About Joyce Manor
Joyce Manor is an American indie rock band formed in Torrance, California in 2008. The band's current lineup consists of singer-songwriter and guitarist Barry Johnson, guitarist Chase Knobbe, and bassist/backing vocalist Matt Ebert. The band's musical style is rooted in punk rock, but has diversified throughout their career. The band first gained momentum through word-of-mouth and social media sites. Kurt Walcher was the band's founding drummer; the group has switched drummers each album cycle since 2015.
The band has released six studio albums, each typically short in duration. Their 2011 self-titled debut, featuring the single "Constant Headache", was released through indie label 6131; its 2012 follow-up, Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired, was distributed through Asian Man. The band signed a long-term contract with Epitaph Records, with whom the band first released Never Hungover Again in 2014. The band explored different song structures and tempos on Cody and Million Dollars to Kill Me . Their most recent album, 40 oz. to Fresno, was released in 2022.
Joyce Manor originated out of Torrance, California, part of the longstanding 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 to Disneyland. The band's name came from an apartment building Johnson would pass on walks. The duo adopted an acoustic, folk-punk sound, and began playing house shows; their first gig was opening for Andrew Jackson Jihad. Their sound evolved upon adding bassist Matt Ebert and drummer Kurt Walcher in 2009, and they began releasing demos.
The band signed with 6131 Records, who gave the foursome a small budget to tackle their first full-length. 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 on Tumblr. Punknews named it their "2011 Album of the Year" and it landed the band on many year-end best-of lists.
Johnson was uncomfortable with the attention, and channeled his angst into the band's next offering, 2012's Of 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". The group partnered with venerated imprint Asian Man Records for the release; Big Scary Monsters handled overseas distribution. The reaction from their fanbase was swift and divided; 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 a Warped Tour band," he admitted. "I was just really aware that people were gonna be listening to it concerned with being cool. I was kind of trying to sabotage my career." In support, the band played shows with AJJ, Algernon Cadwallader, Touche Amore, Hop Along, and Desaparecidos. The band also supported Against Me. The band's friends at Asian Man connected them with the staff at Epitaph Records, the fabled punk label, with whom the band signed to in 2014.
The band's first album for Epitaph was Never Hungover Again , a release that united listenership and invited new fans. Produced by Joe Reinhart, Never Hungover Again represented the band's career-best ranking on the Billboard 200 at number 106. Around the same time, the band received attention within the indie and punk communities for its stance against stage diving after the band interrupted several sets to call out stage divers. Rolling Stone included the band on its "10 New Artists You Need to Know" in 2014. 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 of emo music alongside acts like Title Fight and Tigers Jaw. The band played shows in support of the album with Brand New, as well as their first-ever headlining slots alongside Toys That Kill, Mitski, and Modern Baseball.
In 2016, the band released their next album, Cody, produced by Rob 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 for Cody and its tour. Schnapf encouraged the group to slow down the tempo and incorporate longer verses and bridges. Cody was viewed as more accessible than previous efforts by critics; Pitchfork dismissed it as an attempt to "sound like Everclear". On Billboard's Top Album Sales chart, Cody landed at number 75, and in the top 30 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums ranking. Cody was supported with tours alongside the Hotelier and Crying, as well as other stints with AJJ and Mannequin Pussy, plus another tour with Wavves in late 2017. Cody ended up being their only album with Enzor behind the drum kit; he was replaced on 2018's Million Dollars to Kill Me by Pat Ware, of the group Spraynard.
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