Miranda Joan Delivers An Ode to Female Friendships
Miranda Joan is a singer/songwriter born in Montréal and raised in Vancouver, Canada. Both the English and French Canadian cultures have left their mark on her artistry. Now based in New York City, Joan’s multi-cultural upbringing and love of soul music and it’s many shades, finds her sound floating somewhere between soul, pop, and singer/songwriter.
Following the release of her debut EP Still, which fused retro soul with an electronic edge, blurring the lines between old school and contemporary. Joan is set to unveil her highly anticipated new music, a collection of singles, one by one detailing her own experiences with the hope that it offers a different perspective on love and relationships. Produced by Julian Pollack (Grace Kelly, Marcus Miller) the new releases provide an intimate look into the musicians life, highlighting a female-forward tone. The music has an underlying theme of empowerment, uncovering and connecting with one’s own strength and the importance of self-love. Joan confides, “This latest body of work is a reflection of my journey through the lens of finding my footing as a woman and the importance of my community of women who support me on this path”.
Having already released the irresistibly catchy track ‘Free’, Joan is dropping ‘Happy To Have You’ – a celebration of female friendship. Joan admits, “Living far from home and far from the people I love, this song is about gratitude and about telling the people you love that you love them”. Featuring soulful vocals, upbeat driving rhythms and dance-worthy melodies, ‘Happy To Have You’ is a summery anthem reminiscent of modern day Macy Gray.
Sonically ‘Girlfriend’ showcases Joan’s smokey vocal tone and big bold production which aims to awaken your inner badass. The song isn’t actually about not wanting to be anybody’s girlfriend, but was rather prompted by a situation Joan was in where she ended up being punished for not wanting to be somebody’s girlfriend. She shares, “That lead me to begin questioning what it meant to be defined by a relationship and the constraints and exclusivity that are implied by “Girlfriend”; which for me goes beyond just the physical and ventures into the emotional and psychological”. The empowering track portrays the idea of ownership versus partnership in a relationship, and how oftentimes the woman is forced into a role compromise, which in our culture is insidiously skewed to the side of the woman. Often there’s a cost and there shouldn’t be. It should be mutual.
Inspired by the likes of Carole King and Stevie Wonder and most recently contemporary artists such as Anderson Paak and fellow Canadian artist Kaytranada, Joan’s new body of work provides a fuller picture of who she is as an artist.
Joan has performed on international tours, as well as playing to sold-out audiences across New York City. She is a co-host and co-founder of Femme Jam (NYC’s first all-female led jam session), which creates a space in the music community that both shines a light on female musicians and also fosters a safe and inclusive space for women to play, network and gain exposure.
