TWO MONTHS after the release of her seventh album, Damned Devotion, Joan As Police Woman has announced a Galway show at the Róisín Dubh as part of her European tour this summer.
Joan As Police Woman (aka Joan Wasser ), the American musician, singer-songwriter, and producer, will play the Dominick Street venue on Wednesday August 15. Wasser has described her music as "punk rock R&B" and "American soul music", citing Al Green and Nina Simone, as well as Sonic Youth and Bad Brains, as her key inspirations.
In a career of more than 25 years, through The Dambuilders and Those Bastard Soulsin the 1990s, before going solo with Real Life in 2006, her first album under the Joan As Police Woman moniker, Wasser has worked with Anohni, Rufus Wainwright, Lou Reed, Beck, Sufjan Stevens, RZA, and Daniel Johnston, as well as fashion designers Viktor & Rolf.
“I say yes to almost everything,” Wasser has said. “I just want to be making music all the time. I can comfortably say that music has saved my life and continues to save my life. I am a devotee. It’s not something I can even choose or not choose, it’s just what is.”
In February, Wasser released Damned Devotion, a stripped back, lyrically raw album, in contrast to the more lush sounds of The Deep Field (2011 ) and The Classic (2014 ). "This record is darker and more pensive," she said. "The title is undeniably dramatic but it’s a subject I’ve been tangling with all my life: how does one live a devoted life without becoming obsessed or losing one’s mind?"
Before the album, Wasser released the single 'Tell Me', with its plea for openness and intimacy. "I am always wanting more intimate dialogue," says Joan Wasser. "Fear of being vulnerable, future tripping, and feelings of shame, paranoia, and jealousy get in the way. You got to separate now what’s real, what’s not real – stop using jealousy (not real ) as a way to avoid having to clarify and tell me what you really want (real ). Why don’t we try trusting each other enough to be fully transparent? What is there to lose?"
Tickets are available from www.roisindubh.net; the Ticket Desk at OMG Zhivago, Shop Street; and The Róisín Dubh.
