Based in San Diego, California, JOY were formed in 2010 by guitarist and vocalist Zachary Oakley, who also played in the group Shaking Pyramid, with Michael Eginton from Earthless and Paul Marrone of Radio Moscow. Teaming with bassist Trevor Mast and drummer Taylor Charter, Oakley named his new power trio JOY, and the band soon began making a name for itself on the West Coast stoner rock and underground hard rock scene. JOY's live shows gained a powerful reputation, enough so that the band issued a pair of vinyl "bootlegs" drawn from concert recordings, and in 2012 JOY teamed up with San Diego's Cave Punk Records to release the group's self-titled debut album. More live work followed, and Eginton advised the folks at Teepee Records, a New York label devoted to hard rock and stoner bands, to give JOY a listen. Teepee was impressed, and offered to release JOY's sophomore effort. Oakley's new lineup of JOY -- with Justin Hulson on bass and his Shaking Pyramid bandmate Paul Marrone on drums -- headed into the studio with Brian Ellis of Astra serving as producer and engineer, and with Nik Turner of Hawkwind, Parker Griggs of Radio Moscow, and artist and musician Danica Molenaar making guest appearances. JOY's sophomore effort, Under the Spell of JOY, was released by Teepee in August 2014. The group went though a lineup shift when Thomas DiBenedetto replaced Paul Marrone as the group's drummer. The new edition of JOY released an album, Ride Along!, via Teepee in the spring of 2016. ~ Mark Deming