Kevin Bronson on January 18th, 2017

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Mt. Joy combines the talents of L.A.-based Philadelphians Matt Quinn and Sam Cooper, who put their careers in the legal profession on hold to resuscitate the dream they had as teenage pals, songwriting. They debuted last fall with the single “Astrovan,” a clever slice of pop that answers the question WWJD? (“What Would Jesus Drive?”). The single went viral online, and the duo went back to work, assembling a five-piece and readying their debut EP. It includes the new single “Sheep,” a ripped-from-the-headlines lament about “the fact that people who exist in a bubble blindly hate others without any attempt to understand them or their culture.” The song originated in 2015 when Quinn penned lyrics in the tumultuous aftermath of 25-year-old Freddie Gray’s death in while in a police custody in Baltimore. Sonically, Mt. Joy might recall the rootsy pop of Counting Crows or Cold War Kids, but no matter the sound it’s the message that matters in “Sheep,” a plea to heal racial divisiveness because, after all, “You cut it up / you cut it up / it’s still the red, white and blue.”

||| Stream: “Sheep” and “Astrovan”

||| Live: Mt. Joy performs Jan. 31 at Resident as part of Wilderado’s residency and Feb. 20 at the Bootleg Theater, opening for the Rural Alberta Advantage (tickets).