Mt. Joy: The Bridge Between Indie and Psychedelic-Jam Music

By Finn Wentz

Though the genres of Indie and Jam-band music seemingly have little in common, Mt Joy have found a way to nestle themselves into the space between. What has emerged is an increasingly popular trademark sound which shines brightest not in the studio, but on the stage. The band’s eponymous 2018 breakout album, Mt Joy, has a relatively run-of-the-mill Indie sound which is who the  band seems to be at face value. The first track off the album, ‘I’m Your Wreck’, provides the first hint that the group may offer something more than sing-along Indie tunes with guitarist Sam Cooper’s hardy solo to close it out. Turning to their album Live at Red Rocks, the band takes hold of that energy and steers the final two minutes of the song into an explosive jam to open their set. The next two songs ‘Dirty Love’ and ‘Silver Lining’ hold close to the standard acoustic ‘Indie sound’, with the latter being the group’s biggest hit to date. While both are phenomenal songs, they don’t necessarily offer anything unique in the music world of today. ‘Sheep’, The fifth track off of Mt Joy, is a relatively mellow pop-rock song. That is, however, until they took it on the road where it has grown into one of their most upbeat tunes. If you listen to the Red Rocks gig or their newest live release from the Salt Shed in Chicago, you’ll hear lead vocalist Matt Quinn really letting his voice loose in contrast to his tamer singing in the studio. I saw Mt Joy in Philly at the Mann Center two summers ago, and I can attest that nobody in the band holds back on stage. The music had the whole crowd moving, everyone seemed to know each and every word that was sung, and smiles hugged every face until the band had packed and gone. Mt Joy’s second album, Rearrange Us, provided a whole new set of songs in 2020, many of which have found a home in the band’s live repertoire. ‘Let Loose’, one of the album’s most popular tracks, has been referred to by Matt Quinn as the band’s nod to their love for the Grateful Dead. In the latter half of the studio track, Sam Cooper once again brings the band home with his increasingly iconic grunge tone that emanates from a weathered Fender Jazzmaster. This jam comes to life at Red Rocks, and you can hear the Dead in every note as Cooper crescendos the song’s casual groove into an explosive outro as keyboardist Jackie Miclau accompanies his playing with her beautiful arpeggios. In my opinion, where Mt Joy really sets themselves apart isn’t only their playing but also their ability to extend and diversify their jams with mid-song covers. One of the group’s first breakout songs, ‘Astrovan’, is pretty mellow on Mt Joy, and the acoustic playing really ensures that that is the case. On Live at Red Rocks, the song is upbeat off the bat and transitions seamlessly into ‘Can You Get to That’ by Funkadelic just past the two minute mark. The band make the song their own as they dive into a jam just after the first chorus before climbing back into ‘Astrovan’ for an energetic end lead by Quinn’s howling vocals. Towards the end of their Red Rocks set, the band once again spices up their playing with not one, but two mid-song covers. They slow down their hit ‘Julia’ and blend it with ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ by Bill Withers. You can hear on the album just how much the crowd loved it. Jackie Miclau really shines here with impressive piano work and solos in the jam that ensues. She climbs up and down the keyboard hitting every octave and bringing the tempo back up with her just as the band dives into ‘Clint Eastwood’ by the Gorillaz. Miclau once again takes center stage and stirs the crowd like a cauldron before the band pops back into ‘Julia’ for the last minute of this three song odyssey. Covering songs is no new concept in live music, but Mt Joy have found a way to make it original with their exciting approach. They broke it out when I saw them in Philly, and it has remained a key part of their live performances. Each time they take the stage, what will follow is shrouded in mystery. They haven’t played anything the same way twice, and that’s what keeps their music alive. I urge anyone to make an effort to catch them in concert or at least take a listen to their music, especially their live albums and the performances they post on youtube. An Indie band in appearance but a Jam band at heart, Mt Joy has truly gifted the music scene with something entirely new and consistently exciting. Through their blending of genres, I believe they have built themselves into one of the great original acts of the decade.