by Alexandra Mrozowska
— Senior Columnist —
After so many decades of Rock and Metal developing, changing and blending with other genres of music, it seems almost an impossible task to move within boundaries of just one particular subgenre these days. Consciously or not, different influences infiltrate into an artist’s musical landscape to often surprising results. That’s probably how the creative process in Joyous Wolf’s camp goes – at least guessing by the final effect, being rightfully dubbed as a mixture of updated Blues and Grunge sound with some Prog Rock influences as well. Hardrock Haven caught up with the young Southern California four-piece to find out more about them.
Hardrock Haven: I gotta start from a piece of band trivia – is it really true that Joyous Wolf’s moniker actually comes from the online band name generator?
Joyous Wolf: (laughs) Yeah, it’s true. We used an online band name generator for our name because we had a show the next day so we needed to be introduced as something. We said we could always go back and change it but never did.
Hardrock Haven: So far, you’ve released two EPs as well as a couple of singles. Is there a full length album in the works?
Joyous Wolf: Hard to say, but hopefully soon.
Hardrock Haven: Speaking of EPs, Mother Rebel saw the light of day not so long ago really. It contains four songs, yet three of them are basically different versions of the title track. I suspect this decision was deliberate – why?
Joyous Wolf: In support of radio play and promotion of our single “Mother Rebel”, we figured we’d show the different ways we personally play the song which is how it’s laid out in the EP: recorded, live, and acoustic.
Hardrock Haven: The lyrics of “Mother Rebel” are rooted deeply in the American history and literature and yet, do you think contemporary people can also relate to this story?
Joyous Wolf: The song’s message is definitely still relevant today. Mother Rebel doesn’t just talk about people being divided, it describes how a woman during these times overcame the atrocities and inhumanity of man.
Also your previous single “Odyssey” is a reference to literature, so are books your primary source of inspiration when it comes to songwriting?
Joyous Wolf: To us, Odyssey is a chance for a clean slate in your life. Whether it’s permanent or temporary, it conveys a sign of growth and shows a side of something or someone that’s constantly changing throughout their/its life. In general, our songs have many kinds of influences, some may be random, personal, or history based.
Hardrock Haven: Rock music doesn’t seem to be the most popular genre in your homeland right now – which is quite ironic considering the fact that rock’n’roll comes from the US. Why do you think it is so?
Joyous Wolf: We’ve been mostly influenced by the ‘60s and ‘90s I would say. A lot of Hendrix, Cream, Zeppelin, Sabbath, while at the same time taking influences from Muse, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, and Rage Against the Machine. It seems throughout the decades one genre has been given the spotlight more so than others, it might reflect our society at the time or it might be as simple as what is being made popular at the time. Whatever the case, Rock music will always be popular and a staple in people’s music preferences.
Hardrock Haven: What do you think are the best American Rock bands right now, especially considering the young generation which perhaps isn’t on our radar here in Europe yet?
Some of the best and our favorite Rock bands would definitely be Rival Sons, Badflower, Of Limbo and Dirty Honey.
Hardrock Haven: What impact did the ongoing pandemic have on your initial plans for 2020 and how do you deal with the current situation?
Joyous Wolf: It destroyed our entire plans for this year touring wise. If there’s any silver lining to the situation, it’s given us more time to think of a lot of great new material that we’re itching to try out live.
Hardrock Haven: Next year sounds way more exciting as you’re scheduled to play the UK’s Download Festival alongside the likes of KISS, Sepultura, Steel Panther and The Darkness to name just a few. How important are such festival performances for a young band like you?
Joyous Wolf: We’ve heard how crazy Rock is over in Europe so through no fault of our own we’ve definitely built up an idea of what a Rock show in Europe will be and it sounds fun. And well, these festival slots are extremely important to us. Our first shows after playing local clubs were festivals and it was a totally different experience in a great way that we very much look forward to in Europe.
Hardrock Haven: Speaking of live gigs, in the past you also supported the likes of Deep Purple or Slash… If you could choose any band to tour with, young or legendary, who would it be and why?
Joyous Wolf: Supporting legends like you mentioned was a great eye opening experience. We learned a lot of day-to-day manor and maintenance as well as a peek into what a well-oiled band sounds like live, and it’s sick. And as far as touring together is concerned, we’d probably pick Foo Fighters. They played such a big role as a band when we were all in high school and their songs still stick with us today.
Hardrock Haven: Is there anything you’d like to add in the end?
Joyous Wolf: I’d say keep your eyes out for upcoming Joyous Wolf announcements and music releases, follow us on Instagram @joyouswolfmusic and Spotify so when we come overseas we can have a blast.
