SoCal punks Joyce Manor are back with a new single and some upcoming UK/EU tour dates. But where their past work found them vivisecting the boundaries between pop and punk theatrics, their latest offering has more in common with The Smiths than the Descendents. The guitars are spry and muggy, churning along like they’d just heard The Queen is Dead for the first time. And despite its apparent detour into unlikely influences, the track still manages to maintain a fair head of steam, galloping along toward the quickly fading light on the horizon.
“The first line I came up with for this song was ‘lord above in a Tecate truck’ after passing a Tecate delivery truck with Jesus shit all over it on the freeway driving back to Long Beach after a show in Fresno,” explains vocalist/guitarist Barry Johnson. “While searching for a line that rhymed with ‘lord above in a Tecate truck’ I came up with ‘why even exist? Who gives a fuck!?’ and the concept of ‘All My Friends Are So Depressed’ was born. It’s kind of my take on what I imagine Lana Del Rey lyrics are like. Instead of icy, detached cool 50’s Americana, it’s all dirty shag carpet, bong rips, Peter Frampton Comes Alive, key lime pie and suicidal ideations. My flow was inspired by 100 Gecs who I was listening to a concerning amount in 2023 (Much respect to Dylan and Laura, please take us on tour). Musically, we were drawing from The Libertines, Tiger Army, X, and The Smiths… obviously.”
Watch the video below and check out the band’s upcoming UK/EU tour dates.
Tour dates:
08/20-23 – Torremolinos, ES @ Canela Party
10/16 – Munich, DE @ Backstage Werk *
10/17 – Berlin, DE @ Columbia Theater *
10/18 – Oberhausen, DE @ Turbinenhalle
10/19 – Brussels, BE @ AB
10/20 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat
10/22 – Bristol, UK @ The Prospect Building *
10/23 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 Glasgow *
10/25 – London, UK @ Roundhouse
10/26 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds University Union
11/08 – Pensacola, US @ Night Moves Fest
* w/ Tiger’s Jaw, Oso Oso, Ways Away
The band’s new single is out now on Epitaph. Follow Joyce Manor on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
