joan

Forming a partnership that blends sincere mellow pop with shimmering production drawing from '80s new wave and '90s R&B, the duo joan consists of Alan Thomas and Steven Rutherford. Their initial release, the 2018 EP portra, earned positive notices for echoing the 1975 and LANY. Progressing further, the pair incorporated elements of classic boy band aesthetics alongside modern pop on the 2020 EP Cloudy along with the pair of 2021 EPs Hi and Bye. In 2022, they collaborated with singer Josie Dunne on the atmospheric single "Point."

Hailing originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, Thomas and Rutherford first crossed paths as members of local bands performing together in their hometown. Their collaborative songwriting commenced in 2016. joan's inaugural track under that name, "Take Me On," surfaced at the start of 2017, with "Love Somebody Like You" following later that year and "Tokyo" appearing in December. Maintaining a polished electronic texture, emotional quality, and emotive singing style, "I Loved You First" came out in March 2018, leading into a series of American concert dates opening for Geographer. The EP portra, containing dual renditions of "Take Me On," was issued that July.

Upon aligning with the independent label SNAFU Records, additional tracks emerged in 2019 such as "Drive All Night" and "One More Touch." Transitioning to Photo Finish Records brought about the mid-2020 release of Cloudy. In the subsequent year, the Hi and Bye EPs appeared, delving into subjects of romance and emotional distress respectively. Further singles followed in 2022 like "Don't Wanna Be Your Friend" as well as the aforementioned "Point" featuring Josie Dunne.