Teenage Indie Rockers The Joeys Discuss New Single ‘Blood Diamonds’, Playing At Alice Cooper’s Christmas Show, & More

Rock and roll is one such genre that knows no bounds within itself.

Many artists take elements from jazz, punk, math rock, prog rock, and other offshoots to mold into their sound, yet still fall under the “rock” umbrella. However, straight ahead, old fashioned rock and roll will always be craved and needed. Up and coming Arizona rockers, The Joeys, are taking that indie punk energy from the past and dialing it up for a new generation.

Originating from Phoenix, The Joeys consist of Dean Cheney (Guitar/Vocals), Luci Cormany (Bass/Vocals) and Hayden Lamm (Drums). The group burst onto the scene in 2019 with their song, “Phantom Bride of 13 Curves,” which showcased their musical knowledge by combining the many rock genres they came to know and love.

Not even a year later, they released Punks From Outer Space, the group’s debut EP. Their impressive work ethic at such a young age has been pushing them ever since, as they unleashed three other singles between 2020 and 2022. Every release has seen the band pushing themselves further, diving deeper into the sounds from the past that drives them.

The band has officially dropped their latest track, “Blood Diamonds,” which is now on all streaming platforms.

We got to ask the group a few questions about the new single, playing Alice Cooper’s Christmas show, and more.

So who or what inspired you guys to get together and start rocking? 

Hayden and Dean had known each other since they met in the 4th Grade at their Elementary School. Dean later met Luci at School of Rock. So when Dean was in a band and looking for new members, his decision was pretty simple. 

What does the average day look like for The Joeys? 

Our days typically just consist of us going to school and waiting for the weekend to start. 

Is there a primary songwriter, or is it more of a group effort when writing new music? 

Dean usually will write the song and bring it to the group. From  there, the band will complete their parts and make the song sound tight as a band. 

So you’ve just dropped your new single, “Blood Diamonds.” What’s the backstory and inspiration behind it? 

It’s origins actually stem from the Paul Simon song, “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes.” That song is one of Dean’s all time favorites, so he would often read about the meaning of those lyrics. One night, he read something about how the song was connected to the topic of Blood Diamonds. From there, Dean researched more about Blood Diamonds, wanting to understand what they were and what they meant. The song pretty much wrote itself from there. 

What do you hope listeners take away from this song? 

If listeners take anything away from the song, we hope that it can serve as a reminder to be more aware of how one’s own actions can affect others.

Can fans expect to see it on an upcoming EP or LP? 

Probably not, as this song will most likely remain a standalone single. 

I heard you got to play at Alice Cooper’s Christmas show!  That’s a big deal. What was that experience like? 

That experience was obviously pretty amazing. It was certainly the largest and most daunting crowd we have ever played for, but once we hit the stage, our nerves disappeared and we loved every second.  

It was also very exciting to meet Alice. He’s such a great guy and does so much for the community.  

What would be a dream gig for all of you? 

All three of us probably have different visions of what our dream gig would look like, but we all agreed that playing on Saturday Night Live would be pretty sweet.  

So is college in the cards for you guys or is the band your main focus at this point? 

Dean and Hayden will be going to ASU in Fall of 2022, but the band will definitely remain a top priority. 

Where do you realistically hope to see The Joeys in five years? 

We hope to see ourselves touring, opening for larger acts, and hopefully building a fan base.