Shoegaze up-and-coming band Joyer have shared another new single today, “Softer Skin.”
“Softer Skin” highlights the ability of Joyer to effortlessly blend the off-kilter atmosphere of slowcore with the urgent and noisy guitar-playing that they’ve quickly becoming known for, all the while never sacrificing the melodies that serve as the anchor to the band’s work.
The single appears on their upcoming album, Night Songs, which will be released on April 26th via Hit the North Records/Julia’s War. “Softer Skin” follows the previously released “Star,” “Drive All Night,” and “Fall Apart.” The Brooklyn-and-Boston-based duo is made up of multi-instrumentalist brothers Nick and Shane Sullivan, and with Night Songs the siblings have create an instantly satisfying amalgam of swirling guitars and memorable melodies that’s sure to please fans of all things dreamy.
Joyer discussed the new song, saying: “’Softer Skin’ was a fun one to write because it was one of those songs that just was a product of us messing around and jamming. I love approaching songs like that every once in a while because it reminds me of the spontaneity and playfulness of making music. Some of the lyrics were inspired by this exhibit I saw about antique weathervanes from farms around the country combined with a recurring stress dream I was having. Every possible thing that could go wrong in ordinary life did; accidentally locking myself out of my apartment, trying to park my car and hitting every single car around me, things like that. I knew I really wanted to incorporate that into a song. I guess I’m kind of an anxious person and feel like I can be unlucky sometimes,” Shane says.
“The video was made by Sabrina Nichols who also sings on the track with us. I used to drum in her band Shep Treasure and always loved her singing in that project so it was cool to have her featured on a couple of songs. We’ve also been huge fans of her animation for a while so it was awesome to have her do her thing for the video. A lot of songs on this album were written around the times we were touring with Shep Treasure, and her other band Kitchen, which were some of the best times I’ve had since starting Joyer, so I think it works as kind of a fun time capsule for us too,” Nick shares.
Watch the music video for “Softer Skin” below and pre-order Night Songs here.
f
Recorded by Bradford Krieger (Horse Jumper of Love, Squirrel Flower) at Big Nice Studios, Night Songs perfectly captures Joyer’s blend of otherworldly mood and crunchy guitars, as well as a notably more hook-driven direction in the brothers’ songwriting. The upcoming album marks a departure from the more hushed slowcore of 2020’s Sun Into Flies and 2021’s Perfect Gray, displaying a more expansive sound—from blowtorched guitars and overtly catchy vocal cadences, to melancholy synths and pastoral lap steel. The songwriting duties are split evenly between Nick and Shane, but there’s a palpable cohesion in their music, a unified vision that’s always guided the project and continues even with the siblings living in different cities.
”We grew up in this small suburban town and there weren’t too many people interested in music so it was convenient to just play with each other and we’ve always had pretty much the same music tastes,” Shane explains. “I just feel like when I’m in a band with Shane I don’t have to compromise,” Nick adds. “Being brothers allows us to be really honest and have a lot of productive criticism because we’re so comfortable with one another, we don’t have to hold back and it helps us achieve what we’re going for.”
Artwork:
Track-listing:
- Night Song
- Silver Moon
- Drive All Night
- 777
- Fall Apart
- Wake Up
- Star
- Softer Skin
- Try
- Rings A Bell
- Mason Dixon
Tour dates:
4/26 Philadelphia, PA @ Mini Mart w/ Hooky, 22 Halo, Pulsr
4/26 Queens, NY @ Trans Pecos w/ Punchlove, Pulsr
4/28 Boston, MA @ Cantab Lounge w/ Devin Bailey, Night Moth, Pulsr
5/3 Hagerstown, MD @ Hub City Vinyl (in-store)
5/4 Dover, NJ @ Factory Records (in-store)
