Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

LUSTER | JOANPolicewoman

"I had always wanted to write my songs."

 

 

In 2001, following the disentegration of Black Beetle, Joan began pushing herself as a performerby playing solo shows in an attempt to feel more comfortable as a singer. With time these shows grew into ensemble sets, as Joan explains, "I just continued to play until I longed for drums-enter the great Ben Perwosky (in late 2002) and then I played until I longed for bass- enter the great Rainy Orteca (in late 2003) and there you have it." Joan was familiar with both musicians and had admired their work . Of Perwosky she says, I would see him play in all sorts of bands around town and would be flying afterwards."The two of them had also played together briefly in the NYC band Elysian Fields. Bassist Orteca had played with Joan Osborne and Mascott before joining Ben and Joan. Joan was, "blown away by how effortless and groovy her playing was and figured she be another good one to corral.

 

The trio entered Trout studios with engeineer and producer Bryce Goggin. Of their process Joan says, "He's getting all the sounds and I'm cracking the whip." which resulted in the 5 song ep,JOANASPOLICEWOMAN which was released in March of 2004 to favorable reviews. When asked about her ambitions for the JxAxPxWx project Joan says, " of course I want to hit as many people as possible with my music, where this takes me I don not know. I'm ready for tours of Burma and Botswana."

 

JOAN AS POLICEWOMAN finds Joan striving to incorporate more of her many and varied influences into her songwriting which has lead to a focus on the guitar and the piano. "When I began writing songs on my own I found it very difficult to write on the violin. I needed an accompanying instrument. My first songs were written on the guitar and the piano became more important when I inherited one. Also, I expressing myself on new instruments and that means new ways of playing." Still, the change to her sound and rowing complexity of her songwriting is organic. " I didn't grow up listening to Bob Dylan songs with four chords. Igrew up loving Shostakovich so I think sometimes that more complex melodies sound the most natural to me. I didn't make any conscious moves to change my sound. I just let it happen as it would. I am always turning myself onto new stuff so the references points continue to grow. It feels natural to me."

 

When she re-enterd the studio in the summer of 2005 she was again joined by Goggin, Orteca and Perwosky as well as freinds Joseph Arthur and Antony and refocused her songwriting to emphasize her love of Motown classics and sexy seventies soul grooves. The result is a collection of emotionally revealing and deeply sensual songs that are a natural progression form the ep and carries Joan even further from her punk rock roots. Still, her intentions remain the same even a s her stylistic cues shift. " I want to hit others with power. This doesn't necessarily mean loud or caustic-just bold enough to express whatever is housed in he song. I like NYC because I love freedom and variety and spontaneity and beauty. This is how I'd like my music to be felt." As for the name, " It's based on the late seventies, early eighties cop show Police Woman starring Angie Dickinson. I was in love with her because she was tough and taking care of business in hot outfits." Much like Joan Wasser herself.             

 

 

 

 joanasScientist : joanasJoan : gearList

                                           

 


 

 

                                                                          1