We caught up with Joey from CLIFFDIVER at Riot Fest 2025 to dig into the band’s mission of aggressive positivity—yelling about self-love, turning heavy themes into hope, and keeping joyful chaos under control onstage. Joey talks life after the sax era, how they craft a short festival set (emotional gut-punch → big sing-alongs → max energy), and why gratitude fuels everything.
We dive into Exercise Your Demons (grief, recovery, humor as a survival tool), the crowd affirmation from “Lost in IKEA” — “I know I’m good enough… finally myself.” — and the near-death van incident that reshaped their outlook on tour. Plus: non-music influences (games/film/books), truly collaborative writing, and what’s next: a new EP and plans to take the show worldwide.
Highlights
Mission: aggressive positivity & radical self-talk
Set design: make ’em feel, then make ’em sing
Tour resilience: curveballs, community, gratitude
Next up: studio time for a new EP
🎥 Interview by Music Coast
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