Joynoise might just be proof of the old adage that the third time’s the charm. Although the band is technically only about a year old, its members already have a somewhat complex history. Koch, the group’s guitarist/vocalist and drummer Jeff Bower started jamming in late 2015. Since then, they’ve gone through three band names and a handful of bassists. “Our last bassist quit because I insulted him on stage or something,” Koch says with a laugh. “But our current bassist, Mason [Ventura] has been with us for a couple years. So obviously he can take a joke.”
As the band slowly evolved into what would eventually become Joynoise, their sound also changed. Originally, Koch and Bower had set out to start a more alternative rock group. “It was kinda like an Oasis vibe,” Koch explains, “But Jeff and I realized really quickly that we hated all those songs.”
When they adopted the name Bloom, they took a bit of an edgier direction, embracing their punk roots. “With Joynoise, we started to get a little more experimental again. We started kinda defining our own sound where some of our friends couldn’t really tell us exactly what our genre is, which is pretty cool.” Koch says. They released their first EP as Joynoise, titled “Never Have I Ever,” in late 2018.
This Thursday, June 13th, Joynoise will release a new single, “It’s Not A Popularity Contest (Yes It Is)” which is just as snarky as the title suggests. “I have a lot of mixed feelings on the OC music scene, which I think that title reflects,” Koch explains. “I like to use a lot of tongue-in-cheek, a lot of sarcasm, a lot of little jabs, in my lyrics.”
Musically, the song definitely has a bit of a ’90s indie vibe to it. The mix of jangly guitar chords, a head bobbing rhythm section, and somewhat detached vocal delivery is somewhat reminiscent of bands like Pavement and Built to Spill but with a little bit of skate punk attitude.
Joynoise pride themselves on their DIY work ethic. They produce and promote their material themselves which is entirely, as they put it, “funded by their own shitty day jobs.” To be completely frank, this is surprising, considering the recording quality of their newest single. The track’s mix sounds professional enough to hold up to any rock radio hit and small elements such as a tambourine or general dynamics all add to the overall production. This makes for the perfect sonic backdrop as Koch asks, somewhat frantically “Am I losing it for good or do I just need some fun? Is all the bleach in my hair getting to my head?”
On June 20th, a week after “It’s Not A Popularity Contest (Yes It Is)” will be released, Joynoise will be embarking on their first tour up to Northern California. But first, they’ll have a hometown sendoff. “Our tour kickoff show is actually gonna be where our practice lockout is,” Koch explains. “It’s a place in Huntington Beach called Gothard Sound [Studios] and it’s owned by Donny from Leftover Crack.”
Despite handling most band business themselves, the group decided to enlist some help with booking this tour. “We hit up Alyx [Poska] from Riff Mountain and Pacific Nature because a buddy of mine recommended him,” Koch says. But Poska offered much more than a simple helping hand and ended up scheduling the tour for them. “It was super nice, because I thought I was just gonna get some advice and put it all together myself.”
Joynoise plans on finishing up some new material once they return from their tour and hope to release a full length album soon.
Much success in your tour. Nice young entrepreneurs at work.
Keep on Rockin’….
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