Joyce Manor

Formed toward the end of the 2000s in California, Joyce Manor channeled the intense feelings and unrestrained style of power pop and emo into a scorching punk approach on their 2011 self-titled debut and the follow-up Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired from 2012. Over time the group absorbed traits of pop-punk and indie rock for their first major-label effort Never Hungover Again, which reflected the influence of Weezer and Jawbreaker, an approach that carried forward on Million Dollars to Kill Me in 2018 and 40 oz. to Fresno in 2022.

Rooted in Torrance, California, the band began as an acoustic pop-punk duo of longtime friends Barry Johnson on vocals and guitar alongside Chase Knobbe on guitar. The roster soon grew with the addition of bassist Matt Ebert and drummer Kurt Walcher. Early demos and EPs displayed a fierce punk band delivering brief tracks, seldom exceeding two minutes, with a raw and approachable quality that won over local punk listeners. Following a split 7" with fellow Californians Summer Vacation, Joyce Manor signed with hardcore label 6131 Records. Their self-titled full-length debut arrived in 2011 to widespread praise, placing the band on numerous year-end best-of lists. A split with Oakland’s Big Kids came next, coinciding with expanded nationwide touring.

The band shifted to Asian Man Records for their subsequent release; Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired surfaced in April 2012 and packed nine songs into just over 13 minutes. When preparing the next album, the group secured Asian Man’s approval to move to Epitaph Records. The ten-song, 20-minute Never Hungover Again was produced by Joe Reinhart, mixed by Tony Hoffer of Beck and Belle and Sebastian fame, and issued in summer 2014. After an extended period of touring marked by the band’s stance against stage diving and free shows, which distanced some fans while earning praise from others, they started work on a new record. They first replaced Walcher with drummer Jeff Enzor, then collaborated with producer Rob Schnapf, known for work with Elliott Smith, Guided by Voices, and Rancid. Schnapf guided Johnson in expanding one-minute songs into three-minute ones and brought the band into a professional studio for the first time. The outcome, 2016’s Cody, stood as their most polished recording to date and included guest vocals from singer/songwriter Phoebe Bridgers and Fun.’s Nate Ruess. Joyce Manor extended the story two years later on their fifth album Million Dollars to Kill Me, which explored themes of doubt and hope. Cut in Salem, Massachusetts, the 2018 release introduced drummer Pat Ware and contained the tracks “Fighting Kangaroo” and “Wildflowers.”

Issued in 2020, the rarities compilation Songs from North Torrance gathered early highlights from the band’s formative period. Much of the collection centers on Joyce Manor’s acoustic punk beginnings between 2008 and 2010, when the outfit consisted solely of the Johnson and Knobbe duo. By 2022 the band had parted ways with their third drummer and, rather than replace the position, continued as a trio with Motion City Soundtrack’s Tony Thaxton handling session duties. With this configuration and the returning production team of Schnapf and Hoffer, they finished their sixth studio album, 40 oz. to Fresno, which appeared that June.