Granola junkies, rejoice! Mt. Joy is on the road again this summer, so climb aboard your “Astrovan,” and head to the DMV’s beloved Merriweather Post Pavilion this July.
Mt. Joy’s discography boasts three folk-rock albums, featuring indie and stomp-and-holler influences, sending listeners on the cross-country road trip of their dreams. They are redefining Americana for younger generations, bringing about a psychedelic experience that is reminiscent of the Grateful Dead and The Beatles.
The five-piece band features Philadelphia high-school friends, Matt Quinn (vocals, guitar), and Sam Cooper (guitar), who rekindled their musical ambitions years later in California. They joined forces with Michael Byrnes on bass, Sotiris Eliopoulos on drums and Jackie Miclau on keyboard. Their name, Mt. Joy, references a mountain in Valley Forge National Park, where Quinn and Cooper grew up.
The band got their start opening for The Lumineers and The Head and the Heart, and they have since grown to evolve into a jam band, with a stage presence that keeps audience members dancing. They’re no strangers to the festival circuit, having played sets at Boston Calling, Lollapalooza and DC’s All Things Go. Their songs feature a unique sound, often equipped with funky folk twang and catchy guitar riffs. Coupled with lyrical themes of dream-chasing, social commentary, and a melancholic joy, they encourage fans to “tell the ones you love you love them (“Silver Lining”).”
Mt. Joy’s latest single, “Highway Queen,” offers the perfect soundtrack for your drive down Route 32. Tickets are still available for their show at Merriweather on July 20, and can be purchased here.