Joyce Manor

ByLets Go Punk
A quick

Joyce Manor is a punk rock band that started in Torrance, California in 2008, built around songwriter and guitarist Barry Johnson and guitarist Chase Knobbe, and later rounded out by bassist and backing vocalist Matt Ebert as the group’s core took shape.

The band’s songs are rooted in punk rock, but their records show a steady willingness to try different tempos, structures, and production approaches while keeping their releases compact and direct.

How The Band Got Started

Johnson and Knobbe met in late 2008, connected over shared tastes, and decided to start a band during a trip to Disneyland. The name came from an apartment building Johnson used to pass on walks.

Early on, they played small shows and house gigs with a stripped-down sound, then expanded into a fuller band setup after adding Ebert on bass and Kurt Walcher on drums in 2009. Demos and early releases helped them build momentum through word of mouth and online sharing, especially among fans trading songs and show clips.

Early Records And Growing Attention

The band’s self-titled debut album arrived in January 2011 through 6131 Records and included “Constant Headache,” which became the song most people associate with their early years. The record’s short, fast tracks and plainspoken writing helped it spread quickly in punk circles, including through platforms like Tumblr where fans passed it around at high speed.

In 2012, Joyce Manor followed with Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired, released with Asian Man Records involved in distribution. It is brief and leans harder into their earlier acoustic and folk-punk instincts, including a cover of “Video Killed the Radio Star.” The reaction was mixed, and the band has spoken about feeling uneasy with the attention they were suddenly getting.

Signing With Epitaph And A Bigger Reach

In 2014, Joyce Manor released Never Hungover Again on Epitaph Records. The album broadened their audience, and its tighter production and pacing made it an easy entry point for new listeners while still keeping the band’s songs short and punchy.

From that point forward, the band toured more widely and began playing larger rooms, pairing up with a wide range of punk and indie acts on bills that helped place them in front of people who did not already live in their corner of punk.

Changing Drum Chairs And Shifting Songwriting

Beginning in the mid 2010s, Joyce Manor’s lineup became more fluid around the drum kit across album cycles, while Johnson, Knobbe, and Ebert remained the constant center. The 2016 album Cody, produced by Rob Schnapf, slowed the band down in spots and made more room for longer verses and bridges.

The 2018 album Million Dollars to Kill Me, produced by Kurt Ballou, leaned into a bigger, more forceful studio sound and helped push the band into larger venues, including high-profile hometown shows.

Recent Releases And Activity

In 2020, the band released Songs from Northern Torrance, a compilation that gathered early demos and rarities. They also marked a decade of their debut with an anniversary edition remixed by original engineer Alex Estrada, revisiting choices from the original sessions.

The 2022 album 40 oz. to Fresno pulled from both newer writing and older ideas that had been left unfinished, and it includes a cover of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark’s “Souvenir.” Around this period, Joyce Manor continued operating as a three-piece while bringing in additional players for specific recording or touring needs.

Music And Approach

Joyce Manor is often described through the overlap of pop punk, emo, and power pop, but the common thread is the band’s preference for concise songs with sharp hooks and minimal excess. Johnson has pointed to a habit of cutting parts until the song feels like it says what it needs to, even if that means it ends quickly.

In interviews and profiles, the band has cited a wide range of touchstones, including Blink-182, the Smiths, Guided by Voices, Rancid, Against Me!, Weezer, and Television, and they have shown an interest in new wave through covers like the Buggles and OMD.

Members

Current

  • Barry Johnson, lead vocals, guitar (2008 to present)
  • Chase Knobbe, guitar (2008 to present)
  • Matt Ebert, bass, backing vocals (2009 to present)

Touring

  • Neil Berthier, acoustic guitar, synthesizer, backing vocals (2021 to present)
  • Jared Shavelson, drums (2024 to present)

Former

  • Kurt Walcher, drums (2009 to 2015)
  • Jeff Enzor, drums (2015 to 2017)
  • Pat Ware, drums (2017 to 2019)
  • Neil Hennessy, touring drums (2021 to 2024)

Discography

Studio albums

  • Joyce Manor (2011)
  • Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired (2012)
  • Never Hungover Again (2014)
  • Cody (2016)
  • Million Dollars to Kill Me (2018)
  • 40 oz. to Fresno (2022)
  • I Used to Go to This Bar (listed as 2026)

Compilations

  • Collection (2012)
  • Songs from Northern Torrance (2020)

EPs

  • Demo (2009)
  • Ew Gross (2009)
  • Constant Headache (2009)
  • Joyce Manor / Summer Vacation Split EP (2010)
  • Joyce Manor / Big Kids Split EP (2012)
  • Joyce Manor / Toys That Kill Split EP (2014)
  • 100% / Joyce Manor Split (2017)

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