DRUMMER · ARTIST · EDUCATOR

Joy Machuga aka Joy On Drums is a genre fluid drummer who has toured internationally, recorded over 25 albums and been drumming full time for over 30 years. Her professional work spans performing, composing, recording, teaching, community organizing and curating. From dive bars to arenas, theatre and dance companies, folk festivals, TV and movie soundtracks, the 2025 Juno Awards, and everything in between her musicality and talent shine through.

e.s.l.
band member
website

prOphecy sun and Joy On Drums
collaboration
website

Basic Instinct
band member
website

Joyce Collingwood
band member
bandcamp

fortresses
band member
bandcamp

Snotty Nose Rez Kids
live performance
website

Tia Wood
live performance
website

Cris Derksen
live performance and recording
website

Miss Quincy and the Showdown
live performance and recording
website

Kristi Lane Sinclair
live performance and recording
bandcamp

Cora and the Moon
recording
bandcamp

Christa Couture
live performance
website

Rae Spoon
live performance
website

The Doers
live performance
discogs.com

C.R. Avery
live performance
website

Abramson Singers
live performance
website

Girl Nobody
live performance
discogs

Greg MacPherson
live performance
website

The People Verses
band member

Healing With Magnets
band member
bandcamp

Brandon Wint
recording
website

Wind Whistles
recording
website

DISCOGRAPHY

prOphecy sun “SkyCat”

Cora and the Moon “Just A Phase”

Basic Instinct “Late Bloom”

Basic Instinct “Equinox”

e.s.l. “Heart Contact”

fortresses “S/T”

Brandon Wint “Devotion”

Actualizer “Actualizer”

Miss Quincy and the Showdown “Roadside Recovery”

Cris Derksen “The Collapse”

Kristi Lane Sinclair “Sea Alone”

Geoff Berner “Festival Man-A Collection Of Geoff Berner Covers”

Joyce Collingwood “Joyce Collingwood”

Duffy and the Doubters “Scriptural Supplies”

The Wind Whistles “Animals Are People Too”

e.s.l. “Eye Contact”

The Wind Whistles “Window Sills”

Katsuya Nonaka, Joy Mullen, Jesse Willey “Western Culture”

The People Verses “Self Titled”

Healing With Magnets “Healing With Magnets”

PRESS

All distortion-stun guitars and machine-gun drumming, this is hardcore  as it was played in the fast-and-uncompromising ’80s.
– Mike Usinger
from “Joyce Collingwood offers up scorching bangover remedies”
Georgia Straight

Joy Mullen, on drums, is Honey Lantree, Dottie Dodgion  and Carol Burnett tipping Wild Turkey.
– Gaalen Engen
from “e.s.l.: You don’t need language when the music is this good”
The Paltry Sapien

The core of the duo’s music is some sort of heavy sludge/doom/stoner with dynamic drums and fairly catchy yet simple guitar riffs. The drumming of Joy has this martial quality in the droney sludge of opener “Feast”, she’s really good and precise and makes the duo sound fuller. That same track also has some blackened elements in both the tremolos and the guitars.
– Metantoine’s Magical Realm

What you are about to hear is HEAVY Magic in the form of Sludge. BASIC INSTINCT have created a record that gives me chills but at the same time frightens me. What I do know about this band is that are using this art form to manifest music that has a message of protest and they stand for issues that matter to us all.
– Sean Reveron
WTF! Five Modern Sludge Bands Pushing The Genre FORWARD!
CVLT Nation

Joy Mullen’s solid drumming anchors the whole lovely sound together. Her fills are pretty great, too.
– Healing with Magnets review
Discorder

Marta from Fan Death introduced me to Joy when we were looking for a drummer. We loved her but she was hard to get, really in demand, so we had to woo her. We put a spell on her.
– Claudia Fernandez
from “Joyce Collingwood” (feature)
BWG Magazine

…pure energy as wailing guitars and manic drum beats crash and wail…
– Cail Judy
from “Joyce Collingwood” (cover feature)
Discorder

…a nice jazzy drum solo from Joy Mullen.
– Chris Conaton
from “e.s.l. Eye Contact”
PopMatters

Joy Mullen’s forthright, well-mixed drumming
– Paul Corby
from “CFMA nominee Kristi Lane Sinclair’s latest album”
Roots Music Canada

PHOTOS

VIDEO

2025 Junos- SNRK and Tia Wood
@Rogers Arena

Joyce Collingwood “Victoria” live

e.s.l. “Superbaked”

Miss Quincy “Talking Trash”

Cris Derksen “WarCry”

The People Verses “Bird Of Prey”

prOphecy sun and Joy On Drums- live at the Capital

Wind Whistles “Turtle”

prOphecy sun “Us”

e.s.l. “Prove Me Wrong”

Basic Instinct “Feast”

Joy On Drums- feature by Olivia Sorley

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

Art by Joy On Drums

Date	City	Venue	Country
April 11, 2026 - June 28, 2026	Parksville, BC	Parksville Museum	Canada
	Time: 12:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages. Address: 1245 Island Hwy E. Venue phone: +12502486966. From Many, One: The Story of Repetition More information
June 19, 2026 - June 29, 2026	Vancouver, Britsh Columbia	Slice Of LIfe Art Gallery	Canada
	Time: 12:00pm. Admission: 5.00. Age restrictions: All Ages. Address: 1636 Venables Street. Sun Group Show Buy Tickets
July 10, 2026 - July 20, 2026	Vancouver, Britsh Columbia	Slice Of LIfe Art Gallery	Canada
	Time: 12:00pm. Admission: $5.00. Age restrictions: All Ages. Address: 1636 Venables Street. Red Group Art Show Buy Tickets

Joy On Drums

Date	City	Venue	Country
June 05, 2026	Parksville, BC	Parksville Museum	Canada
	Time: 7:00pm. Admission: 20.00. Age restrictions: All Ages. Address: 1245 Island Hwy E. Venue phone: +12502486966. Parksville Museum’s first ever Storyteller Festival. Femme Drum Stories and Soundscapes In the Heritage Church Join Joy on Drums and friends for a night of soundscapes, deep listening, imagination journeys and narratives. We will share our stories and poems, to a soundtrack of live improvised music. Special Guests: Varvara- Textile artist and storyteller Nate Schmold- artist and musician More about Joy On Drums https://joyondrums.com/ More about Varvara https://www.varvarastudio.ca/ More about Nate Schmold https://3030.ca/ Tickets available online, in person during regular museum hours, or 60 min prior to showtime at the doors if not sold out in advance. While you’re at the show, be sure to visit the group art exhibition in our Main Hall, From Many, One: The Story in Repetition, featuring artwork by Joy and Nate! Buy Tickets

BANDS / PERFORMANCES