Artist Spotlight - Teenage Joans

(Photo Credit - Samuel Graves)

We had an opportunity to interview South Australia two-piece Teenage Joans for an Artist Spotlight interview! Their debut EP 'Taste of Me' just dropped, so be sure to check it out as well!

1. How did you come to pursue music and how long have you been at it?

Cahli - "I started playing violin when I was 5 because I saw Elmo playing on an episode of Sesame Street! My dad was in a band too and he really encouraged music my whole life. I switched to guitar when I was 10 and it went from there!"

Tahlia - "I started playing drums when I was around 7 because I used to go to my cousins gigs when i was younger all the time. He was the drummer and I thought that was so cool so I took up drums too!"

2. Could you walk us through your process of writing music?

Cahli - "Usually I start by writing a guitar riff and maybe the chorus at home in my room when an idea comes to me. After that, I’ll bring it to band practice and write the rest with Tahlia because we usually come up with the best stuff together. Then we jam it out and play it live a bunch of times to let the song settle in to itself!"

3. What artists have inspired you in your career?

Cahli - "For me personally, one of the biggest inspirations would have to be Camp Cope. They were the first band that I found that really gave me the idea of starting my own! Some other honourable mentions are: 5sos, The 1975, Catfish and the Bottlemen, and Taylor Swift."

Tahlia - "I think a big one for me was 5 seconds of summer. They were a huge inspiration for me when it came to starting a band and playing live shows. Another big one for me would definitely be Beabadoobee! her story telling through song writing is friggen incredible"

4. Do you have any favorite music gear (guitars, amps, effects pedals, keyboards, etc.) that you love to use? If so, what’s the story on them?

Cahli - "One thing I get jokingly teased for by my guitar nerd friends all the time is my Metalzone pedal. It actually used to be my dads in the 90’s and when we first started the band I had no pedals so I just borrowed that from him and it’s stuck with us ever since!"

Tahlia - "I love using Ludwig drum kits. My very first drum kit was a Ludwig element and ever since then I have tried to use Ludwig kits at all the shows we’ve played. Their such a nice sounding kit and all of their finishes are so sick."

5. Can you describe the vibe at your live shows? Also, what do you enjoy most about a venue when you do a show?

Cahli - "The vibe is usually pretty wholesome! We try really hard to make sure it’s a safe space for literally anyone and everyone, and we love hearing stories about people making friends at our shows or feeling inspired by us to start their own bands! Our favourite thing about venues would definitely have to be finding out what the green room is like. Every single one is unique!"

Tahlia - "When we play live shows, we love when our energy bounces off the crowd and bounces back on to us. When we can see that the crowd is having heaps of fun it makes us a bit more confident and makes us love what we do even more."

6. What is one thing that you want the public to know about your music?

Cahli - "If you take away one thing when listening to our songs it’s that: if the song feels like it’s for you, then it’s for you. They are our stories, but I’ve never felt more connected to people in any other way than through them. I really feel like I’m doing something right when people tell me they resonated with a song or it helped them through a hard time!"

7. Tell us about the writing, recording, and promotion process for Taste of Me.

Cahli - "We wrote Taste Of Me in the last few years of our lives as teenagers, and fun fact none of these songs were written past the age of 17! The songs are about discovering the world as you grow up, and we really felt like 2019 was a huge year for our personal growth and for the band. We recorded it with Jarred Nettle at House of Sap in Adelaide, and we absolutely LOVED the experience. We got along so well with him, and the EP wouldn’t be what it is without his wonderful ideas and wizardry. The promo content has been so much fun to do, I swear we’ve never been around cake so much in our lives! A highlight for us would definitely have to be the SABS music video."

8. What’s next for you?

Cahli - "We’re going on our very first headline tour to celebrate the release of Taste Of Me in the next few months (if COVID lets us) which we are SO excited for! The response has been amazing already and we’re so keen to play headline shows in different cities!"