No Joy announce first album in 5 years (listen to "Birthmark")

While they’ve stayed busy with EPs and collaborations with Sonic Boom, Montreal’s No Joy haven’t released an album since 2015’s More Faithful. They’re finally back with a new long-player, Motherhood, which will be out August 21 via Joyful Noise in the US and Hand Drawn Dracula in Canada. Bandleader and sole constant Jasamine White-Gluz made the album once again with producer/collaborator Jorge Elbrecht and engineer Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie). Motherhood also features her sister, Alissa (who sings in melodic death metal band Arch Enemy) and Tara McLeod (Kittie).

First single is “Birthmark” which furthers No Joy’s hybridization of shoezage and other ’90s influences (trip hop, electronica, nu metal). The video, made in COVID-19 lockdown by director Jordan Minkoff, features Diavion Nicolas, a dancer Jasamine found on Instagram, and a goat named Piquette (who also features on the album cover). “I filmed myself at home and asked my very talented friend Jordan to help build a world around the footage. Diavion had been dancing to No Joy on his instagram and I was a huge fan so reached out and asked him to choreograph a routine for this song. While in the studio, I wanted to keep the energy fun and throw any ideas at the wall. We ended up watching the video for Puff Puff Give by Hannah’s Field, pulled out some bongos, a broken clarinet, drank 12 bottles of sake and did group chants.” Watch that, and check out Motherhood‘s artwork and tracklist, below.

No Joy – Motherhood tracklist:
Birthmark
Dream Rats (feat. Alissa White-Gluz)
Nothing Will Hurt
Four
Ageless
Why Mothers Die
Happy Bleeding
Signal Lights
Fish
Primal Curse
Kidder