Joywave never thought they’d reach this level of success. Everything else is a bonus.

Joywave tasted success a few years ago with the 2015 album “How Do You Feel Now?” and the song “Dangerous,” which hit No. 1 on the Alternative Songs list.

Now, thanks to the quirky and catch hit, “It’s a Trip,” off the group’s latest album, “Content,” the Rochester, N.Y., band continues to ride a wave of momentum. Talking with vocalist-guitarist Daniel Armbruster, you get the sense he sometimes he can’t believe how far they’ve come.

“I’m not going to act like we’re the biggest band in the world, but we’ve achieved something that we didn’t think was possible,” says Armbruster, calling from Amarillo, Texas. “What bands come out of Rochester and have any kind of success?”

Joywave is idiosyncratic, melding guitars with electronic beats. The band, particularly Armbruster, clearly has a blast performing live. They’ll be at the Cat’s Cradle March 2 with Sasha Sloan and Kopps.

“I like to talk when I’m onstage,” Armbruster says. “I like to be in the moment. It’s about entertaining when you’re up there.”

But the audience seems to reciprocate the feeling. During a show in Philadelphia in November, a capacity crowd erupted during “It’s a Trip.”

“I think it’s a fun, unique song,” Armbruster says. “I’ve never had any success until I started making my own kind of music. I don’t think there is a song out there like ‘It’s a Trip.’ If you hear it, you know it’s us. Right now, it’s a good time.”

Joywave, which has carved out a nice little niche in indie rock, has hit the top 25 of the alternative charts five times.

“We have some singles that have done well,” Armbruster says. “All that we ever wanted was to have enough success to sustain this. That was the dream for (drummer) Paul (Brenner) and I for the longest time. Paul and I have been playing together for more than half of our lives. There is nothing cooler than playing for these fans, who are really into their music. There’s nothing like looking out in the audience and seeing people sing along to your songs.”

The song “It’s a Trip” has the lyric: “When you’ve gotten what you want/there’s nothing left to want.” Armbruster felt that way after “How Do You Feel Now,” which peaked at No. 25 on the Alternative Album Chart.

“We exceeded our goal with that one,” Armbruster says. “Where do you go from there was what we asked ourselves.”

Joywave, which includes guitarist Joseph Morinelli, bassist Jeremiah Crespo and keyboardist Benjamin Bailey, came back with “Content,” which was released in 2017. “Content” is a deep, dense and atmospheric album, comprised of songs that are irreverent, wry and ironic. The combination of guitars and electronics makes for a sound like no other band is concocting these days.

“I think it’s safe to say that we’re original, to say the least,” Armbruster says. “I couldn’t try to be Pearl Jam, not that I would ever want to be like Pearl Jam. We can only make our own style of music, and that’s what we’ll continue to do.”

Like most other recording artists, Armbruster wants to make music for posterity.

“I want to write songs that will outlive me and touch people long after I’m gone,” Armbruster says. “That would be the coolest thing. I’m not into making music for now that is disposable. I would love it if we can make something that will be around for generations. If that happens, great. I never thought that we would be able to make it to this level. Everything is a bonus from here on out.”

This story was originally published March 2, 2018 at 4:56 PM with the headline "Joywave never thought they’d reach this level of success. Everything else is a bonus.."