With word out about Joie De Vivre's upcoming split 7″ shared with Prawn, we bring you the premiere of “Martin Park”. A title named after the band's former favorite hang out spot from their hometown of Rockford, IL; it is featured as the A-side b/w with Prawn's “Why You Alway Leave a Note“, available February 11 from Topshelf Records / Count Your Lucky Stars. Grinding out emotions of bitter sweet and homesick remembrances, Vivre's Patrick Delehanty reflects like rain drops on the past's ruins with, “And I can't remember, how many times I told somebody I loved them, and didn't mean it…”

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Based on inspirations taken from an old hang out at their Rockford stomping grounds, “Martin Park” takes a walk down a familiar grove on a power chord paved path. Joie De Vivre conveys the course of the mind's act of rewinding, through the traveling steps of rolling riffs geared in the key of hope with horns to underline the flood of feelings. The passion of Patrick and the band pours everything they have into a song that evokes the times and places of former adventures in sentiment and mind. “Martin Park” is a journey that feels geographical as well as encompasses the entire déjà vu hold of a remembered experience relived in all respects of involved sensory. “Tell me how I would get there, and why I would go back”. The thought of return toys with the idea of mending youthful mistakes and indiscretions, while at the same time questioning yesterday's revisitations to begin with.

Joie De Vivre's guitarist Patrick Delehanty joined up to give us the state of DIY Rockford, IL, memories from “Martin Park”, playing foosball in France with Prawn, and more on their upcoming shared 7″.

What's the haps on Rockford, IL? Interesting scenes? Bands of interest? State of DIY culture?

Rockford is what it is; a failed industrial town trying to come back from the economic depression. But it's home and if you surround yourself with good people it can be a good place, too. I've seen quite a bit more action in the DIY scene the last couple years or so with more people going to shows at places like The ELB and Rockford Art Deli. There's a lot more kids starting bands and creating a culture than there was when we started this whole thing. Some bands that I dig from around here are Bloom, Deadron, Super Super, and La Historia, but there's always bands breaking up, reuniting, or starting, so it's not a bad place to be on the lookout for music.

Let's talk about your split with Ridgeweood, NJ's Prawn, how did you all team up?

About a year and a half ago we were on a Europe tour at the same time Prawn was. We had never met each other but we were both fans of each others band's music. Luck has it that we were booked on the same bill in Toulouse, France. I think both bands were pretty homesick and tired so when we finally met it was like a breath of fresh air to be able to meet people from back home. We instantly hit it off and ended up drinking a lot of alcohol. A friendship was born and now they're some of our favorite people and best buds. The idea for a split came up that night after Stevie and I beat Tony and Jamie at foosball, hence the artwork.

Then the smashing, and melodic shred fest of “Martin Park”. Where and what is Martin Park?

Martin Park is a local park in Rockford where we used to go at night and hang out before we were 21. I don't remember but it might have been where I first made out with someone. One time I was there with a girl and a bunch of rednecks drove up in a pickup truck and shot us with paint balls. That was pretty memorable.

What inspired the song's heroic blistering bliss chords?

It was a tuning we never really tried before, and Pat NEEDED to shred the gnar.

What's next for Joie De Vivre?

Besides our split with Prawn, we have a split with Empire Empire coming out later this Spring and we're in the middle of writing our next full length. We plan on playing a ton of shows this year so we're excited! We will be pretty busy.

Joie De Vivre's 7″ split with Prawn will be available February 11 from Topshelf Records / Count Your Lucky Stars.