Welsh trio The Joy Formidable announce their return in the shape of their fourth album, AAARTH. Set for release on September 28, 2018 via Hassle Records, the band continues to sit at the forefront of inventive and aggressive guitar music with AAARTH, taking what can be done with the instrument to new levels with each album. The band first peaked fans’ curiositywhen Consequence of Sound premiered the official video for Dance of the Lotus, which inspired rumors of a new project; then BBC’s Radio 1 debuted AAARTH’s single, The Wrong Side. The Joy Formidable will join Foo Fighters for six September dates, and an album tour throughout North America until mid-November. AAARTH will be available on a multitude of formats, including CD, streaming, download, exclusive vinyl, and an extremely limited boxset available via The Joy Formidable’s AAA Music Club, a unique annual subscription that offers fan bonus items and access to 10 extra tracks. Check out Dance of the Lotus below!
So how pumped are you for the release of AAARTH?
It’s been around 9 months in the making & I think we’re all looking forward to touring this record. We’ve had a 12 month hiatus from gigging which is the longest break we’ve had, so we’re ready to start playing again.
Can you tell us something about the album no one else knows?
We’ve touched briefly on the cover artwork by Fernando Chamarelli & how beautiful & layered it is. You see something different with every look, similar to when you listen to AAARTH. We haven’t really shown you all the artwork that Rhyds has done for the record yet. He’s made a piece for every song that’ll live in the boxset booklet. It’s beautiful & we’d really love to exhibit it. Talented fucker.
What’s your favourite track from the release?
Probably the middle track All in All. It was a very close writing collab with Rhyds, probably one of the saddest things we’ve written together.
How has the release of The Wrong Side gone down so far?
For such a seething track we had a good time recording that one. The production is playful, lots of layers appearing & disappearing & the guitars have a lot of life in them. I don’t spend any time thinking about people’s reaction to a track, if it’s out there it’s because we wanted to share it.
If you could work with any band, who would it be and why?
I’d like to do a tour with Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever and/or Death from Above.
So you have a North American tour coming up too, what dates are you looking forward to most?
You can’t possibly make me choose. It’s going to be a fun tour, we’re out with Tancred who we love & we’re bouncing West to East with lots of gaps still to fill, so it’s going to be a busy year.
What’s the music scene like in London at the moment?
I don’t know, I don’t live there anymore but we love going back there to play. We spent a lot of time in London when we first started the band, used to meet at the Electric Cafe in Tulse Hill to drink tea & daydream.
What do you get up to when not working on music?
I love the outdoors, so lots of exploring in Utah where I live. I have 2 lovely rescue dogs who keep me busy & I volunteer for a local animal shelter. It’s a beautiful place to visit, it’s called Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, so definitely check it out if you’re visiting the South West.