News
Into the Blue Deluxe Edition Due Out September 14 via Enci
Aug 08, 2022
By Joey Arnone
Welsh rock band The Joy Formidable have announced the release of the deluxe edition of their most recent album, Into the Blue. They have also announced U.S. tour dates in support of the album and have shared a new track from the reissue, “Somewhere New.” More
Plus HARD FEELINGS, Wye Oak, Morly, and a Wrap-up of the Week’s Other Notable New Tracks
Jul 16, 2021
By Mark Redfern
Welcome to the 27th Songs of the Week of 2021. There wasn’t an onslaught of amazing new songs this week, but we liked enough to come up with a solid Top 10. More
Into the Blue Due Out August 20 via Enci Records
Jul 13, 2021
By Mark Redfern
Welsh rockers The Joy Formidable are releasing a new album, Into the Blue, on August 20 via Enci Records. Now they have shared a new single from it, “Chimes,” via a self-directed video featuring lead singer and guitarist Ritzy Bryan performing along to the song in a barn, along with an animated bird. More
Into the Blue Due Out August 20 via Enci Records
May 07, 2021
By Mark Redfern
Welsh rockers The Joy Formidable have announced a new album, Into the Blue, and shared a new song from it, “Back to Nothing.” More
Their First New Single Since 2018’s AAARTH
Mar 26, 2021
By Mark Redfern
Welsh rockers The Joy Formidable have shared a brand new song, “Into the Blue,” via a video for the track. It’s the band’s first new single since their 2018 album, AAARTH. More
August 31 at the Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA
May 14, 2019
By Christopher Roberts
A new one-day festival, Pasadena Daydream Festival, has been announced. It is headlined by goth legends The Cure and the lineup was also curated by the band. More
AAARTH Due Out September 28 via Hassle
Aug 06, 2018
By Christopher Roberts
The Joy Formidable are releasing a new album, AAARTH, on September 28 via Hassle. Now the Welsh trio have shared a video for its first single, “The Wrong Side.” The video company TRLLM directed the psychedelic clip, which you can watch below. More
Issue 57 Also Includes Interview with Lush, Primal Scream, John Carpenter, Frightened Rabbit, Underworld, Yeasayer, Frankie Cosmos, Julien Baker, Cat's Eyes, School of Seven Bells, Parquet Courts, Fear of Men, Minor Victories, Kevin Morby, and More
May 06, 2016
By Christopher Roberts
Under the Radar is excited to announce the full details of our May/June 2016 issue (out May, June, and into July), which has shipped out to subscribers and stores and will be on all newsstands soon. It will also soon be available digitally via Under the Radar‘s app, and the magazine apps Zinio, Readly, and Readbug. The issue features M83 on the cover. More
Hitch Out Now via C'Mon Lets Drift
Apr 04, 2016
By Christopher Roberts
The Joy Formidable released their new album, Hitch, a couple of weeks back on the band’s own label, C’Mon Lets Drift, in partnership with Caroline (US), Orchard/Membran (Europe), and MapleMusic (Canada). Now the Welsh trio has announced some more North American tour dates that take them across the country through July. More
Hitch Due Out March 25, Watch Video for "The Last Thing on My Mind"
Jan 26, 2016
By Mark Redfern
The Joy Formidable have announced a new album and shared a NSFW video for its first single, “The Last Thing on My Mind.” Hitch is due out March 25 on the Welsh trio’s own label, C’Mon Lets Drift, in partnership with Caroline (US), Orchard/Membran (Europe), and MapleMusic (Canada). The album was self-produced by the band and recorded at The Red Brick studios in the Welsh hills. Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, Nine Inch Nails) mixed the album. Below is the tracklisting and their upcoming tour dates. More
Featured on Tribute Album Last Box of Sparklers
Dec 13, 2013
By Mike Hilleary
Yesterday it was revealed that Box Of Stars,, a non-profit that raises awareness for mental health, was attempting to launch a tribute album for singer/songwriter Mark Linkous, a.k.a. Sparklehorse, who tragically committed suicide in 2010. More
Perform "This Ladder Is Ours"
Jan 21, 2013
By Mike Hilleary
This week Welsh rock trio The Joy Formidable will release their sophomore LP Wolf’s Law. More
Nov 09, 2012
By Mike Hilleary
The Joy Formidable will kick 2013 off with their signature, distortion-heavy guitar shredding when they release Wolf’s Law, the sophomore follow-up to their 2011 debut The Big Roar. More
Supporting Muse + Headline Shows
Sep 28, 2012
By Laura Studarus
The Joy Formidable is hitting the road in support of their forthcoming album Wolf’s Law (out this January). More
First Proper Single From Sophomore LP Wolf's Law
Sep 07, 2012
By Mike Hilleary
A while back anthem amp exploders The Joy Formidable announced the release of their forthcoming sophomore album Wolf’s Law, releasing a video for a song sharing the same name. More
Preview New Material On Upcoming Tour
May 08, 2012
By Mike Hilleary
Welsh rock trio The Joy Formidable have announced that they have completed recording for their forthcoming sophomore album. More
Kicking Off Headlining Tour
Mar 12, 2012
By Mike Hilleary
Uber-amplified rock trio The Joy Formidable have premiered a coloful music video for their latest single “A Heavy Abacus,” featured on the group’s breakthrough album The Big Roar. More
Featuring Jack White, Bon Iver, St. Vincent, and More
Feb 03, 2012
By Mike Hilleary
The 11th annual Sasquatch Music Festival has announced its official lineup of artists, including Jack White, Bon Iver, Tenacious D, The Shins, St. Vincent, Feist, The Roots, Beirut, and Beck. More
Interviews
Aug 20, 2021
By Andy Von Pip
Welsh trio The Joy Formidable return today with their fifth studio album, Into the Blue, which was recorded during the global pandemic restrictions. Frontwoman and guitarist Ritzy Bryan and bassist Rhydian Dafydd spent the lockdown at Bryan’s home in Utah, whilst drummer Matt Thomas remained in the UK. More
10 Years and Still Moaning
Nov 14, 2019
By Dom Gourlay
Time really does fly when you’re having fun and making great records. Which is something The Joy Formidable can testify to. Formed in the North Wales border town of Mold back in 2007, they’ve earned a reputation as one of the most consistent and engaging live bands over the past decade, while releasing four critically acclaimed albums in the process. More
Jun 22, 2016
By Mike Hilleary
In the opening seconds of “The Last Thing on My Mind,” the lead single off The Joy Formidable‘s third album, Hitch, listeners are provided an ears-only glimpse of the band before the final count in to the song’s thumping, ever-present riff. More
Ritzy Bryan Reflects on the Last Year
Jan 21, 2013
By Under the Radar Staff
For Under the Radar‘s 10th annual Artist Survey we emailed some of our favorite artists a few questions relating to 2012. Pick up the Best of 2012 issue to read many of the responses. We are also posting additional web-exclusive artist survey interviews to the website. Here are responses from Ritzy Bryan of The Joy Formidable. More
Reviews
Sep 01, 2021
By Matt the Raven
The Welsh trio of Rhiannon (Ritzy) Bryan, Rhydian Dafydd, and Matt Thomas have been making shoegazey soundscapes with post-punk riffage as The Joy Formidable since their debut album dropped in 2011. More
Sep 25, 2018
By Haydon Spenceley
The new album by The Joy Formidable is being self-released on their own label Seradom. Whatever the reason for AAARTH (an aggressive-sounding title I’m sure you’ll agree) being released in this way, one thing is abundantly clear from the outset: the freedom suits The Joy Formidable. More
Mar 23, 2016
By J. Pace
The Joy Formidable continue on their single-minded path toward sheer scale, this time around taking things a little more slowly in the studio. In fact, the band started by building a studio, The Red Brick, in their native Wales, then spent 12 months recording the album themselves. More
Jan 29, 2013
By Frank Valish
With its 2011 debut, The Big Roar, The Joy Formidable helped to usher in a new wave of ‘90s nostalgia, with grungy guitars galore and alterna-happy songwriting that very often seemed to favor general sonic assault over pure song craft. The sound was hauntingly familiar, almost too much so, like The Smashing Pumpkins heard for the hundredth time on alternative radio, yet it also managed to bring back those halcyon years when heavy-guitar bombast was all the rage. More