Introducing Interview: No Joy

Finally, the clocks are chiming, the red carpets are rolling and dawn has finally broken: the release of the follow-up record to the mesmerising, Wait To Pleasure, by Canada’s No Joy, is almost upon us. Harbouring intense darkness, frequent rip-roaring bursts of adrenaline and tainted atmospheres of warped excitement, the startling world of More Faithful shouldn’t be entered without extreme caution, as this four-piece are about to potentially alter mindsets, forever.

We caught up with bassist, Michael, to find out more about No Joy’s journey to the creation of their new album.

For Gigslutz readers who remain unaware, could you introduce yourself and give a brief synopsis of No Joy’s history?
Hi my name is Michael, I play bass in No Joy.

Jasamine, Laura & Garland formed No Joy in 2009 when they all wanted to start a new band. I am the seventh bassist to play in the band – I joined in 2013 when I was at a turning point in my life. Our 3rd album is called More Faithful and it’s being released, like, right now (June, 2015). We hope you like it.

In one sentence, how would you, personally, describe the sound of No Joy?
Interesting rock music, with some strange choices.

How does the Canadian music scene compare to the UK’s? Is it any harder to breakthrough into the mainstream and gain recognition over here?
Canada is very large and the major cities are spread so far apart from each other so, while a musician or group may be well recognized and appreciated in their hometown, it’s possible that they’re unheard of on the other side of the country. It might be easy for a UK band to play shows in three big cities over a weekend but in Canada the options are scarce.

I feel like most music communities in the cosmopolitan areas of Canada are healthy pockets of inspired activity, with musicians playing in multiple projects and supporting each other. While in the UK it seems like appreciation and attention may spread through the country after a band begins to be recognized; in Canada I think it is more contained locally.

Your third studio release, More Faithful sees a heavier, more classic rock edge to No Joy. What – if anything – has changed?
We made focused, concerted efforts to really push every song to have strong dynamic elements. We never wanted any section to be too easy or bland, because we’re very impatient and engage with music that is going to stimulate us effectively.

How have the band matured since Ghost Blonde and Wait to Pleasure?
I think everyone in the band puts great importance on being progressive and adventurous with music. We’re taking this band pretty seriously, so we’d like to put forward our best efforts to be bold.

What were the main influences when recording/writing the tracks of More Faithful?
We all got in touch with being vulnerable and sensitive, pretty quickly we realized our main influence was gonna be to truthfully be ourselves more than anything else.

There are a number of bands & musicians that were inspirations for ways to approach song-writing or production. Some examples are Jimmy Eat World, Glenn Branca, Stereolab, Big Star, Jesu, Steve Reich and a million more.

For those listeners who are stumbling upon No Joy for the first time, through More Faithful, which track would you recommend they listen to first from the record, and why?
Probably the song ‘Judith’ because it’s a short song that still includes all the sweet & harsh elements that make the album both easy to like and a challenge to understand. I also think it’s pretty devastating emotionally while still being altogether hopeful, so if you can connect with that, then maybe you’re attuned to dig deep into the rest of the album.

Desert island essentials: If you were forced to live on a deserted desert island, what three essentials would you bring with you?
Food, clothes, internet…

Can the UK expect to see No Joy gracing its shores any time in the near future?
Yes, many dates in September. We would love to come and do more & more.

If you could co-headline tour with any music artist/band (alive or dead), who would you choose and why?
Probably Mac DeMarco, because he’s very popular.

Huge thanks to No Joy for answering all our questions! More Faithful is out June 8.