A Severe Joy

A Severe Joy is not just an anagram of musician/producer José Ayerve, it is also an experimental alter ego. In 2011, Ayerve reinvented his approach to music making and performance after 15 years of fronting renowned underground indie rock group, Spouse. The multi-instrumentalist and driving force behind several studio albums, singles, and EPs dating back to the late 90’s, re-imagined himself as something of a masked adventurer; mining for inspiration amid some of the darker and highly personal areas of his life. The result is a far more uninhibited, aggressive, and emotionally charged version of himself. The dynamic pop of dance beats, clustered harmonies, overdriven guitars, pulsing bass-lines, and fuzz-laden synthesizers, at times transform back into the simplest combination of solo electric guitar and unaffected vocals. A Severe Joy adapts his performance according to the size, location, and audience of each event. Having performed a wide range of shows; from large concert venues against a backdrop of video projections and a foreground of burlesque dancers to the most intimate and stripped-down house concerts, from a public library to a private boat, and from a vintage clothing store to numerous clubs, bars, and art galleries, the main component of A Severe Joy’s ‘live’ show is Ayerve’s immediately identifiable vocals. Handheld lights, frenetic dance moves, and an array of surprises add new dimension to the excitement of his sonic material.