Interview: Future Joy
What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?
Emily started singing in junior high with her church choir. Zach started playing ‘When the Saints Go Marching’ in his fifth grade school play. We both think there is nothing we’d be doing other than music.
What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?
When not playing music we walk and play with our dog Gus, explore nature, read, do yoga, cook meals, and watch movies.
How long has your band been around?
Future Joy started in 2018, going on 4 years. Emily joined in the end of 2019 and that’s when we started picking up steam.
Where are you based and how did that influence your music?
The project started in Denver, Colorado which is known as the Bass Capitol so that definitely influenced early music. Now that we live on the road and travel full time we take inspiration from every location.
How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?
Future Joy was originally a song name that we then decided to become the brand. It means planning joy in your future while remembering to live in the present moment.
Tell me about your most memorable shows.
Our most memorable show so far was Brainquility Music Festival 2022 at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida. The other stage ended, the crowd poured in, the rain subsided, and we brought all our energy. You could feel the love from the crowd, people were hugging and crying. It was wild. Here’s a video recap from it-
What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?
As far as favorite venues, Spirit of the Suwannee is top of the list. Being from Colorado means Red Rocks is definitely an aspiration.
If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?
We’d love to play Red Rocks with Troyboi, Maddy O’Neal, The Floozies, Sofi Tukker, Griz, Big Gigantic and LP Giobbi.
What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?
When talking to our younger selves we would say practice and work on music every day. Dive in. That same advice goes to someone starting out, dive all the way in!
If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?
Practice, write, invest and have fun!
Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?
Our song Backstroke is one of the first we wrote together and the lyrics are a great daily reminder. “Life is simple, no need to overthink.”
Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?
We love playing all our different songs and styles. We get requests for Beams, Queen B, Baby Mama Llama Drama and Feels Right.
What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?
We record in our mobile studio. When inspiration strikes we seize the moment and start working.
What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?
We like to spread a message of love for yourself and love for each other.
Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?
We communicate everything with each other. If we disagree then we discuss and come to a common ground.
What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?
We plan to stay on the road and full time tour.
Our upcoming shows are-
April 30 in St. Petersburg, Florida
May 7 in Orlando, Florida
May 14 in Melbourne, Florida
June 11 in Shreveport, Louisiana
June 24-26 in Flagstaff, Arizona