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Interview: Barry Johnson of Joyce Manor

Joyce Manor
Drew Beringer

It’s release week for Joyce Manor’s sixth album, 40 Oz. To Fresno and vocalist/guitarist Barry Johnson is thinking about how it’ll be received. “I care about the reviews, I don’t know why I care about the reviews, but I do. So, if we got bad reviews it would really hurt my feelings. But so far everything I’ve read has been really positive. So, that’s a huge relief.” It’s refreshing to hear that kind of honestly from a musician, as it’s typical for artists to say they avoid (or pretend to) the critiques on their art. But Johnson isn’t like most artists, his self-awareness shining through during the entirety of our Zoom session. His band’s latest collection of emo-leaning power-pop punk songs look back on past eras of Joyce Manor while staying true to the natural progression the band has made since 2011’s self-titled record. The 9-track 17-minute album features some of the band’s most explosive work yet (“Gotta Let It Go,” “NBTSA,” and “Secret Sisters” being the main culprits) along with the band’s incredible knack for creating inescapable melodic mid-tempo tracks (“You’re Not Famous Anymore” and “Did You Ever Know?”) – making 40 Oz. To Fresno the Joyce Manor record for Joyce Manor fans. Below Johnson and I chat about the origins of this record, trying to take a break from the Joyce Manor machine, working with Tony Thaxton, the big Long Beach show in 2023, and more.

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Scotchka – “Corinthians” (Song Premiere)

Scotchka
Adam Grundy

Today is a great day to share the latest single from pop-punk band Scotchka, who hail from Albany, NY, and are gearing up for the release of their full-length record this August. The new single is called “Corinthians” and reminds me a lot of Say Anything paired with Motion City Soundtrack. The band shared this about the latest track:

We’ve made a habit on this coming record to hyperinflate the ordinary and this song is one of the better examples. Corinthians is a culmination of life events, put into the most dramatic light possible. Trying to explore every facet of a relationship, processing a friend telling us they are considering suicide, always trying to find out where something went wrong and building from there.

If you’re enjoying the vibe of the latest single, be on the lookout for a pre-order notification on the band’s Bandcamp page here.

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Chris Garneau – “Ballard” (Song Premiere)

Chris Garneau
Adam Grundy

Today I’m excited to share the latest single from singer-songwriter Chris Garneau called “Ballard.” The track is the first song to be released from his upcoming EP, that will be released this Fall, and reminds me of a bit of the style of Rostam paired with the flamboyance of Adam Lambert. Garneau had this to say about the inspiration behind the new song:

I wrote this song after a vivid dream I had last summer where I met and fell in love with a vampire. We agreed he could drink the blood from my neck, turning me, but two days later he disappeared. I never saw him again, not in my dreams not in real life. Even though it all happened while I was sleeping it stuck with me for a while, I couldn’t stop thinking about it for months until I finally wrote the song to get it out. I felt like I was hallucinating sometimes, like that it really happened. It was bizarre. Sort of hot, kinda fun, but also felt fucked up. Ultimately I was relieved to let go of the feeling.

If you’re enjoying the direction that Garneau took on the first single from his upcoming EP, you can purchase the song starting tomorrow here.

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Aunt Kelly – ‘Remember’ (Album Premiere)

Aunt Kelly
Adam Grundy

Today I’m thrilled to share the album stream of power pop/rock band Aunt Kelly called Remember. The band is comprised of vocalist/guitarist/pianist Kelly Hannemann, bassist Dan Gianaris and drummer Sarah Weddle, and their great musical chemistry is felt over the seven-song effort. With a sound that strays somewhere between Beach Bunny and The Aces, Aunt Kelly have crafted a great debut record that should dominate your summer rotation. Hannemann shared this about the new record:

Remember is made up of songs written over several years through periods of despair, euphoria, depression, and mania. The title-track is about the fear of losing memories. There is something really comforting to me about being able to live in the past whether it’s through good or bad memories. I thought it was fitting for that song to be the title-track since all these songs hold a very specific feeling and will always make me think of that moment in time.

By looking back on key memories and staying true to who they are as people and musicians, Aunt Kelly will make you remember their name. If you’re enjoying the early album stream, please consider pre-ordering Remember here.

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