No Joy are set to release Motherhood, their first album in five years, on August 21. Following the recent single “Nothing Will Hurt” they today share “Four”, which is at once completely new and somewhat familiar territory for them. Maybe that’s why frontperson and principal songwriter Jasamine White-Gluz says it’s “perhaps my favorite No Joy song ever written.”
“Four” begins with guitar drone, which builds and then suddenly recedes to make way for a bright and life-affirming trip-hop-inflected song, filled with beats and laughing babies that put us right in a lively neighbourhood. Just as we’re getting comfortable in this world, No Joy pull the rug out again, and “Four” becomes a fuzzed-out guitar sprint to the finale.
The video for “Four” was created with Jodi Heartz and focuses on Kanienʼkehá꞉ka (Mohawk) visual artist Ashley Diabo going about her active day. No Joy’s White-Gluz says that the aim of the video is “to appreciate Ashley at home, hoping to inspire all to embrace the love and inspiration of their home the way Ashley reminds us every day. She has a special gift to make the everyday more and better and magical.”
You can watch the video below. No Joy, Jodi Heartz and Ashley Diabo are encouraging people to donate to Canadian Roots Exchange, Native Women’s Association of Canada, True North Aid and Unist’ot’en Camp.
No Joy’s new album Motherhood is out August 21 via Joyful Noise / Hand Drawn Dracula. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
