Music

The American singer-songwriter reviews her career in a free outdoor concert, in which she will play a grand piano, a guitar and a drum machine

He began his career as a violinist, forming part of bands such as The Dambuilders and Those Bastard Souls . But it quickly became clear that Joan Wasser's talent and personality (Biddeford, Maine, 1970) went further. After living such traumatic experiences as losing her boyfriend, musician Jeff Buckley, drowned in the Mississippi, and collaborating with Antony & The Johnsons, decided to undertake a solo career under the name of Joan As Police Woman . Now he reviews his career with a free concert in Madrid, within the Summers of the Villa, where he will present his recent Joanthology compilation album.

What has led you to publish an album that gathers the best moments of your career? It has to do with the tour in which I was (and still) involved. I wanted to make a summary of my career since I started using the name of Joan As Police Woman and that would serve as the basis for both the shows and the album. In time I realized that many people had met me for some specific songs and wanted to offer a kind of personal playlist. Has this work served to listen to your old records again? Has it allowed you to draw conclusions about your career? Yes! It was mandatory to do so. I confess that I had a lot of apprehension, because I never look back. But, luckily, I felt pleasantly surprised. I am a perfectionist and that obsession has paid off. Do you remember the specific moment in which you decided to start a solo career? Yes, I think about it a lot. In 1997 I set up a band with friends called Black Beetle. The interesting thing is that it was my first experience as a composer, singer and, in general, as the head of a group. We recorded an EP and a complete album that never got published. I took it as an apprenticeship and as a way to survive and help each other in a complicated stage. When we finally broke up in 2002, I knew I had to try it on my own. You started playing the violin for other artists and, in general, you made many collaborations during your career. How does working with other creators enrich your life and work? Collaborating means keeping an open mind. Also, it prohibits me from getting trapped in a single way of doing things, which would be killer for me. Do you still play the violin often? Yes, especially for the recordings. I use other instruments live. Damned Devotion , your latest album of new songs, had a raw and very intimate spirit. How do you get something like that? I recorded that album in different places. Part was in my home studio, between midnight and six in the morning. That is what gave him the feeling of rawness. Well, the feeling, no. It seems raw because it is raw. Have you ever thought you were exposing yourself too much to the public through the songs? Have you felt shame or, on the contrary, is a cathartic process? I really think I don't know what it is to expose yourself too much. I have the feeling that if I let modesty catch me, I will feel trapped. I think we all share the same feelings, with different particular details. I need to feel free to move forward. Have you changed the way you write songs over the years? Have you come to feel that you are able to compose a song whenever you want? I would say that it has not been modified much. I feel that every time I start a new song it's like it's the first one. I don't have a guide or a template, I just follow the music to where it takes me. How will the concert in Madrid be? It's going to be amazing! I'm going to play a grand piano, a guitar and a drum machine from 1973. It's an intimate show that I've been very well prepared and that is being very well received.

Data of interest:

What: Joan As Police Woman. When: Saturday, August 10th. Where: Juan Carlos I Park (Glorieta Don Juan de Borbón y Battemberg, 5). FREE ENTRANCE

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