Pop/rock duo joan take us track-by-track by means of their debut album ‘superglue,’ a superbly cinematic report of inside reckonings and intimate reflections able to be a companion for all times’s highs and lows.

for followers of Coldplay, Keane, Snow Patrol

Stream: “superglue” – joan

We each have been asking massive questions on life and dying and simply what the that means of being right here on Earth is, and making this report actually gave us solutions to a whole lot of these questions.

“Wright here, the place will we go when it’s over?” joan sing into the ether on the prime of their debut album. “Generally I feel I do know… Generally I do know I don’t… Does it matter?” One may attempt to make the argument that writing an album across the “massive unknowns” would possibly, on the floor, show too broad or impersonal. For some artists, you would possibly very effectively be proper – however for joan, you’d be useless improper: The Arkansas duo discover the candy spot between common questions and their very own lived experiences on superglue, a superbly cinematic report of inside reckonings and intimate reflections. Bigger than life and achingly uncooked abruptly, it’s a catchy and cathartic assortment of songs that hit onerous and dive deep, all whereas providing an limitless supply of leisure.

The place, the place will we go
When it’s over
Generally i feel i do know
Generally i do know i don’t
Does it matter?
I’ve been in my head
Been in my mattress
Looking for the colours
However beneath these covers
I can’t discover it

God, every part appears random
However every part appears deliberate, and
I don’t know which manner is up, and
God, is it from some man’s head
Or from some massive explosion
The extra that I’m studying
It’s all simply life, and dying
And every part between
Certainly all of it has some type of that means
Proper?

Launched April 19, 2023 through Photograph End Information, superglue finds joan on the peak of their recreation thus far. Rising quick over the previous 5 years, the Little Rock-based duo of Alan Benjamin Thomas and Steven Rutherford have grown their bed room pop undertaking right into a critically acclaimed area of interest of the better world music scene. With 4 celebrated EPs to their identify, joan have amassed over 150 million streams and toured all through the USA, Europe, and Asia alongside artists like Jeremy Zucker, COIN, Bloc Occasion and The Aces.

Their first multi-track effort since 2021’s hello and bye EPs, superglue is the product of intense introspection, great private progress, and time.

Thomas and Rutherford took a tough look within the mirror, found out what they wished joan to be, and set about making that dream a actuality – and in the event that they didn’t succeed, then they obtained rattling shut!

“Actually we may speak for days and days in regards to the that means and background behind this report,” the pair inform Atwood Journal. “We actually went all out on this one, attempting to hit crucial instances in our life. We each have been asking massive questions on life and dying and simply what the that means of being right here on Earth is, and making this report actually gave us solutions to a whole lot of these questions.”

“We naturally felt comfy on the planet of affection songs. This time, we have been like, ‘Let’s get extra private.’ We each had infants up to now 12 months. We’ve grown greater than we’ve got in a very long time. It’s so cool watching your child crawl for the primary time and see the world. It organically knowledgeable the writing. The entire physique of labor is so private—like we’re giving a bit of ourselves to listeners. It’s by far essentially the most particular factor we’ve accomplished.”

I bear in mind the posters in your wall
Zeppelin and Dying Cab and The Shins
Stars on the ceiling, they glow like
Again after we have been youngsters
That’s when it hit

Solar goes down
Want it was nonetheless round
Moonlit sky
Jogs my memory of the time
After we would

Take all our garments off at midnight
Run quick and leap within the water
Reminiscences to heat up the the winter
Reminiscences to get by means of the summer time
We knew that these days wеre fleeting
We knew thе splash made a ripple
Want we may return to that point
When every part felt easy
All the things was so easy

– “easy,” joan

joan brazenly name this album their greatest work, and for good cause: These songs discover the candy spot between heartfelt emotion and electrical power.

“Firstly we’re simply extraordinarily happy with it,” they smile. “It looks like the very best debut we may’ve made. As a result of we produce and write every part ourselves, it feels very nice to say, “That is ours. We did that!” We tried actually onerous to make it essentially the most joan factor ever, but additionally get a bit extra private than we’ve got up to now. We really feel prefer it completely captures the place we’re at in our lives proper now each personally and creatively. we’re simply actually dang happy with it.”

“Our first working title for the report was “life, dying, & every part between” from a poem Steven wrote — this later turned out to be the intro observe of the report. Actually the general imaginative and prescient was fairly dialed in from the start, nevertheless it was so enjoyable to see how a lot revealed itself within the course of of creating it. We discovered a lot about ourselves personally and us songwriters. Writing a tune like “superglue” and “monsters”will eternally be among the most particular instances of our lives.”

The album’s title comes from the tune of the identical identify, which Thomas and Rutherford wrote about their daughters. The observe on the album, “superglue” is an immediately memorable finale, that includes an achingly tender vocal efficiency and highly effective lyrics that talk to the bond between mum or dad and little one: “All our recollections in your head, if you play them over once more, I hope I may offer you Heaven,” Thomas sings earlier than spilling his soul within the tune’s hovering refrain:

You’ll by no means perceive that
I’m utterly misplaced in you
Carve it within the pavement
Each little factor you do
Oh, it’s you
Flower in my backyard
I can’t wait to look at you bloom
Nicely I’m one million items
Darling you’re the superglue
Oh-oh, it’s all the time you

“We wrote the tune “superglue” on a wet day in Nashville with our good bud Lauren Strahm (fleurie),” joan clarify. “It existed as solely a refrain melody, nevertheless it already felt particular to us. there was simply one thing about it. As we began digging in, slowly discovering the right melodies and lyrics, it began shaping up as a tune about our ladies. it in a short time grew to become the reply to the query we pose at first of the album – what’s the that means of all of this? We’ve discovered that means within the eyes of our ladies. They’re our superglue, and largely the muse behind our debut album.”

Passing downtown, going dwelling now
Grass is a lot greener there
Somebody someplace prays for what I’ve
And I gained’t let go
All these recollections in my head
Maintain taking part in over once more
Closest factor I’ve to Heaven

Oh, you’ll by no means perceive that
I’m utterly misplaced in you
Carve it within the pavement
Each little factor you do
Oh, it’s you, flower in my backyard
I can’t wait to look at you bloom
Nicely I’m one million items
Darling you’re the superglue
Oh-oh, it’s all the time you

– “superglue,” joan

Private highlights for the duo embody the title observe, “don’t wanna be your pal,” the opener “life dying & every part between,” and “monsters,” a superbly orchestrated ballad about telling the monsters to go away so you possibly can sleep.

“Getting the strings in for ‘monsters’ was a very cool second,” Thomas recollects. “We wrote that tune in a day, simply attempting to get essentially the most genuine emotions and phrases out to paper from our heads. We felt like one piece was lacking and had a pal in LA observe actual strings for it and it was completely magical listening to them for the primary time. The bridge of that tune is like nothing we’ve ever heard earlier than, and it legit makes me emotional listening to it nonetheless.”

Thomas is sort of to quote just a few of his favourite lyrics off the album as effectively – ones that proceed to resonate with him to today:

“I could possibly be the rhythm of your favourite tune”

“flower in my backyard, I can’t wait to look at you bloom”

“you used to name me in your drives, and a few days my ears nonetheless burn”

“we knew the splash made a ripple, want we may return to that point when every part was easy”

A launch filled with honesty and pure ardour, pure power and uncooked emotion, superglue is a companion for all times’s highs and lows.

joan have created a soundtrack that is able to be the soundtrack for our easiest and our very worst moments. A tune like “easy,” as wistfully nostalgic as it’s patiently reassuring, can imply various things to us relying on our moods – and it’s this accessibility and extremely emotive high quality that makes superglue‘s twelve songs (not together with the fifteen-second “hello”) so irresistible, candy, and particular.

Sure, they’re asking the “massive questions,” however they’re not simply doing it for themselves: They’re in search of solutions for all of us, as effectively.

“We hope that folks really feel a way of objective. whether or not it reminds them of somebody they love, a core reminiscence from their life, or a way of hope for his or her future,” joan share. “We’re all out right here attempting to navigate this life collectively. Hopefully our album is usually a little soundtrack within the midst of it.”

Expertise the complete report through our beneath stream, and peek inside joan’s superglue with Atwood Journal as Alan Benjamin Thomas and Steven Rutherford take us track-by-track by means of the music and lyrics of their debut album!

— —

:: stream/buy superglue right here ::

Stream: ‘superglue’ – joan

:: Inside superglue ::

— —

life dying & every part between

This tune units the tone for the entire report. This was initially a poem that Steven wrote and we felt prefer it wanted music beneath it to begin the album. Head full of questions, looking for solutions. every part will need to have some type of that means, proper?

easy

Keep in mind when nothing mattered as a result of, every single day was sunny, we didn’t care in regards to the future, we didn’t have a fear on the planet? This tune is reflecting on extra easy instances, lacking the buddies and recollections from these instances, questioning why these days needed to transfer into recollections so shortly.

loner

We each grew up because the artwork loving youngsters in Arkansas who wore very completely different clothes and lived completely different lives than everybody round us. We have been surrounded by individuals on a regular basis and by no means actually felt like we utterly slot in. This tune is about that have, but additionally discovering another person that feels the identical manner,and  the bizarre juxtaposition of not feeling alone anymore since you discovered somebody that is aware of what it’s wish to really feel that manner.

nervous

We wished to get as shut we may to being again at school strolling down the corridor and also you see that individual that offers you such sturdy emotions, provides you a pit in your abdomen, actually makes you are feeling such as you’re going to throw up if you go to speak to them since you don’t wish to say the improper phrases and seem like an fool. This one’s about being nervous, however in a great way that fills you with marvel and hope.

backseat driving

“ought to we simply begin over or ought to we hit the brakes?” This tune is in regards to the second in a relationship the place you actually simply get fed up with being instructed what to do, find out how to reside your life, who you have to be. It’s the second the place you resolve in the event you get on with it although the metaphorical automobile is crashing or in the event you simply get out of it and transfer on.

espresso store

Used as a transition piece into don’t wanna be your pal due to the lyrical ties, however we positively have an extended model of this nugget up our sleeves. possibly we must always launch it, who is aware of 🙂

don’t wanna be your pal

This was the primary tune we wrote for the album and it’s in regards to the trickiness of being in a relationship – if you nonetheless have love for somebody, when you recognize every part about them, and but you’re supposed to maneuver on and begin over with another person. It’s additionally about rising up although and realizing that you just simply can’t proceed being associates with one another, as a result of you understand how that state of affairs will prove.

monsters

Written on the identical day as “life dying & every part between,” Alan was sharing a narrative about when he was a child, his dad would make marks on the wall along with his finger to inform the monsters to go away so he may sleep. We instantly have been like “THIS IS A SONG” and actually wrote all of it in someday. it holds a particular place for us within the story of this album — the strings within the bridge are so highly effective it will get us each time.

hello

hello! welcome to the get together

feeling like dancing

okay time to cease crying and begin dancing. actually attempt listening to this tune utterly nonetheless with a frown, I DARE YOU. Additionally, the bridge of this tune was from one of many first songs we ever wrote, day one joan followers get it.

falling in love

This one’s about discovering methods to proceed falling in love with somebody, discovering gentle in them, letting your self fall deeper and deeper into somebody’s love. Each album wants a horny tune, you’re welcome. We’re predicting some stunning infants can be born about 9 months from now.

flowers

Time is fleeting. I bear in mind operating across the streets of my greatest pal’s neighborhood after midnight, skipping round from pal to pal’s home. I bear in mind dashing to my pal’s home after college to rehearse our new songs in his storage. I bear in mind driving round city after the solar went down simply because we may. you make so many recollections in these adolescence. you by no means assume to your self, “this gained’t final eternally”. However then you definitely develop. it occurs slowly – years go by, seasons change. That’s simply life. For those who’re fortunate, a few of these individuals stick round. however for lots of us, you’re left asking, “why don’t we speak anymore?”. That’s what this tune is to us.

superglue

We’ve each had infants inside three weeks of one another final 12 months – it’s completely wrecked our world and we each have been going by means of a whole lot of the identical progress. it’s modified our complete technique of writing, and far more than similar to having a child and making each tune about them. It’s made us assume extra about who we’re as individuals, what we wish to put into the world and what we wish to get out of it, simply reflecting on life far more than I feel we ever have. This album as an entire is in regards to the previous and the current taking place on the similar time, it’s about goals for the longer term and hoping for a greater tomorrow however lacking yesterday. It’s about continuously asking massive questions on life and dying and every part between, and realizing the reply to these questions are proper in entrance of you — the individuals in your life, the issues that matter to you, the glue that retains you collectively.

— —

:: stream/buy superglue right here ::

— — — —

Hook up with joan on
TikTok, Fb, Twitter, Instagram

Uncover new music on Atwood Journal

 © Jacob Ruth

:: Stream joan ::