Biography
Initially a duo steeped in darkly atmospheric shoegaze textures, No Joy gradually shifted toward sounds that resisted containment and conventional boundaries. The increasingly bold studio choices across their guitar-driven releases of the 2010s culminated in the boundary-blurring collisions of Motherhood in 2020 and its 2021 counterpart EP Can My Daughter See Me from Heaven.
The project took shape in November 2009 when guitarist/vocalist Jasamine White-Gluz resided in Los Angeles while guitarist/vocalist Laura Lloyd lived in Montreal; the two developed material remotely until White-Gluz relocated to Montreal, enabling live performances. An early appearance alongside Best Coast helped generate attention after Bethany Cosentino declared No Joy “the best band ever” on Twitter. Their layered, introspective guitar interplay and airy vocals placed them alongside stylistically varied acts ranging from Wavves to Harvey Milk and Besnard Lakes. Mexican Summer, Best Coast’s label, signed the group and released their self-titled 7" in 2010, recorded by Miracle Fortress’ Graham Van Pelt. The lineup soon expanded to a quartet, and the Raveonettes’ Sune Rose Wagner handled mixing duties for the debut album Ghost Blonde, issued in November 2010.
A 2012 interim EP titled Negaverse appeared while the band resumed work with Wagner on the follow-up, yet dissatisfaction led them to abandon those recordings in favor of producer Jorge Elbrecht for the 2013 sophomore album Wait to Pleasure. For the third full-length More Faithful, the members divided sessions between Brooklyn and Costa Rica; again partnering with Elbrecht, they pursued denser arrangements and sophisticated production techniques within their shoegaze foundation.
Two EPs, Drool Sucker and Creep, surfaced in 2016, followed by extensive touring throughout 2017. The subsequent release was a collaboration with Pete Kember, known for his work with Spacemen 3 and Spectrum. White-Gluz and Kember had begun exchanging ideas in 2015 when the No Joy vocalist sought fresh musical directions; four of her compositions were selected for full-band treatment before Kember transformed them into electronic, guitar-free pieces, resulting in the No Joy/Sonic Boom EP released by Joyful Noise in March 2018.
No Joy resurfaced in 2020 with the fourth album Motherhood, the first since Lloyd’s departure and the first in five years. White-Gluz explored unorthodox production methods and stylistic juxtapositions, extending the group’s established approach to encompass nu metal edges, trip-hop rhythms, and further unexpected fusions. Motherhood was swiftly followed by the 2021 EP Can My Daughter See Me from Heaven, whose five tracks featured radically reimagined versions of songs from the album alongside a cover of the Deftones’ “Teenager,” newly arranged for French horn, cello, harp, and operatic vocals.
The project took shape in November 2009 when guitarist/vocalist Jasamine White-Gluz resided in Los Angeles while guitarist/vocalist Laura Lloyd lived in Montreal; the two developed material remotely until White-Gluz relocated to Montreal, enabling live performances. An early appearance alongside Best Coast helped generate attention after Bethany Cosentino declared No Joy “the best band ever” on Twitter. Their layered, introspective guitar interplay and airy vocals placed them alongside stylistically varied acts ranging from Wavves to Harvey Milk and Besnard Lakes. Mexican Summer, Best Coast’s label, signed the group and released their self-titled 7" in 2010, recorded by Miracle Fortress’ Graham Van Pelt. The lineup soon expanded to a quartet, and the Raveonettes’ Sune Rose Wagner handled mixing duties for the debut album Ghost Blonde, issued in November 2010.
A 2012 interim EP titled Negaverse appeared while the band resumed work with Wagner on the follow-up, yet dissatisfaction led them to abandon those recordings in favor of producer Jorge Elbrecht for the 2013 sophomore album Wait to Pleasure. For the third full-length More Faithful, the members divided sessions between Brooklyn and Costa Rica; again partnering with Elbrecht, they pursued denser arrangements and sophisticated production techniques within their shoegaze foundation.
Two EPs, Drool Sucker and Creep, surfaced in 2016, followed by extensive touring throughout 2017. The subsequent release was a collaboration with Pete Kember, known for his work with Spacemen 3 and Spectrum. White-Gluz and Kember had begun exchanging ideas in 2015 when the No Joy vocalist sought fresh musical directions; four of her compositions were selected for full-band treatment before Kember transformed them into electronic, guitar-free pieces, resulting in the No Joy/Sonic Boom EP released by Joyful Noise in March 2018.
No Joy resurfaced in 2020 with the fourth album Motherhood, the first since Lloyd’s departure and the first in five years. White-Gluz explored unorthodox production methods and stylistic juxtapositions, extending the group’s established approach to encompass nu metal edges, trip-hop rhythms, and further unexpected fusions. Motherhood was swiftly followed by the 2021 EP Can My Daughter See Me from Heaven, whose five tracks featured radically reimagined versions of songs from the album alongside a cover of the Deftones’ “Teenager,” newly arranged for French horn, cello, harp, and operatic vocals.
Albums
Bugland
2025
My Crud Princess
2025
Bits
2025
Noisemaker (No Joy Remix)
2023
Wait to Pleasure
2023
Can My Daughter See Me From Heaven
2021
Motherhood
2020
More Faithful
2015
Ghost Blonde
2010
Singles
