Los Angeles indie rock band Mt. Joy have delivered their first new piece of music since their 2022 studio album Orange Blood.

Released yesterday, “Highway Queen” was road-tested at several concerts last year before its official release. Vocalist Matt Quinn said this about the new track and its accompanying cover art:

“The song is about being in love with someone you see a bit of yourself in. My wife is from Brazil but left home when she was 15 to chase a dream and had success that has kept her away from home and moved her all over the world ever since. Living away from home corrals your demons in a specific way, you feel like the only way to out run them is to keep moving, and it makes being home torturous. It’s something I personally struggle with so I know it when I see it in someone else, especially someone I love. Now we share a home together and I hope this song can represent a reminder that we have each other to work through it all and hopefully the rest of our lives to figure it out at whatever pace we need.

For the imagery around the song, I thought it would be cool to have my wife look through her camera roll and her film pictures that she has been taking for the last few years. The cover is actually a picture she took out the window of her family car on the drive that she takes to leave her home in rural Brazil and make the 8 hour drive to the nearest airport. Everyone knows the imagery that takes them away from home to wherever they’ve landed. Ingrid has made a habit of taking a cheap film camera with her everywhere we go. She does a great job of documenting our journey all over the world. So, it feels extra special to have one of those pictures attached to a song that feels like it could be playing when that picture was taken.”

The song, which is out on Mt. Joy’s own Bloom Field Records (in collaboration with Neon Gold Records) comes weeks before the band head out on the road for a lengthy trek across North America and the U.K along with some festival appearances. Tour dates can be seen below. Tickets are on sale to the general public here.

Mt. Joy tour dates

4.06 - Jackson, WY @ Rendezvous Music Festival

4.20 - Clemson, SC @ Clemson Music Festival

5.03 - Memphis, TN @ Riverbeat Music Festival

5.05 - Charlotte, NC @ Lovin’ Life Festival

5.12 - San Diego, CA @ Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival

5.31 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Coliseum (w/ Zach Bryan)

6.04 - Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg

6.05 - Brussels, BE @ Le Botanique Orangerie

6.06 - Paris, FR @ Trabendo

6.08 - Brighton, UK @ CHALK

6.09 - Bristol, UK @ SWX

6.10 - Manchester, UK @ 02 Ritz

6.12 - Dublin, IE @ National Stadium

6.13 - Glasgow, UK @ The Garage

6.15 - London, UK @ Roundhouse

7.04 - Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest - BMO Pavilion

7.05 - Marshfield, MA @ Levitate Music and Arts Festival

7.06 - Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Blues Fest

7.08 - Quebec City, QC @ Festival D’ete

7.09 - Montreal, QC @ MTelus

7.10 - Toronto, ON @ Budstage

7.12 - Winnipeg, MB @ Winnipeg Folk Fest

7.14 - Whitefish, MT @ Under the Big Sky Festival

7.18 - Boston, MA @ Fenway Park (w/ Noah Kahan)

7.19 - Boston, MA @ Fenway Park (w/ Noah Kahan)

7.20 - Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion

8.04 - Saint Charles, IA @ Hinterland Music Festival

8.06 - Minneapolis, MN @ Surly Brewing Festival Field

8.08 - Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre

8.09 - Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre

8.10 - Dillon, CO @ Dillon Amphitheatre

8.13 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Granary Live

8.15 - Boise, ID @ Outlaw Field @ Idaho Botanical Gardens

8.16 - Portland, OR @ Pioneer Courthouse Square

8.17 - Vancouver, BC @ Doug Mitchell Thunderbird

8.19 - Palmer, AK @ Alaska State Fair

8.21 - Carnation, WA @ Remlinger Farms

8.23 - Bend, OR @ Hayden Holmes

8.25 - Los Angeles, CA @ KCRW Music Series Hollywood Bowl

9.13 - Austin, TX @ Moody Center

9.15 - Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre

9.17 - Charleston, SC @ Firefly Distillery

9.18 - Cary, NC @ Koka Booth

9.20 - Philadelphia, PA @ TD Pavilion at The Mann

9.21 - Richmond, VA @ Iron Blossom

9.22 - Louisville, KY @ Bourbon & Beyond

9.24 - Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater

9.26 - Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater

9.28 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden

9.29 - Ocean City, MD @ Ocean’ Calling

10.01 - Rochester, NY @ Gordon Field House, Rochester Institute of Technology

10.03 - Chicago, IL @ Salt Shed (Outdoors)

10.04 - Chicago, IL @ Salt Shed (Outdoors)

10.05 - Chicago, IL @ Salt Shed (Outdoors)