Joyful Forfeit is a Post-Rock-inspired Shoegaze band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that began in the fall of 2022 by frontman and multi-instrumentalist Kody Stieve. While all music is written and performed by Stieve on the debut EP, Everything Came to Light, current live performances feature Gordon Brown on bass, Rue Sterner on drums, and Nathan Swavely on guitar. Joyful Forfeit toured the East Coast and Midwest to support the EP in 2023. After returning from tour, Stieve quickly returned to writing mode and laid the foundation for the debut LP, set to be released by Neon Bloodbath Records in early 2025. Joyful Forfeit looks to support the single and the upcoming LP with a 9-Day East Coast Tour in September, visiting cities like Richmond, Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, and many more.
Stieve enjoys the middle ground between lush and rugged on the new single “No Better. No Worse.” The searing guitar tones are able to accent the muddy vocals in a way that makes their distant tones feel palpable, while the thudding drum patterns keep the tune chugging along. Finding the perfect shoegaze balance between lo-fi vocals and loud instrumentation is never easy, but Stieve makes it seem easy on this new single. He borrows from the expansive ambiance of shoegaze and blends it with heavy rock tendencies to land on this sensationally complex and irresistibly infectious sound. “No Better. No Worse” is a juxtaposing anthem that explores deep emotions while allowing Stieve’s prowess to shine modestly.
“There’s a lot of frustration and anxiety surrounding how we define ourselves or determine our own self-worth,” explains Stieve. “‘No Better. No Worse’ serves as a reminder that, regardless of external factors, you still hold immense value and that it can’t be taken away. It’s something that I struggle with consistently and to write about a topic I don’t feel confident about was liberating in many ways.”
