When he’s not fighting off eccentric scientists or just keeping a group of kids from getting exterminated, Joe Keery is focusing on his music. The actor is best known for his role as the popular Steve Harrington on the Netflix show, Stranger Things. In the beginning, Keery’s character was a high-school king and total jerk that got by on his good looks. Since the second and third seasons, Steve grew into a more mature, caring, and beloved character.
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While the actor has received acclaim for his portrayal, Joe Keery is also fiercely dedicated to his music. The actor was a part of the psychedelic-rock band, Post Animal. As of recently, the actor has decided to step away from the band, but that doesn’t mean his love for music stopped.
The ‘Stranger Things’ actor balances acting and music
Prior to taking on the role of the former prom king, Joe Keery played with the band beginning in 2015. Keery played the guitar and also lent his vocals to group. The band is originally from Chicago and have released two albums, one in 2018 and another earlier this year.
In January 2018, Keery left the band to focus on his acting career. When speaking on his time with the group, he told Bustle, “It’s important to disassociate Steve from Stranger Things to the band because I think it will eventually hurt the band.” He continued, “Those guys are such talented musicians,” and explained that he did not want the band to lose their image.
“I think it’s important that they’re hitting the pavement for a while and making a name for themselves and it’s not necessarily associated with Stranger Things,” he added.
Joe Keery becomes Djo
Even though the actor won’t be taking the stage with his former bandmates, he still has his own projects. In between filming the sci-fi horror show, Joe Keery worked on his own album and used the moniker Djo. In October 2019, under his new stage name, the entertainer released his first album, Twenty Twenty, a 12-track record that he wrote and recorded alone. “It’s nice to see something all the way through; the acting part of the job, you’re just a small piece of the puzzle,” the actor said of his album.
Of course, Keery was inspired by his time with Post Animal during the creation of his album. “I think after having played with those guys for so long, I think certain tendencies and certain traits of their writing styles has inherently rubbed off on me,” Keery shared.
It’s hard to compare Joe Keery’s talents as an actor or musician since he’s clearly very talented in both. He will also be starring in the upcoming action-comedy film, Free Guy, with Ryan Reynolds. Keery is definitely a multi-talented force to be reckoned with, and we can’t wait to see what he does next!