Meet Joyce From the Future: The genre-bending Montana-based synth-pop indie outfit. ‘Catch Me if You Can’ is a liberating album, which combines sultry, melancholic vocals with cinematic dark and experimental synths…

The opening song and title track is decidedly electro-pop, with its chimey bright melody and heart-beat-like bass drum. It is emotive, in a sort of cosmic Eilish-meets-Del-Rey way. The line “You won’t put me on the sidelines” becomes an empowering mantra we take with us as we move forward.

A running 16th note bass line burbles underneath track 2 ‘In the Distance’ and provides the backdrop for bright melodic layered sounds…Playful finger snaps arise, then an atmospheric feeling culminates as we imagine massive natural events such as a strike of lightning, or a shifting galaxy.

The middle of the EP is massive, pulsing…As if we are going to the depths of the ocean, and coming back up again (but only to take a breath and dive again). ‘Catch Me If You Can’ features masterful production which gives frequent rise to this spacious feeling.

Then there’s ‘Save My Energy’ which features vocals that are both saccharine and stinging. The EP treats us to lyrics of power, intensity, and self-realization.

Next ‘Smile’ showcases a smooth, bold saxophone overtop of an electronic bed of sound.

‘Tidal Wave’ brings back the oceanic theme, but with even more soul, and finally we close with the alluringly apocalyptic ‘Feel It Everywhere.’ It is as if we were somewhere like Dubai at midnight. The lingering saxophone plays an exotic scale, ethereal-dystopian, on top of the clusters of sound…This album is haunting, taunting, and soothing all at the same time.

You mentioned that this EP came together more naturally than previous projects. What do you think contributed to that creative flow?

We had somewhat of a vision for what we wanted to create going in. A mix between early 2000’s pop, house, vapor wave, with a dark twist and female empowerment.

Your music blends indie synth-pop with this hypnotic/haunting quality. Tell us more about how you achieve this, along with your ethereal vocal sound.

The dark synth pop sounds are always something we have tried to work into our instrumentals. This is our first EP that fully embraces that through every song. We try our best to highlight the emotions in the music through the melodies and rhythms in the vocals. We have always been attracted to dramatic and emotional vocal performances and have always tried to create that feeling in the music as well.

‘Catch Me If You Can’ feels both empowered and coy. Did you intentionally make these songs bold, feminine anthems?

Making ‘Catch Me if You Can’ a bold and feminine anthem was absolutely intentional. We wanted to write a song about not only choosing yourself but returning to yourself. The indifference and almost humor in remembering your worth and knowing it’s okay to walk away.

Is there a particular story or concept running through the EP?

Our previous works have dived into themes like loneliness, immature love, etc. and we wanted the story of this EP to be our protagonist finally taking her story into her own hands and choosing herself. You’ll notice themes of cars, driving, nature, femininity – all things symbolizing her transition into a new state of peace.

Were there any unexpected moments or surprises during the recording process?

The making of the outro for ‘Catch Me if You Can’ was almost a complete accident, and it ended up being the perfect way to close out the song. The synth chords in the beginning of ‘Smile’ were written while we were working on our last EP, ‘Illusions.’ At the time, we couldn’t see the vision for the complete song. Coming back to it a year and a half later gave us time to understand where the song could go.

Who played saxophone in the EP, and whose idea was it to start combining acoustic instruments with synths?

Konnor Stiles plays saxophone and it was Alex’s idea to combine acoustic instruments with synth textures. Even since our first EP, we have been trying to find the balance between 80’s synth pop, modern pop, melancholic but empowering songwriting, r&b, and jazz harmony.

What is your favorite Joyce From The Future song from the new EP, and why?

Our favorite song from the EP is ‘In The Distance’ because it’s the first song we have written that feels like it encapsulates the beautiful and dark dualistic elements we have been trying to combine in our sound.

Headline photo: Arianna Skoog

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