The trials and tribulations Alex Reindl has been through during his time here on Earth could bring the strongest to their knees. Seeing his close friend/musical collaborator Sean Quinn lose his life due to a drug overdose and fighting addiction himself has led Reindl to face jail time in various times. These days Reindl has become determined to stay sober and remain focused on fulfilling his dreams of creating music.

Reindl’s moniker Old Joy takes the name from the author Jonathan Raymond story. Knowing that things come and go throughout one’s life, music will never be something that leaves. The drive and passion only will intensify as he pushes forward. Today, Reindl shares his single from the upcoming first full-length album Trash Your Life, “Watcha Doin?” Listeners will pick up quickly Reindl’s DIY-tinged fuzzy, poppy riffs, and melodic vocals. Influences from bands such as Teenage Fanclub, The Replacements, Dinosaur Jr. are crystal clear from start to finish.

Here’s Reindl are on the single: “The song itself is basically a tribute to the 90s, in all their awkward glory, and I think that definitely comes through in the sound of the song, as well as the melody and lyrics. I remember playing this live at a festival in Chicago and as soon as we started playing the palm-muted intro chords someone in the crowd shouted “Yeah, Fountains of Wayne!” and I chuckled to myself and thought “exactly.”

Lyrically, the song is about nostalgia, about coming to terms with the fact that you don’t love a person at all anymore, rather you’re in love with an idea of someone who no longer really exists. “Watcha doin hanging out? I thought that you were getting out of the scene. Whatcha doin with that guy? He don’t love you like I loved you when you were mine” whines the narrator, obviously unable to accept that people and situations change.

And yes, the debt collector calling me at the beginning of the song was real, and that same woman, Kathy from DSG collect, called me every single day for two and a half years and we only spoke once.”

Old Joy will be releasing their first full-length album, Trash Your Life, by early 2021. Reindl is also a member of fellow power-pop band Sonny Falls, and he’s also played with Dogs At Large, Faux Co., Dan Rico, his former band Shiloh, and more.