Spanning the summer of 2025, Los Angeles-based band Mt. Joy have experienced what singer/guitarist Matt Quinn describes as “the best tour we've ever had.” In addition to memorable concerts and festival dates, the band members have found themselves taking part in community events, from throwing out the first pitch at a Major League Baseball stadium to playing a benefit concert helping hospitalized children and their families.

It all stems from the music the bandmates are able to create together, something they clearly embrace and are grateful for. When their tour took them to the Twin Cities, Mt. Joy visited The Current studio to play songs from a couple of their albums. Afterwards, Quinn, along with Jackie Miclau and Sam Cooper, chatted with The Current’s Zach McCormick about the year so far. Watch and listen to the music in the player above, and find the interview, along with a full transcript, just below.

Interview Transcript

Zach McCormick: Zach McCormick here at The Current, joined by Mt. Joy today. Thank you so much for joining us in the studio. We have Matt Jackie and Sam here, joining us in the studio, and it has been a really big summer for the band. You put out your new album, Hope We Have Fun. It's out now. And then you've been playing these huge outdoor amphitheaters, in arenas, big festival dates. What's been your favorite stop so far, and has there been any particularly memorable moments at the shows? I saw you got to meet Benny the Bull earlier this week.

Sam Cooper: Oh yeah, Benny the Bull in Chicago, we just played the United Center in Chicago.

Jackie Miclau: A man of few words, Benny the Bull.

Sam Cooper: Yeah. He doesn't really say much. But yeah, that was a lot of fun. Him being onstage was wild. I don't know. I mean Red Rocks this summer was summer was great.

Matt Quinn: Yeah, we've had, like, just a truly — I know just probably every band says this — but it's been, like, the best tour we've ever had. So there have been a bunch like, I feel like Merriweather [Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland] was amazing.

Sam Cooper: Jackie threw out the first pitch the other day in Chicago at the Cubs game.

Jackie Miclau: I did.

Zach McCormick: That's awesome. Have you... ? Were you a person who was familiar with baseball prior to this? Are you big sports fan?

Jackie Miclau: Absolutely not. In fact, they were like, "Do you want to throw from the mound?" And I was like, "No problem. ... Where's the mound?" Like, I didn't know what that was.

Zach McCormick: That's a long way to throw. They don't really tell you about that, but, like, that's a long distance.

Sam Cooper: She's got an arm. She does have a cannon. I was very surprised.

Jackie Miclau: Yeah.

Sam Cooper: She did look at me right before, as she was on the mound, and she said, "Left foot or right foot?" And I said, "What?"

Jackie Miclau: Yeah. And then I threw it!

Zach McCormick: That's awesome. And you know, I feel like the live experience making its way onto this new album, Hope We Have Fun. The song, "Coyotes," does this great job of capturing that kind of camaraderie and chaos of life on the road, and it also seems like it's tailor-made to be a good show opener for you guys, because it's got this awesome riff and lyrics that kind of welcome the audience to, like, join the madness a little bit. How did that song come together?

Matt Quinn: I mean, it came together over, like a course of time, I think, like making music in Mt. Joy is, like, often bifurcated into, like, when we're on tour and when we're not, and so we're able to, like, work on songs in the sort of off-season of tour. And that one, we kind of started a couple years before, and then went on tour, and then worked on it again in this sort of next space that we had off, and kind of just slowly chipped away at it, which, like, you know, some songs come pretty quickly and you're able to tighten them up. But that one was probably like a two- or three-year process just getting different parts right and whatnot. And, yeah, I mean, just kept hammering away at it, jamming on it.

Sam Cooper: Yeah. I think he went through a couple different animals in the lyrics and things.

Matt Quinn: Yeah.

Zach McCormick: I was wondering about that because coyotes, it does feel like an appropriate, you know, animal metaphor here that they're animals that live in groups. They're highly adaptable to any environment. And in folklore, they're kind of like these, like clever trickster figures. What do you like about the coyote, and why did you end up choosing that particular animal?

Matt Quinn: Yeah, well, during one of the sort of sessions that we were working on, I had, like, an Airbnb in Mount Washington, in Los Angeles, and there are coyotes everywhere. And so when it, like, starts to get dark, they just sort of take over and they had this sort of eerie cry, and they're screeching at things and making love or doing whatever coyotes do. I don't know. It's hard not to, like, think about them, you know? Like, they were definitely on our minds. And, yeah, you're right, I think they have this sort of, like, tenacity to them, but there's also like this sort of grace and mystique to them that I just feel like we were inspired by. And, you know, there's a lot of stuff going on in the world, and we were kind of just inspired by their spunk and felt like that's kind of what we all need right now.

Zach McCormick: I also think, as an animal, they kind of have the ability to subsist on anything, foodwise, which is probably another like touring musician thing, right? You've got to be sort of adaptable in your diet choices if you're gonna survive life on the road.

Jackie Miclau: Oh yeah, always looking for our next meal.

Matt Quinn: Yeah, we're starved out here.

Sam Cooper: Yeah.

Zach McCormick: Let's keep that canine theme going a bit here: The phrase, "The dog that caught the car" kind of came to mind a little bit to me when I was listening to the new album. Some of the lyrics seem to kind of reckon with that idea of, like, what comes after achieving a big goal? And can you maybe talk a little bit about what it's taking to get to this point for Mt. Joy and how that sacrifice kind of informed this new album?

Jackie Miclau: I mean, I think, like, the obvious thing is just kind of sticking together through the highs and lows. And there's definitely been a lot of lows at the beginning, where you're like, "Aaaah! People aren't showing up. Do we continue doing this thing?" And like, I know ultimately, like, you know, we're really good friends, and we love making music, and that's kind of at the core. And so everything else that comes along with it is just like, "We did this! And we did that! And it keeps going!" So, yeah. I don't know.

Zach McCormick: That is cool that it's been such a long-running unit. I mean, I was thinking about this when I was watching your in-studio that you did here all the way back in 2018, you know, getting to hear a song like "Silver Lining" with that same group of musicians, you know, after all these years, it's got to feel really special to kind of have that continuity and that connective tissue in this band.

Sam Cooper: It's felt really good. I mean, we've always said we never have skipped steps. We've always gone from, like, this venue to, you know, next time we come back to Minneapolis, we go to a slightly bigger venue. And we've never had like, a moment of, like, some huge success song or something, and so we've always felt ready for the next step. And now we find ourselves tonight playing The Armory, so it's been a cool thing to see, yeah.

Zach McCormick: You know, and there's kind of the live feel that I also hear in the album a little bit in other ways, too. Songs like "Pink Lady" and "Groove in Gotham" have these really kind of, like, vibey, pleasing instrumental beds that seem like they might have been developed from soundcheck jams, and then when I was hearing you all just sound-checking in the studio, like every couple of seconds, you're pulling out a cool, new groovy bass line, somebody's playing something on the piano, and another member of the band picks it up. You can really tell that you've got this long, working chemistry together. Were songs like that, maybe developed in that manner, working things out live in the studio?

Matt Quinn: Yeah. I mean, I think you said, like, you said, which I really like, you said, like, "the dog that caught the car." I feel like some of those jams are are us realizing that, you know, we've made it this far, and that some of the imposter syndrome of, you know, like, playing in arenas and stuff like that, which I think the first time around, when you do stuff like that, it's sort of overwhelming and hard to wrap your head around. Like, "Why us?" And like, "How did we get here?" But then, you're right; like, you realize you did it in some ways. Like, there's not much left for us to do except to have fun and jam together and search sort of for sounds together. And I think those songs are probably things that we wouldn't have done, or wouldn't maybe have thought fit the sort of seriousness of album making or something. But then you kind of realize that what people want to hear, hopefully, is just us making music together, and that's as pure as any songs that we've created in that way, where it's just like us sitting in a room and jamming, and "What if we did this?", and then "What if we did that?" And then, you know, in the case of "Pink Lady," like, an hour-and-a-half later, the song's done, you know? So, yeah, I think there is an element of, like, being freed up to make songs like that.

Sam Cooper: And feeling like you can just, like, play something without judgment, and maybe somebody goes off of it, and all of a sudden, you have a song.

Matt Quinn: Yeah.

Zach McCormick: Not only do you trust each other, but you also trust your audience, your fans, that they're going to follow you along on this next kind of step of the journey. I'm joined right now by Mt. Joy in studio. We have Matt, we have Jackie, and we have Sam here talking about their new album, Hope We Have Fun, which is out now. You've got some big-name guests on this record as well: Nathaniel Rateliff and Gigi Perez. What attracted to both of those musicians as collaborators, and what was the experience like working with them on this album?

Matt Quinn: Well, I mean, Nathaniel, we had played some shows with him and his band, and he's just like, I think he was like an ambassador this year at Newport Folk. And I think that's a great sort of, like, framing for him, sort of. He just takes people in and makes you feel like you belong. And right when we met him, he burst into one of our trailers, and people were shotgunning White Claws, and like that was sort of the first moment with Nathaniel, when I think about it. And obviously he didn't partake in the shotgunning of White Claws, but he didn't judge us for it, either. And we've been friends ever since! And getting to, like, actually make a song with him, and like, you know, watch him at his craft was important for me to see. He's obviously a super-talented guy. It was an awesome experience.

And then Gigi was just, we got fortunate. Went to like, a writing thing. Had never been to one. Went to a writing thing in upstate New York, and she was there. Had never met her. She had this massive song. I had no idea, because I'm a loser. And we sat down in a room and started making a song. I was like, "Wow, she has an incredible voice." And I kind of thought we were, like, making a song for someone else. And in fact, we, like, she recorded. It was great. I thought it was either gonna be her song or someone else's song. And then as time went on, some of the people were like, "Hey, like, do you think you could, like, make this a Mt. Joy song?" So, you know, the band kind of put their sauce on it, and once we kind of had that, it was like, "OK, this could be a Mt. Joy song." And, yeah, it was an awesome experience. I mean, Gigi is, like, you know, we've all gotten to know her a bit, like, she's super sweet, but like this, like, I don't know, like, in a cool way, like a wolf in sheep's clothes, where she's super sweet, but she is a killer singer and a super talent. And when the lights turn on, it's like, whoa. Like, you know she's, yeah, she's a special talent. So it was really cool to work with her. 

Zach McCormick: That's awesome. One of the things that your fans might notice right away about this new album, the album cover for Hope, very different than your previous records. The three of them all had kind of bright, colorful, and maybe even like a little crowded or busy artwork, and then Hope is like the exact opposite; super spare, just the band name and the album title on a black background. What's the story behind that decision? Why did you decide to switch it up?

Sam Cooper: Well, yeah, it's kind of a funny, simple story, but it's my buddy Steve Gerard, did the first three albums and a bunch of artwork, and sweetest guy, super nutty, creative dude. And then we went to him for this record, and we're just like, "Hey, you know, we're putting together a fourth record, would love to use your art again, whatever you got going on." And he's like, "No." Kind of just, "No."

Zach McCormick: Wow.

Sam Cooper: Yeah! Pretty much. And not, nothing against us, like we're still good friends.

Matt Quinn: Well, this could be something against us, to be clear. Like, if you're listening to this, it sounds like it's something against us and probably is!

Sam Cooper: It does sound like it, but no, I think Steve just wanted his art to, I don't know, go a different direction. He's a riddle of a man.

Zach McCormick: Right. Artistic personalities. Maybe he's like, "I've done that. It's time for me to move on to the next part of the practice," or whatever.

Sam Cooper: But like, he's coming to our show on Friday in New York. Like, he still texts me really sweet things about the band. He has nothing but good things to say about the band. But yeah. And then it was like, "Are you sure you don't want to do this? Like, we'll pay you. Like, you know, whatever we can do to help." And he's just like, "No, I don't..." you know. He just kind of put his foot down. And so then we just, we were trying to figure out, like, OK, maybe we create something else, or, like, someone else to draw something or whatever. And then it was just, let's just let the music speak for itself. And so go as simple as you can. And one of our artists, Bailey Race, created that simple album cover, and we think that it kind of speaks to the music inside of it.

Zach McCormick: Yeah, super beautiful, super classy. And I do like the idea of the artist kind of almost giving you that, like Good Will Hunting moment, like, "You need to leave the nest." You know, "I'm not going to do this one for you. I hope I don't see my art on your next album cover." I love that.

Sam Cooper: Yeah. Let's go with that for the next interview.

Matt Quinn: "We had to go see about a girl."

Zach McCormick: Yeah, exactly, yeah. "You like apples?" Another personal favorite song from this record is that song, "Lucy," that you played earlier today in the session. I read that there's a particularly kind of personal story. This is a personal song for the band. Would you be willing to share "Lucy"'s story here for us.

Matt Quinn: Yeah. You know, I guess, like, really specifically, we were playing Madison Square Garden and went out to party afterwards, and one of the band members didn't make it back on time. And it was unusual. And then eventually, you know, probably, like, 30 minutes to an hour late to an important sort of bus call, came back and was apologetic, but told this, you know, really heart-wrenching story that a friend, you know, sort of as he was packing up to leave, had flagged him down at the bar and informed him that she had been diagnosed with multiple brain tumors, and was unsure if it was — the prognosis was such that she was unsure if it was something that she was going to fight or if it was terminal. And obviously we were crushed. And, you know, in that moment, there's just sort of a, I don't know, I think, like, moments like that, they ground you into, like, what it actually means to be a human being and, you know, our mortality, and how sort of precious everything is, you know, when we get, like, so sucked into our phones and this sort of like, you know, pseudo-reality that doesn't really attach to anything the way that stories like that do.

And then so, you know, you're kind of walking around with this just electricity of that story, and started just making a song as that's kind of all I really know how to do with those types of things. And, yeah, I mean, that's where it came from. And it's been really cool. It's a pseudonym to kind of protect the person's name. And the story's, you know, been more positive than that. As time went on, she is fighting it, and she's still alive, which is beautiful. And we've gotten to meet, we've gotten to visit hospitals, and we've just had this, like, really beautiful sort of story that's attached on our side of it, where we've met people going through similar things, you know, and just, there's an amazing spirit and positivity, actually, around people and families going through things like that, that I think is is really been important for us to see, and to see a slice of humanity in a world where it does feel like there's, we're lacking in humanity, you get to see quite a bit of it when people go through stuff like this, and the way family and friends sort of rally around each other and keep the spirits up and stuff like that. So we've been really fortunate to kind of be dragged into that world in a cool way by the song.

Zach McCormick: And you've also kind of made an effort to sort of give back to this community a little bit, too. I've heard that you've kind of done some work doing donations, kind of benefit concert for these type of causes. Can you talk about that at all a little bit?

Matt Quinn: Yeah. We actually, we're gonna be — what's the, in Boston, what was the ... Family Reach, I think?

Jackie Miclau: Yeah.

Sam Cooper: It was Family Reach, yeah.

Matt Quinn: Yeah. Terrible memory for names. But Family Reach is a really amazing charity in Boston, and basically what they do is they connect families with children with cancer, with resources. Unfortunately, obviously, so many people know healthcare in this country puts families in extremely difficult situations when their child is diagnosed with something like this or cancer, and what they do is they help these families. They use resources to make sure that cancer doesn't leave these families bankrupt, you know. And we've heard horrible stories of families being put on the street by, you know, basically, the ineptitude of our healthcare system to take care of each other. And so, yeah, we did a show in Boston, and we've done a little bit of work with them, and we got to tour the — I don't want to say it wrong — but a child cancer center in Boston. And it's just been, it's been really powerful and rewarding for us. So yeah, we feel really grateful to be a part of it.

Zach McCormick: Mt. Joy, enmeshed in their community, the fans are supporting you, and you are, in turn, supporting them. I love that. This new record, Hope We Have Fun, it's out now. It's fantastic. And I hope that the rest of the tour goes well for you folks. And what do you think might be next on the horizon, kind of, when you hang up this particular set of touring? Which might be a while from now, based on how you like to do it.

Sam Cooper: I don't know. Jackie, what's next?

Jackie Miclau: Let me tell you guys. I don't know. I feel like just pushing for, like, the next thing, and keep creating music, and I don't know.

Sam Cooper: Yeah, just trying to be able to do this for as long as we can.

Jackie Miclau: Yeah.

Matt Quinn: Till they kick us out.

Jackie Miclau: Yeah.

Zach McCormick: Thank you so much. Mt. Joy. Thank you, Matt. Thank you, Sam. Thank you, Jackie. And thank you so much for this great new record and for coming into The Current. Hope We Have Fun is the name of your new album. It's out now. 

Sam Cooper: Thanks for having us.

Jackie Miclau: Thank you.

Matt Quinn: Yeah.

Gallery: Mt. Joy in studio

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Songs Performed

00:00:00 Lucy
00:03:37 Astrovan
00:07:22 Silver Lining

Song 1 is from Mt. Joy’s 2025 album, Hope We Have Fun, available on Bloom Field Records; songs 2 and 3 are from Mt. Joy’s self-titled 2018 album, available on Dualtone. 

Musicians

Michael Byrnes – bass
Sam Cooper – guitar
Sotiris Eliopoulos – drums
Jackie Miclau – keyboards
Matt Quinn – vocals, guitar

Credits

Guests – Mt. Joy
Host – Zach McCormick
Producer – Derrick Stevens
Video – Evan Clark
Audio – Eric Xu Romani
Graphics – Natalia Toledo
Digital Production – Reed Fischer, Luke Taylor

External Link

Mt. Joy – official site