IN CONVERSATION WITH JOEY BATEY

interview by JANA LETONJA
photography by RACHELL SMITH

Multi-talented actor, writer, and musician Joey Batey is best known to global audiences as Jaskier in Netflix’s hit fantasy series 'The Witcher’. This October, he expands his creative universe with the release of his debut novel, 'It’s Not a Cult', a darkly comic Northumbrian folk horror about a struggling band whose invented gods take on a terrifying afterlife as a viral death cult. In addition to his on-screen work, Joey is a singer-songwriter and member of the alt-folk group The Amazing Devil, where he crafts music as haunting as it is heartfelt. With Season 4 of 'The Witcher' set to return on 30th October, Joey finds himself at the intersection of fantasy, folklore, and fearless storytelling across mediums.

What was the spark that inspired 'It’s Not a Cult', and why tell this story now?

The kernels of this story, specifically the Solkats, began in childhood. I think I used them to make sense of the world around me. The shape of the book was mapped by the time I was around nineteen, but I was hesitant to commit to it. I found myself writing seven or eight other books, more outlandish or fantastical ones for the most part, for the next decade and a half. It was only after stepping back and visiting ‘Northumberland’ more that I was able to find the words. And it was only after seeing what the world had become in those years that felt right.  

The book blends folk horror with dark comedy. How did you find the balance between frightening and funny?

I hope people find it at least vaguely amusing in places. Some of my favourite books are able to explore darker depths of humanity through humour. An early draft of the book actually had way too many jokes in it, or at least things intended to be jokes, but I found myself pulling back. I think there’s a bit of me that secretly wants to be Douglas Adams. 

In any of the work I do, both in writing and beyond, I try to marry domesticity with something bigger. I love pairing wild, rather abstract and difficult concepts with really mundane, daily minutiae. It’s the only way I can allow myself to talk about either. 

The story revolves around a band whose made-up gods go viral. As both a musician and writer, did you draw from your own experiences in music culture?

The book is not autobiographical in the slightest. But I do know what it’s like to play in front of seven bored people at dodgy pubs. The book has a little of my understanding of music in it, how it makes me feel, what I hope it can do. Music’s ability to bring us together in something bigger than ourselves. I’ve always thought that the closest someone can get to that feeling of collective euphoria, without music, is laughter. I think they’re the same thing to me in an odd sort of way. 

Folk horror often connects to landscape and community. How did your Northumbrian roots shape the novel’s atmosphere?

I have a torn relationship with the North East of England. It always felt, growing up, like a mystical place. But the magic of it wasn’t always benevolent and there are corners of it I associate with threat. This is the first book I’ve written that’s set there and I think it took me some years to face that feeling. The people are fierce, proud, open. The landscape is eerie and ancient. It was hard to capture. I was determined to avoid landmarks - the Angel of the North, Dunstanburgh Castle - and explore the weird, forgotten corners of it. 

What do you hope readers carry with them after finishing the book?

I’m not sure. I guess I hope it helps open people up. To music, to engaging with their behaviours. But honestly, I’ll be lucky if it just brings them a little bit of escape.  

Fans know you best as Jaskier in 'The Witcher'. How has living with that character across four seasons shaped you as an actor and even as a musician?

I’ve been playing this character for seven years. I will have my final scenes with him in a few weeks. This past month I’ve been avoiding the reality of saying goodbye to him. It’s not always been the easiest road, but the character has always brought a light to me. I hope to keep a little of that light, if I can. 

Season 4 brings big changes, with Liam Hemsworth stepping into Geralt’s boots. What can fans expect from the new dynamic?

Everyone in the cast has brought a tremendous energy to work, every day, and I’m very lucky that we all get on like a house on fire. The chemistry between Liam and I, between all of us, is something we constantly fight to showcase on screen, whenever we can. Sometimes we’re left on the cutting room floor. But hopefully people will see the fun we’re having, even as the show becomes the grittiest and darkest iteration of itself yet. 

Jaskier has become more than comic relief—he’s layered, vulnerable, and beloved. How do you approach evolving him each season?

I find figures in fiction and history, and read as much as I can about them. Everything from Taliesin to Josephine Baker. This past year and a half, as I finish seasons four and five, I’ve been enjoying books about the war photographers Robert Capa and Gerda Taro. Acting is an instinctive process, so I try and teach myself as much as I can, let it go and then see if any of it comes out in performance. Most of the time it doesn’t. But when it does, I find it really enriching. 

Have you been surprised by the way Jaskier has resonated with audiences worldwide?

The character was beloved long before I played him, and the performances that came before me. Zamachowski, John Schwab, Peter Kenny all brought him to life to audiences around the world in unique and marvellous ways. If people resonate with him, it is thanks to Sapkowski’s wild and wonderful mind. I just hope I’ve done him justice and brought a little joy to fans of the books, games and shows. 

You’re acting, writing, and making music—all at once. How do these creative outlets feed each other?

In short, they don’t, at least not consciously. I use each outlet to exercise some agency in a new way. I’m happiest when I’m hyper-focussed on a project. I can get lost in writing or creating, sometimes to the detriment of my health, but as soon as it’s done, I move onto something new. I think if I was stuck doing just one thing I’d probably go a bit mad. 

When you think about the future, do you see yourself leaning more into acting, writing, or music—or continuing to balance all three?

I hope to keep balancing. But it’s not entirely up to me. I don’t really know what the future holds for me, but if I’m able to keep writing, playing and performing, and if it brings the odd person here and there a bit of happiness, then that will be a life well lived. 

And finally, with 'It’s Not a Cult', 'The Witcher' Season 4, and The Amazing Devil all in play, what’s coming up next for you beyond these projects?

I’m not quite sure. The Amazing Devil’s fourth album will be out soon and I’ve got two books I’m working on right now. To be honest, it’s been a busy few years. I’d like to travel, live a little bit of life. Without that, there won’t be many stories left to tell.