Arkansas duo joan has confirmed through social media that the band is returning to the Philippines as part of their first-ever headlining tour. Global concert promoter Line Nation Philippines also announced that the concert will happen on September 19 at the New Frontier Theater.
The band comprising Alan Thomas and Steven Rutherford has created indelible synth-pop with a timeless emotional quotient since 2017– crafting new memories for future generations since the release of the portra EP.
With four EPs and 11 singles later, joan’s top Spotify listeners hail entirely from Asia. The band’s singles “drive all night,” “superglue,” “so good,” “I loved you first,” and “love somebody” are only indications that they’re just getting started.
When the duo launched their exquisite portra EP, Rutherford explained, “We were chasing a feeling—the feeling that you get when you hear a certain song for the first time,” regarding the band’s creative fertility. “We set out to elicit the feeling you get when you watch a John Hughes movie,” Thomas elaborates. “We never sat down and consciously said, ‘We want to brand ourselves like this.’ We just love the sounds. Why do we get these feelings when we listen to these songs?”
“When we’re home, we treat this band like a day job,” Thomas explains. “We write a lot of songs, and there are certain ones where you play it back and say, ‘This is special.’ This was that kind of song. It represents a spectral connection—the first season of joan. Everything we were going for, it embodies 100 percent.”
Joan’s full-length album ‘superglue’ has recently been released this year, which includes the song of the same title garnering a million streams on Spotify.
“How do we, as songwriters, help people transcend mundanity and find joy?” Thomas asks. “That’s my personal goal. Connecting with a song can lift your spirits. Seeing how our music brings people joy—why else would we do it? It’s what keeps me going every day. I love it.” And once you make first contact with joan’s music, you will too.
Tickets to joan’s first-ever headlining show in Manila are available now via TicketNet outlets. More info at livenation.ph.