Last month, The Maine did what any self-respecting Arizona band with a flair for the dramatic would do: they announced their 10th studio album, Joy Next Door, via a drone show lighting up the Tempe sky. Subtle it was not. Warranted it absolutely was.
Two decades deep and showing zero signs of creative fatigue, The Maine have earned every bit of spectacle. The five-piece—vocalist John O’Callaghan, guitarists Jared Monaco and Kennedy Brock, bassist Garrett Nickelsen, and drummer Pat Kirch—first emerged from the Phoenix scene in the mid-2000s, noodling on their electric guitars right into the Warped Tour era before steadily, deliberately outgrowing every box the industry tried to file them under. From major label signings to fiercely independent releases, from pop-punk upstarts to one of alternative rock’s most enduring acts, their trajectory has been less a straight line than a masterclass in trusting the long game.
Joy Next Door marks the latest chapter in that evolution. Crafted in the band’s own studio in executive sequence and co-produced by O’Callaghan alongside Beach Weather’s Sean Silverman, the record turns its gaze toward the human condition—familiar territory for a band that’s always been more interested in asking the right questions than landing on easy answers. We spoke to Garrett about the making of the album’s second and latest single, ‘Quiet Part Loud,’ the infamous Jonas Brothers performance at the JONAS20: Greetings from Your Hometown tour during their Phoenix stop, and much more.
Joy Next Door is such a vivid album title, especially paired with the welcome rug in the trailer. It feels like joy is right there—close enough to touch—but not quite invited in yet. What did you hope that image and title would make listeners feel before they even heard the music?
The title is trying to make you feel like you’re looking back, how you got here. Is there “joy” somewhere else, or is it just right there in front of you? You’re not in youth or middle age, but in-between.
You’ve said you approached this album very differently from past projects. What’s one thing you’re doing now that earlier in your career you might have overlooked or dismissed?
We’ve learned attention to detail is crucial. Early on, we just recorded the songs we had. Now, we dissect every detail, even tiny ones, to change a vibe or enhance a feeling. Is this song telling the story we are trying to tell? For this record, we had so many demos, but the ones that made the record were the strongest at conveying the mood/ story we were trying to get across.
In the ‘Life In Forward Motion’ video, you mentioned that these songs aren’t trying to compete for attention—they’re meant to breathe. Is that perspective something that comes from having such an expansive body of work behind you?
Yeah, I mean, sometimes it’s kind of the Tom Petty thing, you know, “don’t bore us, get to the chorus.” But on this record, I feel like we let things go a little longer or give you a second. It’s more about trying to capture a feeling, and just when you might start thinking, “Okay, I know what’s going on,” we kind of throw a curve ball at you in the song. There’s a song coming out soon called ‘Quiet Part Loud’ where it’s very much a momentum-building track, and by the end it turns into this whole different thing. So yeah, I think it changes each time you try to make something, but the big thing on this record was definitely letting things breathe a little more.
You’ve also pushed back on the idea that albums are “dying,” which we wholeheartedly agree with. Whether it’s putting a CD into a player or pressing play on Spotify, there’s still something powerful about being immersed in a complete body of work. Were there any albums you returned to while making this record that helped you stay in that immersive mindset?
Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is one we all agree is perfect. You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene influenced us, too. We aimed for records you drive to and listen all the way through.
In the album trailer, there’s a moment where the spoken word bleeds directly into the title of your new song, ‘Quiet Part Loud.’ Where did the idea for this song originally come from?
That was a song John was going to L.A. to write. He was actually working with the guy who produced the record, Sean Silverman. John had this piano part he kind of came up with at the end of the day in Phoenix, and he was leaving the next day. He brought it to Sean, and they worked it out. Pretty much the basic idea of the song was there, but we wanted it to have a climactic ending. So during pre-pro, we figured out how to do some sort of exploding-type thing at the end to bring some extra energy. Yeah, I think that’s kind of it.
‘Quiet Part Loud’ sounds like a moment where honesty stops whispering. What shifted for you that made that possible?
It was definitely one of the last songs John did vocally. I think by then he had really captured the feeling of the record. He’d had that title kicking around for a while and knew it was going to be that. He tried a few different versions of it, and then we sat down and went over some lyrics for a bit, which isn’t normal for us. He was asking what we liked more, and I feel like the lyrics that came out of that really matched the mood we were going for. The vocal dynamics definitely jump in and out a lot, and I think the overall vibe of the tune kind of dictated what the words needed to be and how they needed to feel.
There are so many beautifully cinematic instrumental moments on this track. Is there a particular production detail or section that stands out to you as a favorite?
Well, the piano was definitely the centerpiece of the song. The chords just felt super emotional, and we’ve wanted to do that kind of beat in a song for a long time. I think having Sean produce the record and help shape the song really helped us figure out how to make it work. The drums are actually funny. We’ve played it for some people, and they’ve said, “Oh, the drum loop is really cool,” like they thought it was electronic. But we actually recorded those live. Pat played brushes on the hi-hat and used the back of a stick you’d normally play bells with, which gave it this really slappy sound. We added some effects on top, but that drum part is actually a real kit, which I think is pretty cool.
Across this era—from preview clips to full music videos—cars keep appearing as a recurring visual. What do you think you’re moving toward personally or creatively at this point in your career?
I think we just hope we can keep doing this for as long as possible. It’s kind of wild. It’s our 10th album and almost 20 years of being in this band. At this point, we’re just happy we still get to do it. Of course, you always hope more people come along for the ride, but if that’s not the case, that’s okay. We’re happy with where we’re at. Really, just being able to keep making albums and still surprise people with the songs we make that’s kind of all we’re asking for
This new music follows your ‘Black Butterflies and Deja Vu’ performance with The Jonas Brothers. One of the most exciting parts of these live collaborations on this tour is how the arrangements are re-imagined in real time. Was there anything about working with them—or the way their sound folded into the song — that genuinely surprised you?
I mean, it was incredible how quickly they picked up the song. We played it maybe one and a half times during soundcheck, and they had it right away. I’m assuming they knew at least a little bit of it beforehand, but still, it was crazy. I remember looking over at Nick Jonas, and he was playing guitar parts that aren’t even in the original song, but they worked perfectly. They’re just incredible musicians and artists. It was really fun to have a different group of people play that song with us, and I think it really shows their talent.
You’re heading out on tour starting late March. When you return to familiar venues, do you have a pre-show ritual that helps you fully step into the world of the new album?
The main ritual we do is what we call “party.” Before the set, we all chant together: “We like to party, we like to party.” It’s this little thing we do, and we’ve done it before every show we’ve ever played. Yeah, it just kind of signals, okay, now it’s time to get in the right headspace and go out and try to put on a good show.
Already praised the ticketing gods and secured a seat on their 26-date tour, kicking off in Las Vegas? Then you’re going to need ‘Quiet Part Loud’ committed to memory before doors open—because it’s making the setlist, and nobody wants to be the one mouthing gibberish in the front row. Hit replay like your earbuds owe you money, then come find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to tell us your favorite lyric.
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