The Joy Formidable

The Joy Formidable
The Joy Formidable, performing at Metro in Chicago on 14 December 2011. Left to right: Rhydian Dafydd, Ritzy Bryan, Matt Thomas.
Background information
Origin	North Wales, United Kingdom
Genres	Alternative rock, dream pop, shoegazing, indie rock, post-punk
Years active	2007–present
Labels	Canvasback Music, Atlantic Records, Warner Music Group, Black Bell Records
Website	www.thejoyformidable.com
Members	Rhiannon "Ritzy" Bryan Rhydian Dafydd Davies Matthew James Thomas
Past members	Justin Stahley

The Joy Formidable is a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 2007 in North Wales and currently based in London, England. The band consists of Rhiannon "Ritzy" Bryan (lead vocals, guitar), Rhydian Dafydd (bass, vocals) and Matthew James Thomas (drums, percussion).

Childhood friends and then couple Ritzy Bryan and bassist Rhydian Dafydd originally played together as part of Manchester band Tricky Nixon, which later reformed into Sidecar Kisses. After Sidecar Kisses split up in 2007, they regrouped, returning to their Welsh home town of Mold, and formed the Joy Formidable with Justin Stahley on drums. In July 2008, they released their first official single, "Austere". It was followed by a Christmas single, "My Beerdrunk Soul Is Sadder than a Hundred Dead Christmas Trees", issued as a 2008 digital download, and the "Cradle" double 7" in 2009. The band's debut EP, A Balloon Called Moaning was released exclusively in Japan on 17 December 2008, followed by a UK release in March 2009.

In 2009, Stahley was replaced with Matthew James Thomas. That April, they teamed with a new label started by Passion Pit's Ayad Al Adhamy, Black Bell Records, to release A Balloon Called Moaning in the U.S, earning favourable reviews from NME, The Guardian, The Times, Spin and Pitchfork.