Several years ago, The Joy Formidable’s singer and guitarist Rhiannon”Ritzy” Bryan relocated to Utah to center and create, then ended up staying. Working on the band’s fourth album AARTH (meaning “bear” in Welsh) in 2018, while trekking the Southwest wilderness through the countryside of Wales, Bryan continued criss-crossing between her two homes, writing the first pieces of “Into The Blue” in North Wales and finishing the song in Utah.
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The Welsh alt rockers first release in more than three years, “Into The Blue” is a gazing trip through uncharted territory, reflecting an imbalanced world in disarray, and the awakening of looking inward and finding self-acceptance with Bryan bellowing You see me for what I am / I don’t have to guess any more.
Throughout its syncopated phases, swelling around Bryan’s Just one big wave—and brief vocals from bassist’s Rhydian Dafydd—“Into The Blue” inspects desensitized surroundings where negative occurrences barely shock. Still, there’s good in the world, and fear is no longer a reason to retreat.
Visually, the video captures the mind at ease, wandering and escaping to a better place.
“I am always daydreaming in the bathtub between recordings,” says Bryan. “That diffuse thinking where your mind wanders freely, I always finish songs when I’m in that state. The idea that your imagination, that escape into another, deeper world can sometimes create a stronger connection with yourself.”
It’s been 10 years since The Joy Formidable debuted The Big Roar, fused in the dreamy synth-pop of “Austere” and “Whirring.” On “In The Blue,” The Joy Formidable continue through into more tranquil reflections of life and escapism.
“‘Into The Blue’ is about surrendering to love and magic, having the courage to enjoy a new journey and the mystery and excitement of something unexpected,” says Bryan. “It’s about opening your eyes to beauty and love again, making it to the other side. Whilst not conceived as a metaphor for the times we all live in now, it certainly turned out that way.”
