Interview: Ritzy Bryan, singer, The Joy Formidable

Published on Thursday 3 February 2011 11:34

LONDON-via-Wales trio The Joy Formidable have only just released their first, proper, full-length studio album, but they've been a must-see live band for some time.

For the last few years, whether touring with the likes of Editors and Temper Trap or playing the festival circuit, the band have been carving out a name for themselves.

Now, debut disc The Big Roar, a record that does exactly what it says on the tin - big vocals, roaring guitars and pounding drums, has seen their stock rise higher still, leading many critics to tip them for greatness in 2011.

Formed in North Wales in 2007, The Joy Formidable consist of guitarist/vocalist Rhydian Dafydd, drummer Matt Thomas and lead singer Ritzy Bryan, who recently appeared in the NME's Cool List, one place higher than the mighty Jay-Z.

"I don't really know what cool means so I find it hard to comment," she says, laughing off the accolade. "Things like that are good to read but I'm sure when you do, there'll be something saying I'm completely the opposite."

What the blonde singer would much rather talk about is The Big Roar, a remarkable collection of modern rock songs that explore what Bryan describes as "the possibility of victory in a hopeless situation".

The album was recorded over a period of six months in between touring. "We recorded in a tiny corner of our London bedroom," explains Bryan. "It was great, because you could capture that moment when you wake up in the middle of the night with a melody or an image or a lyric."

The band produced The Big Roar themselves - with a helping hand from engineer Neak Menter - and flew to LA to mix it with producer Rich Costey (Muse, Foo Fighters, Glasvegas).

"In LA it was nice letting a third party into the process," says Bryan. "It was a really nice experience and it was good to capture the live sensibility in a large studio."

With the album out and climbing the charts, The Joy Formidable can now look forward to their first major tour since its release - which includes a visit to Electric Circus on Monday.

"We enjoy all our tours, but maybe more so now than ever," enthuses Bryan. "It will be the first time we've had a synchronised body of work going out there.

"We definitely put a lot of thought into the way we're going to present tracks - old and new. We're constantly messing around with ideas and structures. It's good to push the tracks in a live way as much as you possibly can."

The Joy Formidable, Electric Circus, Market Street, Monday, 7pm, 10, 0131-226 4224