When the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, glam-pop artist Joey Broyles remembers questioning whether he should release the music video for his song “Boys Don’t Do That.” In the afterglow of the historic victory, Broyles wondered if the world needed another anthem about the struggle for gay acceptance. But later that year, a group of anti-gay hecklers interrupted one of his shows in Madison, and the incident changed his mind.
“I didn’t think that attitude would exist in Madison. Both me and my army of dancers were just so shocked,” Broyles, 34, says. “I realized right then and there it was important to [release the video], because writing about gay issues is still important.”
A native of Sun Prairie, Broyles moved to Madison five years ago and proceeded to make his mark on the local music scene. In a city better known for producing garage, indie and folk-rock acts, Broyles is glittery, theatrical, experimental and unabashedly pop. Since 2013, he has independently released an EP and two full-length albums and put out several ambitious music videos, including an epic 15-minute film for his song “Burn The Money,” inspired by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” The project won video of the year in 2015 from the Madison Area Music Awards. “I’m trying to follow my dream, I always wanted to be the gay Madonna,” Broyles says. “That was my goal at 17 and it still is today.”
Like so many up-and-coming Madison artists, Broyles’ dream of pop superstardom has led him to look outside the Midwest for inspiration and new artistic opportunities. In December, Broyles relocated to Long Beach, California. “All my filmmaker friends live out there and work in the industry, and I’m looking for more artistic stuff do,” Broyles says. “My intention is to make it in music, with a side emphasis in acting. But he says Madison will always be home. “I will probably be like all the other Madison musicians who leave and come back several times a year,” he says. Fans won’t have to wait long — his next performance is Feb. 10 at Tuvalu Coffeehouse in Verona.
Inspired by the Andy Warhol Factory, Broyles got his start as an artist in 2012 when he founded a creative collective called Project Famous, which brought together visual and performance artists, musicians and filmmakers. Connections forged within the group led him to develop his own music and artistic persona. “I was always really inspired by Janet Jackson, Madonna, Whitney Houston and a lot of other female artists,” Broyles says. “I never really found a voice within the male community, so I looked to the divas for strength.”
Though firmly rooted in pop, Broyles’ musical style has evolved over the years. His first recorded songs were dance-pop and heavily featured electronic production. Later work had a more pop-rock feel, and more recently he’s ventured into hip-hop and pop-R&B. His approach to performing reflects a more personal transformation. “When I first started I was wearing wigs. It’s not that I don’t like to wear them, but I was literally hiding under them,” he says. But as he gained confidence in his singing and stage presence, he started to rock a more natural look. “It gave me the courage to go on the stage just being me — sometimes in makeup and wigs, sometimes not.”
He’s now working on an album to be released sometime in 2018, featuring a mix of new music and older songs that didn’t make it on previous releases. “With this new album, I’m able to do things I wasn’t able to before,” he says. He’s moving away from electronic production in favor of live accompaniment, and he’s experimenting with analog recording to provide a warmer, more retro vibe. “There are things you just can’t do on a computer,” he says. Many of his new songs are about love, and he describes the new music as “a lot more sultry, but definitely still dancy.”
As an outspoken gay activist, Broyles’ music has always been political. He says his message is as important as ever. “For a while, we were flourishing in a wonderful world, but now it’s not,” he says of the current political climate. “I wouldn’t say it’s dangerous, but people are second-guessing what they can say. But we have to keep telling our stories.”
