Mt. Joy

An indie folk-rock band infused with soulful sensibilities, Mt. Joy draws its moniker from a summit located within a Pennsylvania national park close to the childhood homes of founding members Matt Quinn and Sam Cooper. The group achieved viral streaming traction in the late 2010s through a string of independently issued singles before signing with Dualtone to issue their self-titled debut album in 2018. Their sophomore effort, Rearrange Us, entered the pop rankings in 2020, paving the way for the introspective, vividly colored follow-up Orange Blood two years later. Following an intensive stretch of road work, the ensemble resurfaced at the start of 2024 with the affecting single “Highway Queen.”

Quinn, who handles vocals and guitar, and Cooper on guitar first connected as high school classmates in Philadelphia. Although the pair had collaborated musically during adolescence, divergent paths kept them separated for an extended period. They reconnected in Los Angeles during 2016 to cut four tracks under the Mt. Joy banner with producer Caleb Nelson. One of those early recordings, “Astrovan,” circulated online without initial notice yet eventually surpassed three million streams. Heartened by this momentum, Quinn and Cooper left their regular employment and assembled a complete lineup to support live performances. The 2017 releases “Sheep,” “Cardinal,” and “Silver Lining” continued the upward trajectory and expanded the group’s profile.

Mt. Joy opened 2018 with the restrained, gradually unfolding single “Jenny Jenkins” and, several months afterward, delivered their first full-length project. Extensive festival appearances and touring followed before the members headed to Oregon to work with producer Tucker Martine. Described by the band as a breakup record, Rearrange Us carried a more somber atmosphere than its predecessor and reached number 197 on the Billboard 200 after its June 2020 release. Around the same time, a planned arena tour backing the Lumineers was abruptly halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To develop material for the subsequent album, Quinn and Cooper withdrew to the California desert near Joshua Tree. The resulting compositions emphasized subdued rhythms and reflective moods, an atmosphere echoed in the album title Orange Blood, which evoked the region’s warm color palette. Recorded back in Philadelphia once more with Caleb Nelson, Orange Blood arrived in June 2022. Over the ensuing year the band maintained a relentless schedule that included North American festival dates and a European run supporting Greta Van Fleet. Early 2024 brought the introspective and personal release “Highway Queen.”