joan on Heartbodymindsoul, Tour Life, and Staying True to Their Sound
Written by: Keyali Mikaela
We’re excited to chat with joan, the alt-pop duo making waves with their latest single heartbodymindsoul. Inspired by a memorable couples massage experience in Thailand, Alan and Steven have created a track that explores the connection between body, mind, and soul.
From their debut EP portra to their latest album superglue, they’ve evolved their sound by blending ‘80s and ‘90s influences with a modern twist. In this interview, they share their songwriting process, the excitement of touring with MISTERWIVES, and how they engage with their amazing fan community.
Join us as we dive into their musical journey, unforgettable live moments, and what’s on the horizon for joan!
Next Wave: What was the inspiration behind your latest single heartbodymindsoul? How does it connect to your previous work?
Courtesy of MUSES PR
joan: Funnily enough, it was inspired by an accidental couple's massage. Last year on our Asia tour, we decided to go get massages in Thailand on an off day. They assumed we were there together so they put us in the same room haha. All around the building they had signs with the phrase “body mind soul”, as if that’s what you are nurturing when you get a massage. We thought it was a sick concept for a song :)
Next Wave: Can you walk us through your songwriting and production process? How do you collaborate as a duo?
joan: It usually starts with a melody or music idea that Alan usually comes up with that we both get stoked on. At that point, Steven's brain really starts moving and working on concepts and narrative. Those original ideas are usually just mumbling, so once we get a lyric idea or phrase we feel connects with us and the song, we move forward. We both play to our strengths and then allow the other person to shine in their lane. It's honestly a really healthy and easy process for us at this point.
Next Wave: You’ve been praised for pushing the boundaries of your sound. How would you describe your musical evolution from your debut EP portra to your album superglue?
joan: ya know, we never really set out to find a specific sound. When we were working on the songs that would become “portra”, we were just loving those sounds at the time. Definitely heavily influenced by 80s/90s music. However, we have always tried to bring those influences in yet, make our own modern twist on it. As we have progressed, I'm sure we still have those influences shine through, but we really try to take it song by song and go wherever those instincts want to go. the song will tell you what it needs.
Next Wave: Your deep connection with fans is often highlighted. How do you nurture that relationship, and what role do your fans play in your music?
joan: Fans are what literally keep us afloat. I think we’d both love making music still if we didn’t have any fans, but because we have amazing ones, it really helps us have a platform to build on and people to bring alongside us while we create. We have a patreon, so we get to connect more deeply with a core group of fans (honestly friends at this point) which is super sick. We do a monthly zoom call with them, and give them a lot more behind the scenes access to our whole world.
Next Wave: Your music has been described as evoking '80s/'90s pop nostalgia. How do you balance that retro influence with modern production
joan: Great question! A lot of those influences kinda sneak through, even if we aren’t consciously trying. We just think those eras harbor the most magical sounds and songs. Synths and production were really being experimented with during those years and the sounds they captured are so inspiring and moving. We try to strike a balance of sprinkles of nostalgia (and obviously not every song will have the same amount as another) with our own modern take on songwriting to nail it. but ultimately, we are shooting for some sort of timelessness to each song. We want these songs to stand the test of time, not be a flash in the pan.
Next Wave: What advice would you give to aspiring artists trying to carve out their own path in the music industry?
joan: Fortunately and unfortunately, you are starting in the most accessible time for artists. Anyone can release high quality music from their bedroom, and have the potential of it being heard by people. That's the fortunate part. The unfortunate part is because it is so accessible, and with that the goal posts for success seemingly change every day, you are also starting in a massive sea full of a trillion other fish. Which can be super frustrating - no one, not even big labels or industry people, really seem to have the keys to what works anymore. Social platforms are driving the measure of success these days, so sometimes having the best songs might not immediately cut it. With all that said, put your head down, make the most amazing art you possibly can, and just get it out there. Literally just start and then keep going until it works :)
Next Wave: Outside of music, what passions or hobbies do you both pursue that influence your artistry?
joan: Alan loves working with his hands flipping houses with his wife Lola, as well as doing more specific carpentry work. Steven loves playing golf and is known by most in the golf community as “the next tiger woods”.
Next Wave: You’re set to open for MISTERWIVES on their Fall U.S. tour. What are you most excited about for this tour, and what can fans expect from your live performances?
joan: We’re actually about 9 shows into that tour right now. Each night has been so great and the crowds and energy have been amazing. I hope we put on a memorable show that they can take home memories from and really start to dig into joan. That's the cool thing about support tours - there is a good chance of making brand new fans.
Courtesy of MUSES PR
Next Wave: If you could create a music video for heartbodymindsoul with no budget constraints, what wild ideas would you include?
joan: Honestly, the video we did is the dream. We shot it in our own studio that we own, with our good friend Edward Crockett, who shoots and edits all of the stuff. It was our concept, our efforts, and our creative vision through and through, and it came out looking super pro and I’d say comparable to any music vid, maybe minus crazy cgi stuff haha. We take a lot of pride in doing stuff our way.
Next Wave: What’s the craziest or most memorable moment you’ve experienced during a live performance?
joan: We have a very specific memory of Steven trying to stage dive in Nashville and literally no one caught him hahaha. He’s okay though, don’t worry.
Next Wave: What’s one thing on your bucket list that you hope to accomplish in the next few years?
joan: We keep our goals kinda small and reachable so that we have realistic stepping stones to focus on. I’d say if we could grow joan into selling healthy amounts of tickets at venues sizes like theaters, or bigger rooms like 1000-2000 people, that would be a huge win for us.
Next Wave: With over 150 million global streams, what do you think has contributed to your growing fanbase and your success as a duo?
joan: I think we have been really lucky to both write some songs that seem to connect, as well as lucky to have found one another and have a very natural work rhythm and shared instinct/desire to just work our asses off until all of the dots connect. We’re both insanely driven, yet pragmatic. I think that consistency and drive has really helped us carve our own space in the industry.
Next Wave: In the competitive alt-pop landscape, how do you distinguish yourselves from other artists and continue to innovate in your music?
joan: Honestly, we don’t pay a lot of attention to what other people are doing. Not in a pretentious way. We just haven’t seen a lot of value added to us by following other people that closely. a) It’s super easy to compare to others, so when someone else has a success you haven’t seen, even an artist that is a personal friend, it’s easy to let your ego take over and be sad for yourself rather than happy for them. b) We just have our own instincts and path that we wanna nurture. We don't want too much outside creative influence unless we really feel like that influence is helpful for us. It’s not that we literally don’t listen to other people or other artists, we are just careful in how much we intake, I’d say. All that to say, we are joan. We have a sound. We are gonna just keep doing what we do and work to get better and better with each new thing we make. It will either connect or it won’t, but either way, we’re not too concerned with what everyone else is doing :)
