We were lucky enough to catch up with Joan to chat her fresh new single Looking For You.
We’ve had Joan‘s latest single on repeat from the minute it dropped. Bursting with narrative and heart, Looking For You is a sweet and sparkling folk tune that can brighten any day.
Fresh off the release of her summer-ready new track, we caught up with the songwriter to chat through her music and inspirations.
HAPPY: Hey Joan, how’s it going? What are you up to at this very moment?
JOAN: Hello! Thanks for having me! I’m actually down the coast in a little town called Milton. I’m away for a long weekend with some mates and I’m currently watching the sunrise over the mountains, very beautiful.
HAPPY: We’re loving the new single Looking for You! How does it feel having out there in the world?
JOAN: It feels super exciting [laughs]. I haven’t released new music in two years so it was definitely time for it. I feel like Jacob [producer] and I have been sending each other demos back and forth for so many months now, so it’s great that it’s done and out in the world and everyone’s loving it.
HAPPY: Could you tell us a bit about the song?
JOAN: I wrote the song about those first few months where you meet someone special and they make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. When you’re with them, you’re totally present and not looking to the future, just being super happy and content that you’re with them.
HAPPY: The video for Looking For You adds another layer of sweetness to this story of new love, much like the recent videos coming from Hollie Col. What inspired the mood-board for this clip?
JOAN: [Laughs] Hollie’s a great musician and is great at telling a story through a video. I threw around a few ideas to Amelia [director] about going on a road trip with a partner, bringing back that element of Looking For You through close up shots so the audience are learning about the characters at the same time they’re learning about each other. Amelia wanted to show the surprise at the end as something to tie the story up in a nice little bow.
HAPPY: Where did music begin for you?
JOAN: My Year 4 teacher actually [laughs]. He used to always get his guitar out in class and I just thought it was the coolest thing ever and I needed to do it. So my parents bought me a pink guitar for Christmas that year and I started lessons. Now I teach music, so I’ve come full circle.
HAPPY: A lot of the music from Cronulla is in a surf-pop vein. What draws you to a folkier sound?
JOAN: I love the rawness of folk music. It really draws you into the story and takes you on the ride of emotions that the artist is feeling. Writing folk music was a natural path for me, I wear my heart on my sleeve and I’m a pretty open book so my songs are no different.
HAPPY: How does the writing process typically look for you?
JOAN: I carry around a little lyric book with me just in case I think of something and need to jot it down, super dorky I know. But then I’ll normally come up with the guitar first and play around with a melody and then lyrics will come from that and I’ll look through my book to help the process along.
HAPPY: Are there any other artists that you’re really digging at the moment?
JOAN: I’ve always had a huge love for Missy Higgins, everything she does and how she presents herself is so incredible and inspiring. I love listening to Ruby Fields and Gordi to bring me back to those super raw, cutthroat lyrics. John Mayer is great to listen to and just sink so deep into his music and feel super inspired to be better.
HAPPY: You recently played a show at the Lazybones. How did the sit-down gig feel from on stage?
JOAN: It was really different but still so great. I had my band for the first time on stage with me which was super exciting. I was just super grateful that we can start playing gigs again even if it means sitting down and no boogieing.
HAPPY: What’s next for Joan? Any other exciting plans in the works?
JOAN: Definitely some new music and more videos in the next few months. As every other musician in the world, I think I’m just trying to find my feet in this new ‘normal’ and finding ways to work around it. But I’m super excited to start booking some shows and some more gigs for sure!
HAPPY: Cheers for the chat!
JOAN: Thanks so much for having me!
Check out Looking For You here.
