ABOUT
Mattanja Joy Bradley is a Dutch singer-songwriter with a distinctive, soulful voice and a musical career spanning more than twenty years.
From 2005 to 2016 she was the lead singer and songwriter of Tilburg-based band Bradley’s Circus, releasing five albums and playing stages throughout the Netherlands as well as Belgium, Germany, France and the UK. The band toured the United States four times and recorded two albums there with five-time Grammy Award-winning producer John Snyder.
In 2009 Mattanja performed as the opening act for Amy Winehouse at the St Lucia Jazz Festival.
Her solo career gained national attention after reaching the final of the first season of De Beste Singer-Songwriter van Nederland in 2012. That same year she was named 3FM Serious Talent, and her single Beautiful Imperfections received nationwide radio airplay.
Her debut solo album Wake Me Up followed in 2013. Songs from the album found their way into television, advertising and film. Hurricane was used by HBO and later appeared in the American television series Banshee, while her music was also featured in a national JCPenney campaign in the United States. She also wrote Ready For You for HEMA.
In 2013 Mattanja received the Dutch Blues Award for Best Vocalist. That same year the documentary Mattanja Joy, portraying her life and musical journey, was selected for IDFA.
A year later she appeared in De Beste Zangers van Nederland, becoming the most downloaded artist of that season. Over the years she shared stages with artists including De Dijk, BLØF, Marc Broussard, Wanda Jackson, Johnny Winter, Grayson Capps, Rowwen Hèze and others.
In 2015 she left the Netherlands for a year-long road trip through the United States, travelling in an old RV while recording music and creating her own videos along the way. The journey led to a number of unexpected musical encounters. In a near-abandoned diner in the middle of nowhere she happened to meet Al Shackman, longtime guitarist and musical collaborator of Nina Simone, and the two ended up recording together.
During that same trip she also recorded a duet and music video with Michael Martin Murphey, best known for the worldwide hit Wildfire. These spontaneous collaborations became part of the musical story of that year on the road.
Later projects included releases such as Stand By Your Man and Need Your Love, touring as June Carter with the Def Americans Johnny Cash tribute show, and a collaboration with DJ Brennan Heart on Need To Feel, whose music video has been viewed more than 2.4 million times on YouTube.
In 2023 she released Desire, an album inspired by that year on the road in America. For the album release show, footage filmed during her travels was projected alongside the songs, turning the concert into a musical road movie in which the journey, the images and the music came together. The album features the song Siren Song.
Music has remained a constant throughout Mattanja’s life. Sometimes centre stage, sometimes quietly running alongside other creative projects — but always part of the story.
Selected highlights
- 2023 — Release of Desire, inspired by a year-long American road trip
- 2019 — Need To Feel with Brennan Heart
- 2019 — Touring as June Carter with Def Americans
- 2015–2016 — Year-long American road trip, recording and filming throughout the United States
- 2015 — Recorded with Nina Simone guitarist Al Shackman after a chance encounter during the road trip
- 2015 — Recorded a duet and music video with Michael Martin Murphey
- 2015 — Music featured in JCPenney campaign and Banshee
- 2014 — De Beste Zangers van Nederland
- 2013 — Debut album Wake Me Up
- 2013 — Dutch Blues Award — Best Vocalist
- 2013 — Documentary Mattanja Joy selected for IDFA
- 2012 — Finalist, De Beste Singer-Songwriter van Nederland
- 2012 — 3FM Serious Talent
- 2009 — Opening act for Amy Winehouse at St Lucia Jazz Festival
- 2005–2016 — Lead singer and songwriter of Bradley’s Circus