One less light within unrelenting desolation
As Fromjoy unveil their latest EP “Ataraxia 19.13.8.1.19”, a tight, three-track offering packed with genre-bending intensity, it’s clear the Houston-based band aren’t just refining their sound, they’re closing one chapter and setting fire to the next. Jack and Nick sat down with vocalist Kellan (Kel) King to talk transitions, storytelling, DIY ethics, and the band’s vision for the future.
Let’s start with the EP – Ataraxia 19.13.8.1.19 is just three songs, but each one feels massive. Was the staggered rollout intentional?
Yeah, totally intentional. It’s only three tracks, “Monochrome,” “Eternal Harvest,” and “Ataraxia”, but I didn’t want any of them to get buried in a typical drop, so we spread out the releases. I also wanted the artwork for each song to be unique and cohesive with the sound. If we’d just done a standard EP drop, we’d have one cover [by dodleyz], one visualiser [by mortasustain], one moment. This way, every piece got its own spotlight.
The artwork across the singles is pretty distinct from your past work. It still feels like Fromjoy, but more conceptual.
Definitely. Visually and thematically, Ataraxia [19.13.8.1.19] closes the book on the era we’ve been in, what we’ve kind of referred to as the “Icarus arc”. It wraps up that story and aesthetic, and from here we’re moving into new territory. I’ll always try to keep Fromjoy’s core intact, but I want to experiment more with color, tone, and atmosphere. This is the end of the “everything blue” period, for sure.
Each track stands alone, but the whole EP flows like one piece. What was your mindset going into the writing process?
After the self-titled came out, I had intense writer’s block for almost a year. It connected with way more people than I expected, and I felt the pressure to top it. So I thought, “I’m just gonna write the best three songs I possibly can.” I leaned into the progressive side of my songwriting, longer tracks, smoother transitions. Each song flows into the next, but they still hold up on their own.
I also really wanted to challenge our fans. Fromjoy has a reputation as a metalcore band, so releasing “Monochrome” first, this shoegaze-electronic thing, was a deliberate curveball. I wanted people to go, “Wait, what is this?”
Production-wise, the EP feels punchier, more chaotic but polished. You guys handled it all in-house, right?
Yeah, we produced everything ourselves, except the artwork. I mixed the self-titled alongside Connor Sweeney, but Ataraxia was fully internal. It was our first time mixing live drums too, which was a beast. But I’ve gotten really into electronic music production lately, sound design, glitchy textures, artists like SOPHIE, Arca, even some IDM. That bled into the EP hard.
There’s even a snap in one track that people swear is the Nintendo Switch click. It’s actually just a finger snap, but the comparison isn’t totally wrong, we’ve always had a retro-futurist edge to our aesthetic, whether it’s visuals or sonics.
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room, Denver’s departure. You’ve stepped up on vocals and been handling frontman duties. What’s that been like for you?
Scary at first, for sure. I was really hesitant because I’d never done full vocals live for an entire set, let alone a whole tour. I worried about my voice holding up. Early on, it was rough, after the first couple nights on the Chamber tour, my voice was totally shot. But your body adapts. I had to adjust my technique, train a bit more, and just push through.
Denver [Downling] is one of the best frontmen I’ve ever played with, so those are huge shoes to fill. But I also wanted creative control over the vocals, lyrics, patterns, everything. Now that I’ve got my style down, it feels natural. I’m not trying to imitate Denver. I’m just doing me.
That shows in the vocal tone, it’s a shift from your older backing parts.
Yeah, my taste in vocals has changed too. I used to lean way more high and yelly, and I’m not into that anymore. So it’s not just a stylistic swap, it’s evolution. And I’m really glad people noticed the difference without it feeling jarring.
You’ve got some killer tours coming up. Orthodox and Omerta is a wild combo. How are you feeling about that?
So stoked. Orthodox was a massive influence for It Lingers, especially in terms of rhythm and dynamics. And Omerta? I’ve been watching them since they were a straight-up hardcore band in Houston. It’s wild to see where they’re at now. This whole tour feels like a full-circle moment for the scene.
So, how did Fromjoy even come about? What led to the signature sound you have now?
Before Fromjoy, we were doing more of a djent thing, very Northlane inspired, but it felt like we were just getting lost in the crowd. Then I got into hardcore, mathcore, and after seeing a SeeYouSpaceCowboy show, everything shifted. I wanted to write mosh music.
When the pandemic hit, I finally had time to sit with everything and rethink the project. That’s when I started diving deep into breakcore, hyperpop, vaporwave, artists like SOPHIE and George Clanton. I’d always loved that stuff, but I started asking, “What if we actually combined this with metal?” It all came from chasing something new, something that felt uniquely us. That’s really how Fromjoy took shape.
You’ve also got another band, Girl of Glass, which is blowing up too. How’s it been juggling both?
Honestly, Girl of Glass is pure fun. Everyone in that band is in other projects, so it’s this cool space where we don’t take ourselves too seriously. The music is heavy and raw, but it’s low-pressure. Fromjoy is intense, conceptual, cohesive, crafted. Girl of Glass is just pure chaos and love for the genre.
Merch-wise, Fromjoy’s stuff is always wild, who’s behind that?
That’s mostly me. We just riff on ideas in the group chat and if it sticks, we run with it. The “Pipe Bomb” shirt? That started as a dumb meme I saw on Twitter. We printed 20, people freaked out, now it’s a staple. It’s nice to have that freedom. Sometimes we drop something more serious or minimal, but the goofy stuff? That’s part of our identity now, and it’s never gonna go away completely.
Even the CDs and vinyl have a unique design sense. The themed vinyl variants and custom cover artwork really stand out.
Yeah, visual consistency has always been a big deal for us. We put a lot of thought into making sure every release feels cohesive, whether it’s the blue-themed vinyl variants, the matching CD layouts, or the merch. It’s all part of building a larger world for Fromjoy, not just releasing music.
We’ve also had a lot of inspiration from stuff like Serial Experiments Lain. That whole early digital, PS2-era, cyber-surreal aesthetic is a big part of our identity. Gio actually has a Lain tattoo on their hand, which tells you how deep that influence runs. When Silverback Gorilla Records [SGR] suggested Cory [Swope] from ZOMBIESHARK! for the Fromjoy vinyl art, he just instinctively captured that Serial Experiments Lain vibe, it fit perfectly.
Huge shoutout to both Don’t Stress Flower Press (DS//FP) and SGR. Matt and Chan from DS//FP literally drove out to our first show back in 2021. They’re day-one supporters and the quality of their stuff is next-level, embroidered hats, hand-produced CDs, amazing packaging. They genuinely care about the music. SGR’s the same, they’re the ones who pitched the idea of having Cory do the alternate artwork, and he nailed it. They not only pitched the idea for the alternate artwork but have consistently backed our vision with a ton of enthusiasm. They’ve helped us to do things that we wouldn’t have been able to pull off on our own, and it’s clear they’re in it for the art. We’re lucky to be working with both of them.
You’ve hinted at a conceptual thread throughout your discography. Is there a defined story behind all the callbacks and motifs?
Yeah, there’s definitely a narrative running through everything, even if it wasn’t fully intentional from the start. As we kept writing, it all started connecting. There are recurring characters, symbols, themes, it’s all there if people want to dig. I’m honestly surprised more people haven’t caught on yet. But this EP wraps up that arc. The next album? It’ll be something new.
Final question: what’s the plan from here?
After the Orthodox tour and a quick run with Girl of Glass, I’m locking myself in a room for September to finish the next Fromjoy album. We’ve got tons of demos and ideas, but now it’s about flow, narrative, and cohesion. That’s what matters most. I want it to feel like a full journey, not just a bunch of singles.
Fromjoy’s new EP Ataraxia 19.13.8.1.19 is out now and can be purchased on Bandcamp and streamed on all major platforms.
Physical editions available via Don’t Stress Flower Press on tour now and will be online imminently.
You can catch them on tour across the USA this summer with Orthodox, Mugshot, and Omerta – dates and tickets available here.