Joyce Manor’s Barry Johnson Has Been Asked Not to Dance

Our interview series Icebreaker features artists talking about things—some strange, some amusing, some meaningful—that just might reveal their true selves. This edition features Barry Johnson of whip-smart California pop punks Joyce Manor.
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Joyce Manor, from left: Jeff Enzor, Chase Knobbe, Matt Ebert, and Barry Johnson

Our interview series Icebreaker features artists talking about things—some strange, some amusing, some meaningful—that just might reveal their true selves. This edition features Barry Johnson of whip-smart California pop punks Joyce Manor, whose new album Cody is out now on Epitaph.

What’s a moment in your life when you felt like a complete idiot?

After I finished writing the lyrics to “Fake I.D.”

What’s a moment in your life when you felt like the smartest person on earth?

When I wrote the lyrics to “Fake I.D.” It definitely walks that line between so fucking idiotic and totally hitting the nail on the head for me. The song reads like a fucking Clickhole article or something, but there’s something about that was just too real, which I thought was fucking genius. I was like, “This is fucking stupid, I can’t show this to people—but also I have to, because it’s fucking great.”

What’s a band you love that no one would suspect given your own music?

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

How would you describe yourself as a dancer?

Fucking awful. I went on a date years ago, and we were just at a bar. I was a little nervous and we were waiting to order a drink and there was loud music so I started dancing a little bit. She put her hand in motion and was like, “Please don’t dance. Don’t do that.”

Who would you want to play you in a movie about your life?

Michael Phelps. He looks like a stronger, better version of me.

What are you most self-conscious about?

I have really small nipples, like dimes.

What YouTube video have you watched the most times?

The one where the reporter swallowed the bug.

What’s the greatest concert you’ve ever seen?

The Weakerthans at the Troubadour in L.A. in 2003, when I was 15. It was in the height of my obsession with them. I sat up on the balcony and my jaw was on the floor the entire time. A band never held my attention so much.

What do you think is the worst aspect of modern music culture?

Because all music is available for free, if something doesn’t immediately connect with me then it’s harder for me to force myself to spend time with it.

What do you think is the best aspect of modern music culture?

I like that it’s more of a democracy. Labels don’t have as much say in what is put into the world and what we’re supposed to like.

What’s the last song that made you cry?

I did some acoustic shows a while ago and thought about covering “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman, which is a beautiful and insanely heartbreaking song. So I looked up a YouTube video while trying to learn it, and I just started fucking sobbing. I couldn’t breathe. Full on wet sobs. It just fucking destroyed me.

What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you?

My uncle told me, “Life is too short to be around people you don’t like.”

What is the worst job you’ve ever had?

When I was 15 I worked at Chuck E. Cheese’s for two days. I washed dishes, fixed games, bussed tables, cleaned the bathroom. It was just the worst.

What’s the most recent song you’ve heard that made you believe in the power of music?

I’ve loved ABBA’s song “SOS” for a long time, but it just blew my hair back the other day. I hadn’t heard it in a few years, and then I ran across it and was like, “Man, this is such an amazing chorus.” It just made me so happy. I was in awe. Why don’t people write choruses like that anymore?

Do you like gambling?

I do. I’m not allowed to, though, because I can’t stop.

What would you want to have written on your tombstone?

Never Hungover Again

If you could be in any band ever, which one would you choose?

Joyce Manor