Interview: The Joy Formidable

Earlier this month, we managed to catch up with one of this year's most hyped bands, The Joy Formidable and managed to squeeze some exclusive information from their very souls.

Originally from Wales, the band moved to London playing under the name Sidecar Kisses. A bassist and a drummer later, they renamed themselves to The Joy Formidable and managed to grab the “One To Watch In 2008” label from British newspaper The Guardian.

After playing Latitude last year and with their debut album on the horizon, things are looking good for TJF. Here’s what the band had to say on everything from their very own music to the road that lay ahead.

Your newest single Cradle is being released early next year, you've already played Latitude Festival and have quickly been gaining momentum throughout the music world, how does it feel after such a big year?

It genuinely feels very special. It's been a busy year; we've recorded two short albums (our Japanese "A Balloon called Moaning" and it's British counterpart), we've been on tour, launched our remix label and clubnight, so much stuff has happened but we definitely thrive on that sort of chaos.

Any highlights?

Latitude without a doubt. We played very early on the first morning and the turn out was just incredible and a brilliantly receptive crowd. You're fresh out of your sleeping bag, in the middle of a forest playing to about 500 people, it was a bit surreal, very exciting. We spent the whole weekend there, and the line-up was superb, not just musically, but the theatre side and the literary tents. It's definitely a festival where you can get inspired.

A lot of people have been labelling your sound "dream indie" or "epic pop". How do you feel about the confinements of genre pushed onto rising bands?

People will always try and categorise your music,  it's their way of making it more palatable, more accessible if you like. But they'll always be music lovers that will listen beyond the tag and anyway the descriptions we've been given; they seem more imaginative than some, so I forgive them. It doesn't keep me up at night.

Do you agree with the genres that critics have labelled you with?

They're relevant if you want an abbreviated account, but when you have a body of work or even the difference between your live sound and your recorded sound, you'll never capture the complete essence of a band with a few words.

Your new album "A Balloon Called Moaning" is a Japanese release only. How did that decision come about?

Rallye (the label in Japan) approached us after hearing the tracks on myspace. Fumi who runs the label is amazingly enthusiastic, he runs a thriving record store in Kanazawa,Japan and we were just struck by his passion for music and how he was willing to give us a free reign on making the album and the artwork. We're delighted with the way it's turned out.

Who do you feel were your inspirations (if any) during the albums recording process?

Rhydian and I recorded and mixed the album in our bedroom / studio in South London, though some of the tracks have their roots in earlier sessions when we lived in North Wales. We've been occupying the same tiny space for many months so we're undoubtedly a massive inspiration and frustration to one another. It's a unique working and personal relationship; musically our ears flit from being almost identical to wholly at odds, so we definitely challenge each other; it keep things interesting.

Outside of Rhydian, I'd say the feeling behind this album is driven by my own familial situation, it's felt very natural to write a defiantly optimistic and hopeful album. My mother's family are Mancunian and in the face of any adversity handle it with a fuck off attitude and a sense of humour. In some ways "A Balloon called Moaning" is a tribute to them, even if I don't always manage to follow their example.

You have your own club night in London, "Joie De Vivre", how did that originally start out? Did you just decide you wanted to do a club night?

We go to a lot of shows, we follow new bands and launching our own clubnight felt like a good way of sharing our favourite DJ's and bands with a TJF audience.

So apart from the single release in January, what's next for The Joy Formidable?

We're keen to get touring again, the UK, even further afield, there's something very real about being on the road, meeting your fanbase, waking up in a different place every day. Especially as we've been doing it all ourselves, getting from one place to another minus a crew and a TM is a true accomplishment! We'll also be releasing a British version of "A Balloon called Moaning" through Pure Groove in February, limited to 300 copies, and then a bigger body of work to follow later in the year.

Any last words?

I'll just say goodbye

The Joy Formidable's new single Cradle is out in January and you can listen to it for free below, alongside the excellent video for 'Austere', which came out earlier this year.

The Joy Formidable - 'Cradle'

• tjf_cradle.mp3
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The Joy Formidable - 'Austere'