Ahead of an epic touring season, Mt. Joy (@mtjoyband) shared their most personal song to date, “Highway Queen,” a self-funded and independently released single via the band’s own Bloom Field Records in collaboration with Neon Gold Records (Matt Maeson, HAIM, Charli XCX, et. al).
Mt. Joy – “Highway Queen” single
“The song is about being in love with someone you see a bit of yourself in. My wife is from Brazil but left home when she was 15 to chase a dream and had success that has kept her away from home and moved her all over the world ever since. Living away from home corrals your demons in a specific way, you feel like the only way to outrun them is to keep moving, and it makes being home torturous. It’s something I personally struggle with, so I know it when I see it in someone else, especially someone I love. Now we share a home together and I hope this song can represent a reminder that we have each other to work through it all and hopefully the rest of our lives to figure it out at whatever pace we need.” – Matt Quinn elaborated
Deeply personal lyrics laid bare with emotional depth and honesty, “Highway Queen” came to frontman Matt Quinn while touring the country in 2023. The band was able to introduce it live as the song evolved and found an instant connection with audiences around the world.
“Highway Queen” is also the first song to secure 100% royalty registration via Notes.fm, a music finance platform empowering artists to cut through the complexities of the royalty system and ensure they are capturing all value created by their work. Mt. Joy will be one of the founding artists on the platform (which launches publicly later this year), creating educational content to help emerging artists better understand the intricate complexities of royalties in the modern music business.
Mt. Joy
“For the imagery around the song, I thought it would be cool to have my wife look through her camera roll and her film pictures that she has been taking for the last few years. The cover is actually a picture she took out the window of her family car on the drive that she takes to leave her home in rural Brazil and make the 8-hour drive to the nearest airport. Everyone knows the imagery that takes them away from home to wherever they’ve landed. Ingrid has made a habit of taking a cheap film camera with her everywhere we go. She does a great job of documenting our journey all over the world. So, it feels extra special to have one of those pictures attached to a song that feels like it could be playing when that picture was taken.” – Matt Quinn explained
Mt. Joy will continue bringing their energetic live shows through the US, Canada, and Europe this year. In Boston, they’ll team up with Noah Kahan for two shows at Fenway Park in July. They’ve got an iconic Madison Square Garden headline date in the books for September 28th, another sold-out double date at Red Rocks on August 8th and 9th, and a debut at the prestigious Hollywood Bowl on August 25th. The band’s musical prowess, charisma, and stage presence contribute to their growing popularity and dedicated fanbase.
Mt. Joy
The Philadelphia and Los Angeles-based band — Matt Quinn [vocals, guitar], Sam Cooper [guitar], Sotiris Eliopoulos [drums], Jackie Miclau [keys, piano], and Michael Byrnes [bass]— take their name from the quiet and rural National Park in Southwest Pennsylvania, about four hours from their Philadelphia base.
Forming in 2016, Mt. Joy made their mark two years later when their self-titled “Mt. Joy” (2018) debut album spun off platinum single “Silver Lining,” an uplifting power ballad that went to #1 at AAA radio (Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay) and has eclipsed over 240 million streams across platforms.
Their second album, “Rearrange Us” (2020), drew widespread critical raves, with the title track gaining 92 million Spotify streams since the release. Their third LP, “Orange Blood” (2022), came out of the pandemic and further cemented them with another #1, “Lemon Tree,” at AAA and a 70-date headline tour that sold over 180K tickets.
Mt. Joy
Over the past five years, Mt. Joy has amassed over half a billion streams and earned acclaim from notable media outlets. Throughout their career, the band has performed at a variety of festivals such as Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, and Bonnaroo. Additionally, the band has performed on Stephen Colbert, CBS Morning, Samantha Bee, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, and Conan.
Upcoming plans for 2024 include new music, live shows, and a world tour including shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City, The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Roundhouse in London, and more.
Download Mt. Joy’s “Highway Queen” single
We recommend adding Mt. Joy’s “Highway Queen” single to your favorite alternative folk playlist. Also, let us know how you feel in the comment section below. Mel Blanc’s famous catchphrase, That’s All Folks! Thanks for reading another great article on Bong Mines Entertainment – the hot spot for new music and positive entertainment news. Always remember that (P) Positive, (E) Energy, (A) Always, (C) Creates, (E) Elevation (P.E.A.C.E). Contact us on social media via Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook, and let us know what’s going on. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter, support our merchandise, and become a Patron of Bong Mines Entertainment. Disclaimer: This post contains Apple Music affiliate links. We may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through links on our site. That little compensation will be used towards keeping this website up and running.