Photo Credit by Grant Spanier

The genius of the band Joywave is multifaceted. It exists in a space somewhere between an indie, techno/electronic, and rock ‘n’ roll band with existential, relatable lyrics. It is hard to sum up its vibe through words, but if a philosophy or psychology professor were to host a rave that was both thought-provoking and enjoyable to students, they would play Joywave.

Joywave is coming to Delmar Hall on Monday, Sept. 16. Its show invites concert goers to dance to energetic music and take in unique visuals that echo its album covers.

Daniel Armbruster, the lead singer, founder, and creative force behind Joywave, grew up in Rochester, N.Y.. He went to community college and then a state school in New York before graduating “into the great recession.” Postgrad, he got a job working retail at Staples for years before quitting to pursue music, thus creating Joywave.

In a conversation with Student Life, Armbruster spoke at length about his complicated feelings around college.

“Anyone that I know does not work in their field [of study]. I have so many friends who went to school to be teachers, who ended up in call centers. Then went on to work for, like, a telecom company or something because they were good at computers. They figured it out. It has nothing to do with their degree,” Ambruster said. 

He emphasized that more technical schools can be the exception to this rule.

Armbruster, it turns out, did not major in something technical. 

“My major was history, my minor was economics. I would absolutely be exactly where I am without college. It impacted me socially; my professors challenged me as a history major to think about things from different perspectives that you don’t in high school…But, if someone wants to be a musician, and asks me if they should go to college, I say no,” Ambruster said. 

While working at Staples, Armbruster struggled with finding creative outlets. 

“I worked 20 hours a week, but I found even those 20 hours were so disheartening. I needed more time to push myself to get better at what I wanted to do. Looking back, I was nowhere near as good at songwriting or production or performing etc. I think if I’d stayed on that path and continued to work a retail job, it would have been hard to get to where I needed to go,” Armbruster said. 

Armbruster advises students to balance passion and skill. 

“Never seek money as a goal. Do the things that you love, and you’ll know you are making the right choice when people start paying you for it,” he said. “What is the thing in life that you are exponentially better than the next person at? For me, that thing when we were growing up and playing in local bands was songwriting. Once I made that realization, I was able to hone in.”

For artists, inspiration can come from unexpected sources. Armbruster’s unexpected influence is the James Bond film franchise. 

“[The movies are] such interesting time capsules of how people treated each other in the media at that moment…I love all of the scores and the soundtracks. I think there’s always a little bit of that to our music,” he said.

Armbruster’s perspectives on life percolate into Joywave’s music. You can see Joywave at Delmar Hall on Sept. 16. You can find more information about how to buy tickets here.