Very excited to bring this exciting musical project to Huddersfield. Read all about Any Joy? below.
Thank you to Byram's for stepping up to host us in the beautiful Byram Arcade while Northern Quarter is (hopefully temporarily) closed. 
 
Animal Tracks is a celebration of the craft of songwriting. Email contactbirdsandbeasts@Gmail.com to book a floor spot.
 
Doors 4pm
Open mic floor spots 4:30-5
Leo Brazil support slot 5:15 - 5:45
Any Joy? 6:00 - 7:00
 
Any Joy? Is an international musical collaborative project between Nagoya based musician and university professor Ikko Shibayama and Liverpool based singer songwriter Ali Horn blending Japanese City Pop with Western folk sensibilities. 
 
First formed as a writing experiment, the pair soon found traction and within 18 months have written two albums with the first one just about to be released. To promote the release - Any Joy? will be playing 9 dates over 6 cities (Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Niigata, Nagano and Kyoto) in Japan before heading back to the UK for the second leg of the tour, playing 8 dates in the UK. 
 
Formed in the summer of 2024, from a chance meeting at a folk event at the Jacaranda in Liverpool, the two met, exchanged songs and influences,  and were compelled to spend the next year recording their debut album. 
Recording the album between two studios in Liverpool and Nagoya wasn’t without its difficulties. Not just logistical but linguistically. 
 
Any Joy? blend Japanese and British sounds, swirling City Pop, Folk sensibilities with Horns poetry perfectly complimented by Shibayama’s arrangements. They successfully blend the sometimes contradictory traditional Japanese and British  styles, resulting in a unique, genre-less sound. 
Any Joy’s first single ‘What Could I Do?’ was released in November 2025 with huge success; international radio play, two sold out Liverpool headline shows, a festival slot at HyperJapan and off the back of it, a 9 date Japanese tour booked with a UK tour to follow.