Immerse yourself in the tunes of Joan & The Giants as they gear up to grace the BIGSOUND 2023 stage.
This year, all eyes and ears are on this eclectic ensemble Joan & The Giants, and for all the right reasons.
Led by the charismatic Grace Newton-Wordsworth and accompanied by the talents of First Nations guitarist Aaron Birch, Joan & The Giants are more than just a band; they’re a musical journey that blends diverse backgrounds into a harmonious whole.
In their latest hauntingly beautiful track “Sleep Alone,” Joan & The Giants, in collaboration with producer Dylan Ollivierre, delve into the complexities of attachment and longing. Lead vocalist Grace Newton-Wordsworth shares, “This song is about wanting someone so much, it’s toxic and you’d rather not sleep than sleep alone longing for someone’s touch.” The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the emotional struggle, where the allure of a person’s presence intertwines with a sense of suffocation.
The song’s themes hit close to home for Newton-Wordsworth, who opens up about the challenges she faced growing up. She reflects, “I loved most of my childhood, but there were definitely some difficult times where I felt quite trapped in my body.” Her honesty adds a layer of authenticity to the narrative of healing and self-discovery.
Through “Sleep Alone,” Joan & The Giants offer a raw and introspective glimpse into the intricacies of human connections and the unearthing of buried emotions. With a voice that transcends the confines of music, Joan & The Giants offer not just melodies, but profound stories that resonate with the intricacies of human emotion.
As anticipation builds for Joan & The Giants performance on the BIGSOUND 2023 stage, they share their top tips for other fellow muso’s embarking on the journey to the Valley.
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Joan & The Giants Top 5 Festival & Touring Tips; 5 Tips on how best to keep yourself healthy & good to go during a festival / tour!
Tip 1: Preparing your body for touring:
I find getting into good routines before touring can be really helpful!
Developing a healthy sleeping pattern
Eating nutritious food, lots of fruit and veggies and building up your immune system
Not going out too much / not wrecking yourself before tour is always a good idea!
Tip 2: VITAMINS are your friend!
On tour, I take some really great vitamins and natural tablets to build immunity, that help protect you from colds / flus etc. This is especially important as a vocalist, as I find it really hard to perform when run down with even just a sore throat, let alone a full blown cold! So immunity and health is important.
Tip 3: When on tour, find good food options!
It’s so easy to go for the free pizza and 5 beers that venues often provide you on tour. I do find when on the road, I can eat very poorly and just grab quick, fast foods that end up making me feel unwell. Now on tour, I’ll just dash into Coles or IGA and grab a salad or wrap instead! Overall, it makes me feel healthier and gives more energy when eating nutritiously.
Also helpful when doing the long driving tours to have some healthy snack options for the road, like fresh fruit, nuts, muesli bars, yum yum!
Tip 4: Touring is not just a party, and you don’t need to feel pressure to drink!
It’s very easy to feel pressure to drink, when you’re given a rider or free drinks from the venue. Waking up with a foggy brain or a hangover is the worst feeling on tour, as when you have a lot of shows in a row – you need to feel fresh and positive. Also, drinking is a depressant, and the aftermath can make you feel sad and run down and then negatively impact the people you’re traveling with.
The best thing we did on our last tour, was staying on the waters or having just 1-2 drinks at the occasional show. We then celebrated after our last show of the tour, and had a fab time where we could all recover in our own solitude haha!
Tip 5: If you need space or time alone – TAKE IT!
When on tour, you spend a LOTTTTTT of time with people and your band mates. You’re in the car for hours, then at shows, then often staying in the same cheap accommodation together sometimes in 1 room with 4 beds haaa!
This can occasionally make you feel a little desperate for some space, and the best thing to do is take some! It’s okay to go out for a walk alone, or if you have your own room – you can stay in there and have time to yourself. The best thing I did for solo time on tour, was get a day pass on a scooter and scoot scoot around the Melbourne streets which was pretty magical!
We managed to get through our last tour with really healthy communication, and a lot of kindness towards each other – this is from setting good boundaries and just being clear with what you need from one another.
Check out the full BIGSOUND line up here.
