The Joy Formidable

The Joy Formidable, a Welsh rock trio drawn to massive riffs alongside shoegaze expanses and dreamy post-punk textures, surfaced in 2011 via the explosive Big Roar, fusing the sonic force of '90s alternative rock with sharp indie pop instincts. Influenced by outfits such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs, My Bloody Valentine, and Arcade Fire, the group expanded their already broad palette across later releases including Wolf's Law (2013), AAARTH (2018), and Into the Blue (2021), all while preserving the melodic indie rock core established by their chart-topping first album.

Vocalist/guitarist Ritzy Bryan and bassist Rhydian Dafydd exited the post-punk group Sidecar Kisses after several years and formed the Joy Formidable in 2007 in North Wales, channeling shoegaze and noisy alternative rock into the new project's identity. The band eventually relocated to London, where founding drummer Justin Stahley gave way to Matt Thomas. Momentum built for the Joy Formidable in 2008 through festival slots across Britain and praise from outlets including The Guardian, which highlighted the trio's "darkly joyous soft-loud racket."

Following a string of singles, the band delivered the mini-album A Balloon Called Moaning in early 2009. Support tours alongside Editors and Passion Pit ensued, after which the Joy Formidable issued the live set First You Have to Get Mad before inking a deal with Black Bell Records, the independent imprint led by Passion Pit's Ayad Al Adhamy. Under that arrangement, A Balloon Called Moaning reached American shores in 2010. Extensive touring filled the remainder of the year, and the group launched 2011 with the global arrival of The Big Roar, their warmly received studio debut. The subsequent twelve months were devoted to crafting the follow-up while opening for Muse on the road. Recorded in Casco, Maine, Wolf's Law appeared in early 2013, reaching number 51 on the Billboard 200 and number 41 on the U.K. album charts.

In 2014 the band rolled out a sequence of monthly vinyl-only singles performed in Welsh, then revealed on Facebook in early 2016 that their long-awaited third studio album, Hitch, would arrive that March. Lead single "The Last Thing on My Mind" preceded the record, its video featuring a montage of scantily clad men to critique the media's over-sexualization of women. Promotion included a U.K. and European headline run plus North American dates opening for Foo Fighters. Songwriting and recording for the fourth album commenced in 2017 in the band's adopted home of Utah. Playing on the Welsh word for "bear," AAARTH emerged in September 2018. Their fifth album, Into the Blue, arrived in 2021 and addressed personal adversity, surmounting obstacles, and reaching the far side.