The Greek Punk Rock Band Whose Sound Reached the Far East
By Katerina Florous
Leonidas Theofylaktidis, founding member of The Overjoyed, and Stefanos Moisidis, the band’s second guitarist and backing vocalist, talk about the relentless, high-adrenaline rise of a modern Greek punk rock band that has managed to captivate both local and international audiences.
“The Overjoyed is the project of my life,” Leonidas says as he reflects on the band’s nearly seventeen-year journey. What began at the age of twelve, alongside his cousin, was a naïve but sincere attempt at making music using anything they could find — including kitchen pans as makeshift drums. Before long, school events, parties, and small concerts embraced their early sound, and The Overjoyed quickly found a loyal following among Greece’s niche punk crowd — and later, abroad.
Inspired by their punk rock heroes — Green Day, Ramones, Sex Pistols, GBH — Leonidas, the band’s primary lyricist, has always written in English. His lyrics trace his perception of the world through time: first as a teenager, then as a university student, and now as an adult. They mix the personal with the social, often shaded by a darker emotional tone that contrasts sharply with the upbeat, energetic “overjoyed” melodies. More recently, he finds himself drawn to the English — rather than the American — punk aesthetic, leaning into a dirtier sound while blending in elements of fun rock ’n’ roll.
Beloved by their Athenian fanbase, who intuitively understand the pulse of their music,The Overjoyed have traveled far beyond their hometown. The band has toured across Europe — in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Portugal, Austria and Istanbul — and even twice in Japan. On one of those tours, they opened for the legendary Red City Radio; on the other, they headlined.
Still, for Leonidas and Stefanos, few moments compare to opening for their childhood heroes.
“One of my biggest dreams came true when we opened for Green Day,” Leonidas says.
Stefanos adds: “If the world ended tomorrow, I’d still feel proud knowing we played with Offspring and Green Day — the two most iconic bands of the genre.”
Stefanos, who joined the band in 2018 as second guitarist and vocalist, sees The Overjoyed as a rare space where friendship and creativity merge. Every song takes shape collectively, even if Leonidas handles most of the lyrics and the initial songwriting. “This upcoming record is the first one that fully expresses me,” Stefanos says. “If I had the time, I’d start ten different music projects — from atmospheric black metal to pop with female vocals — just to satisfy all the sounds inside my head.”
The Overjoyed have already released two EPs and two albums, and their new record is set to drop in February. It is expected to travel far — both physically, through international tours, and digitally, reaching listeners who love hybrid, nostalgic rock ’n’ roll textures. Their track Joy Vampire, for example, is a tongue-in-cheek ode to the “death of rock ’n’ roll” and the band’s determination to resurrect it.
Follow their journey, listen to their music here, and join them as they continue pushing Greek punk into new, unexpected territories.
Band Members
- Leonidas Theofylaktidis — Guitar, Vocals, Songwriting, Production
- Thanasis Manolopoulos — Bass
- Stefanos Moisidis — Guitar, Vocals
- Vangelis Dimos — Drums
