Joyce Manor | |
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 Joyce Manor in 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Torrance, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2008 (2008)–present |
| Labels | |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | joyce-manor |
Joyce Manor is an Americanpunk rock band, formed inTorrance, California, in 2008. The band's current lineup consists ofsinger-songwriter and guitarist Barry Johnson; guitarist Chase Knobbe; and bassist/backing vocalist Matt Ebert. The band's musical style is rooted inpunk rock, though it has diversified over the course of its career. The band first gained momentum through word-of-mouth and early exposure on social media. The group has had a different drummer for each album cycle since 2015.
The band has released six studio albums, each typically short in duration. Their2011 self-titled debut, featuring the song "Constant Headache", was released through indie label 6131; its 2012 follow-up,Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired, was distributed throughAsian Man. The band signed a long-term contract withEpitaph Records, with which the band first releasedNever Hungover Again in 2014. The band explored different song structures and tempos onCody (2016) andMillion Dollars to Kill Me (2018). Its most recent album,40 oz. to Fresno, was released in 2022.
Joyce Manor originated out ofTorrance, California,[1][2] part of thelongstanding punk rock scene in the state. Guitarists Barry Johnson and Chase Knobbe first met and bonded in late 2008, and decided to form a band on a trip toDisneyland. The band's name came from an apartment building Johnson would pass on walks.[2] The duo adopted an acoustic, folk-punk sound, and began playing house shows;[3] their first gig was opening forAndrew Jackson Jihad. Their sound evolved upon adding bassist Matt Ebert and drummer Kurt Walcher in 2009, and they began releasing demos.[4]
The band signed with 6131 Records,[5] who gave the foursome a small budget to tackle their first full-length.[6] The band's debut,self-titled album saw release in January 2011, and included the single "Constant Headache", which became their signature song. Though pop-punk had largely faded from the commercial spotlight, the band's popularity rose through word-of-mouth from fans online, particularly onTumblr. Punknews named it their "2011 Album of the Year" and it landed the band on many year-end best-of lists.[7]
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Johnson was uncomfortable with the attention, and channeled his angst into the band's next offering, 2012'sOf All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired, a thirteen-minute thrash that explores its folk-punk roots and included a cover of the Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star".[8] The group partnered with venerated imprintAsian Man Records for the release;Big Scary Monsters handled overseas distribution. The reaction from their fanbase was swift and divided;[9] Johnson called the album a pain to make, later confessing that he felt a pull to distinguish themselves from their contemporaries: "We didn’t want to be aWarped Tour band," he admitted.[10] "I was just really aware that people were gonna be listening to it [and] concerned with being cool. I was kind of trying to sabotage my career."[11] In support, the band played shows with AJJ,Algernon Cadwallader,Touche Amore,[12]Hop Along,[13] andDesaparecidos.[14] The band also supportedAgainst Me.[15] The band's friends at Asian Man connected them with the staff atEpitaph Records, the fabled punk label, with whom the band signed to in 2014.[16]
The band's first album for Epitaph wasNever Hungover Again (2014),[17][18] a release that united listenership and invited new fans.[9] Produced by Joe Reinhart,[19]Never Hungover Again represented the band's career-best ranking on theBillboard 200 at number 106.[20] Around the same time, the band received attention within the indie and punk communities for its stance againststage diving after the band interrupted several sets to call out stage divers.[21][22]Rolling Stone included the band on its "10 New Artists You Need to Know" in 2014.[23]Never Hungover Again earned rave reviews from music critics, cementing the band's place as one of the top pop-punk bands of the 2010s; they were credited with spearheading a revival ofemo music alongside acts likeTitle Fight andTigers Jaw.[6] The band played shows in support of the album withBrand New,[24] as well as their first-ever[16] headlining slots alongsideToys That Kill,Mitski,[25] andModern Baseball.[26]
In 2016, the band released their next album,Cody, produced byRob Schnapf. It was supported by the singles "Fake I.D.", "Eighteen", and "Last You Heard of Me". For the album, the band dismissed Walcher; the members felt he did not connect with the band's songwriting. It became one in a string of percussionists sitting in with the group; Johnson recruited Jeff Enzor forCody and its tour.[27] Schnapf encouraged the group to slow down the tempo and incorporate longer verses and bridges.[28]Cody was viewed as more accessible than previous efforts by critics;[9]Pitchfork dismissed it as an attempt to "sound likeEverclear".[29] OnBillboard'sTop Album Sales chart,Cody landed at number 75, and in the top 30 on theTop Rock & Alternative Albums ranking.[20]Cody was supported with tours alongsidethe Hotelier andCrying,[30] as well as other stints with AJJ andMannequin Pussy,[31] plus another tour withWavves in late 2017.[32]Cody ended up being their only album with Enzor behind the drum kit; he was replaced on 2018'sMillion Dollars to Kill Me by Pat Ware, of the groupSpraynard.[33]
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The band issued their next album,Million Dollars to Kill Me, in 2018.Million Dollars to Kill Me was produced byConverge'sKurt Ballou, and spawned three singles, including the title track, "Think I’m Still in Love with You" and "Big Lie". The band played larger rooms than before, including two headlining shows at theHollywood Palladium.[34][35] The band was supported byVundabar and Big Eyes on live dates,[36] and joinedSaves the Day for a summer co-headlining jaunt in 2019.[37]
The band had considered a hiatus before teaming with Ware; indeed, when he left the band in 2019,[38] Johnson confided in the other members that he felt the band was due for a break.[10] The next year, thecoronavirus pandemic took hold, prompting the band to adopt a reflective view. Midway though the year, Joyce Manor issuedSongs from Northern Torrance (2020), a rarities compilation collecting early demos.[39] The next year, the band issued a ten-year anniversary edition of their debut album, remixed by original engineer Alex Estrada, undoing editorial decisions made during the recording process the band came to regret. They added Neil Berthier on keyboards for live performances that year.[6]
The process allowed Johnson to reevaluate older, unfinished demos that helped birth the band's latest album, theSublime-referencing40 oz. to Fresno (2022).[40] The seventeen-minute long effort showcases a range of songs, both new and old, and includes a cover of "Souvenir" byOrchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Singles included "Gotta Let It Go" and "Don't Try".[41] The band reunited with Schnapf mid-pandemic to record the album.[42] Following Ware's exit, the band resigned themselves to simply being a three-piece, and enlisted Tony Thaxton (ofMotion City Soundtrack) for a guest role on40 oz.[43] The band supported the album with a domestic tour alongsideThe Story So Far[41] and another tour withCitizen,[44] and overseas dates withthe Menzingers.[45] In 2023, the band played several dates withPUP,[46] and also partnered with Weezer—one of their original influences—to open several dates of theirIndie Rock Road Trip tour.[47]
The band's sound is a mix ofpower pop,pop punk andemo, withPitchfork describing the band as writers of "very short songs and spikedalt-rock melodies with day-drunk surrealism, like aSoCalGuided By Voices that exclusively drankalcopops."[48] Cory Apar ofAllMusic said Joyce Manor is stylistically a "more traditional pop punk" act.[49] The band members themselves have citedBlink-182,the Smiths,[3]Guided by Voices,Pissed Jeans,Rancid,[50]Against Me!,Weezer, andTelevision as influences.[51] Johnson and Knobbe first bonded over their love of Blink-182.[9] The band has covered songs fromnew wave groups such asthe Buggles andOrchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.[52] The band's lyrics have thematically explored "broken homes, drunken nights, [and] faltering relationships."[4] The band is known for its particularly brief song durations, which Johnson attributes to his tendency to self-edit, removing elements until he feels the song is at its best, whatever the length.[38]
Current
Current touring musicians
Former
Former touring musicians
Studio albums
Compilations
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Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Alternative | |||
| "All My Friends Are So Depressed" | 2025 | 26 | I Used To Go to This Bar |
Music videos
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |