Let it be known that Joywave’s new single “Like A Kennedy” has nothing to do with pushing their opinions on foreign or domestic affairs. Despite the startling rise in apocalyptic themes via popular music since 2016, the new song (released June 21) from the Rochester group actually signals an age of media oversaturation when lead singer Daniel Armbruster ponders “do you think they’ll build the wall?”
“I think a lot of people will probably try to fit this song into some type of political narrative,” says Armbruster in the audio commentary that accompanies the song, “but that’s really not the point. It’s a song about complete exhaustion and media burnout. It’s an anti-chaos song. Every screen you walk by demands your attention. Everything is breaking news in all caps. It’s a really difficult time to think about the mundane small-scale things that have been the focus of human existence until very recently.”
Contemplating the new song ahead of their forthcoming LP (name and release date TBA), he adds: “I don’t think people should check out, but I think it’s beneficial to at least zoom out and not take the bait every time. It feels like everything is designed to keep us enraged 24 hours a day. We deserve a little sanity.”
Take a four-minute breather with the new track below.