The Joy Of Joy Formidable

One of the great things about my job is that every so often, I'm assigned to interview a band I've never heard of and in the process discover music that will stay with me forever.

This morning, all I knew about Welsh trio The Joy Formidable was that they had a catchy song on the 6 Music playlist. Now, I've listened to about 50% of their entire recorded output and become a proper, dyed-in-the-wool fanboy idiot. (I also learnt they were from Wales, and that there are three of them. That's journalism for you).

The Joy Formidable is a perfect description of band's sound - a life-affirming blast of guitar noise and thumping drums. Rejected band titles included: The Gay Abandon, The Happy Effort and An Agreeable Punch In The Face.

Here's one of their early singles, Cradle.


The Joy Formidable - Cradle


I've just got back from the interview and can impart three new facts:

1) They are "big in Japan".
2) Drummer Matt Thomas is a blur of limbs. A future Dave Grohl.
3) Singer Ritzy Bryan is aware of the restrictions against swearing on breakfast show interviews. "People don't want cunt with their cornflakes".

Here is their current single, Austere, performed in some sort of BBC capacity last year.



The Joy Formidable's album The Big Roar is out next week. My interview with them will almost definitely air before that.

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