little more. Sometimes they put something into words that you’ve felt yourself but never quite knew how to explain.
It amazes me how much can begin with a single conversation. It can become the beginning of a song, a lasting friendship, an unexpected connection, or a new way of seeing yourself.
Living in Sweden has given me so many opportunities to experience that. I’m meeting people with different backgrounds and perspectives, and sharing music makes it possible to connect quite deeply. Writing together means listening to each other, being open, and sometimes sharing feelings you might otherwise keep to yourself.
That gives me inspiration, but also courage. Seeing other people care so much about what they do reminds me to keep believing in my own dreams. And feeling understood by someone can give you strength in a very simple way — you don’t always need them to have an answer. Sometimes it’s enough that they listen.
IF SOMEONE WERE LOOKING FOR YOU IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD — AT WHICH FAVORITE SPOT WOULD THEY MOST LIKELY FIND YOU?
When I’m at home in Switzerland, you would probably find me in my room. That’s where I write most of my music, produce my demos, and spend a lot of time working on ideas. It isn’t a professional studio, but it’s a space where I feel comfortable trying things, making mistakes, and following a song wherever it wants to go.
But one spot that’s especially close to my heart is my balcony. I have a chair there where I love to sit at night, listen to music, and watch the stars.
Now that I’m in Sweden, you would most likely find me at the school. Each student has their own equipped studio, and there are shared spaces where we can spend time together. There’s always something to learn, someone to talk to, or a new idea to explore.
Otherwise, you might find me out in nature. I love nature in general, and Sweden’s landscapes feel especially beautiful to me.