LUSTER | JOANDambuilder
"This is rock music folks - I didn't want to be playing fluff!"
Joan is most recognized as a member of the Dambuilders. Friends Dave Derby and Eric Masunaga founded the group in Hawaii later moving to Boston where they gained attention after a few independent releases. Shortly after Joan joined the line-up in 1991, the band’s profile rose and they landed themselves a recording contract with East/West records, which lead to many national and international tours with Batter Than Ezra, The Griffters, Guided By Voices and many others as well as a slot on the 1995 Lollapolooza tour.
It was as a member of the Dambuilders that Joan cultivated her aggressive style and dissonant sound. “When I joined the band, I really sought to find a new place for the violin. There were already so many melodic elements in the band, so I forced my instrument towards noise, rhythm and sound making rather than just another melodic element the band didn’t need. I wanted to rock!”
Joan's work can be heard on Tough Guy Problem, Encendedor, Ruby Red and Against the Stars.
