Many of us, at some point, find ourselves back to where we started in some sense. And the same thing happened to John O’Callaghan, frontman of Arizona rock band The Maine.

The five-piece released its 10th studio album, Joy Next Door on April 10, and it’s a record that saw the band take a closer look at the past.

In 2021, O’Callaghan’s wife sent him a house listing that was coincidently just a few blocks away from the home he grew up in. The couple purchased the property and have since gone on to raise their two children in the singer’s childhood neighborhood.

“The title comes from the theme of the record: how are you ‘supposed’ to feel when your dreams come true?,” O’Callaghan said.

A green lawn shot overhead makes up the album cover, a minimalistic design that’s intentional to the sound and themes of the record. O’Callaghan explained that he wanted to semi-personify the title without being too overt or on the nose.

“I always lean more minimalist. Maybe it’s because stories to me are the most rewarding when I get to fill in some of the gaps left intentionally by the artist,” he said. “I’d like to think I give enough to put someone in the world, but not too much so they can’t imagine anything for themselves,”

“Our great friend and extremely talented photographer, Lupe Bustos and I talked though the vision and he shot what you see. This specific image was captured by drone and after going through tons of photos, it just had that quality that made it, ‘it,’”

Joy Next Door marks the band’s “green era,” an idea that came about by accident, but fans — the 8123 Family — have fully embraced. The band is currently touring the U.S. on the “I Love You But I Chose The Maine” tour, where clothing in various hues of green can be seen throughout the packed crowds.

“We never set out to designate a color per album, but on American Candy, we began to lean into the idea of leaning into one primary tone. It seemed to have resonated within the 8123 community and with Joy, we actually thought of the meaning behind the green we chose — new growth,” O’Callaghan reflected. “The idea that what was already happened, but doesn’t mean it can’t happen again,”

On stage, the minimalistic approach can be felt with the sleek, intentional set design.

“In the spirit of minimalism, we knew we wanted to tell the story without ruining the ending,” the “Die to Fall” singer said. “I’d like to think it reads as some sort of home or at least the idea of a home. Festivals are definitely more of a challenge due to logistics, but we still try to stand out in any way we can,”

In a career just shy of 20 years, the band’s line up — O’Callaghan, lead guitarist Jared Monaco, bass guitarist Garrett Nickelsen, drummer Patrick Kirch and rhythm guitarist Kennedy Brock — hasn’t changed, which the singer noted as one of the factors in how they’ve achieved a cohesive sound for almost two decades.

While it’s still undoubtedly The Maine, Joy Next Door is also one of the most raw and honest albums of the band’s discography. O’Callaghan described it as uneasy, giving listeners the same feelings of when you’re in between some place you’ve been and some place you’ve never seen.

“A lot of our earlier work was about being inside the moment,” O’Callaghan added. “Joy Next Door is about standing just outside it and feeling like I’m watching life happen from the street.”

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