Joy Formidable Cover Bruce Springsteen for Record Store Day
The Joy Formidable are getting into the act on Record Store Day (April 20th) with a treat for both their fans and Bruce Springsteen admirers. Their new vinyl release, “A Minute’s Silence,” will feature a live cover of “Badlands” on the B side, frontwoman Ritzy Bryan tells Rolling Stone.
Being part of Record Store Day might motivate the band: “We like shopping at record stores, though we still haven’t got a record player,” Bryan says. “We’ve got a hell of a lot of vinyl, but we haven’t got anything to spin it on at the moment.”
Perhaps they can pick one up while on the road. The group kicked off a full U.S. tour in support of their new album, Wolf‘s Law, last week. With the tour just under way, the trio are experimenting with different interpretations of some of the songs right now.
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“We’re always looking at how to move the set on with each instrument that we bring into it. Rhydian [Daffyd] is playing piano on this tour. We have a laser harp that we’re just about to incorporate into the set,” she says. “My guitar rig has definitely started to lean to even more ambient. I have the ability now to combine sounds, which has changed the live palette.”
As they evolve certain songs in the live setting, the Joy Formidable again look to the Boss. “People like Springsteen are definitely masters of that,” Dafydd says. “From touring with the Foo Fighters, I thought they were great at doing that as well, effortlessly going from one song to the next.”
Bryan also notes Elvis Costello: “He’s obviously got a huge repertoire, so he can be constantly changing his set, depending on the album he’s doing then. And you very much feel [how] the flavor of that album filters into the other tracks.”
Ultimately for the band, it’s about making music that defies categorization. “It’s a good thing to challenge people, because there are a lot of elements in our music,” Dafydd says.
Yet the group, who will play several festivals again this year, don’t change up their sound to fit the bill. “We play the same show, regardless if we’re put on a rock festival, pop festival, whatever,” Dafydd says. “We’re still the same band, like it or lump it.”
However, drummer Matt Thomas does have a special goal in mind when they head to Detroit in June to play the Metallica-curated Orion Festival.
“We want to make Metallica look quiet,” he says.