Raw & aching, Perth’s Joan & The Giants have today stepped forth with their haunting new track ‘Sleep Alone’. Covering feelings of unrequited passion & love, alongside motifs of longing, loneliness & fleeting memories ‘Sleep Alone’ is the band at their most challenged & vulnerable. Building with singer Grace Newton-Wordsworth’s smokey & velvety voice atop a reverberating piano stanza, ‘Sleep Alone’ grows into a hook-driven rock-ballad with a vibrant & pulsating rhythm section throughout. Joan & The Giants have undoubtedly created an anthem for all those working through spurned feelings or despondency.
Starting life on an acoustic guitar, Joan & The Giants constructed ‘Sleep Alone’ from just the bare-bones of instrumentation; more reminiscent of a country-ballad than the alternative-pop heater heard today. Once the band was added, it grew to become larger than the initial output, with producer Dylan Ollivierre (Meg Mag, Tia Gostellow, Holy Holy) partnering with the band to guide its progression. He was able to keep the band in check & push them to complete the song; having full faith in Grace Newton-Wordsworth’s sad & haunting message. Acclaimed engineer Ryan Mill (Tones & I, Angus & Julia Stone, Thelma Plum) went on to mix the track, with mastering by William Bowden (Children Collide, Empire of The Sun).
“Sleep Alone’ is about feeling attached to someone that doesn’t make you feel appreciated or seen. You feel like you’re running in circles, canceling plans, waiting up for a message – all for someone who doesn’t really care. Then when they are there, it can also feel so good it’s suffocating, like it haunts the spaces you live in. The scent on the pillows, the memories that creep in the spaces around you. This song is about wanting someone so much, it’s toxic and you’d rather not sleep than sleep alone longing for someone’s touch. I love the references to the hauntings, burying secrets in a graveyard, the morgue – it all feels heavy, which is exactly what it felt like to write this song about real moments in time.”
Grace Newton-Wordsworth, Joan & The Giants
“This song was one of the most challenging songs we have ever recorded. It’s funny because I wrote it entirely on acoustic guitar, and it sounded very country. When we showed it to our producer Dylan Ollivierre, he definitely had some ideas for a different vision that was much more alt-pop produced, which was perfect for us. We recorded this song during one of the most difficult periods of my life, and I nearly gave up on it altogether, but thankfully Dylan kept checking in and encouraging us to tackle it and keep going. It’s great having a producer that has your back, and mentors you along the way. I have never thrown myself so hard into the vocals, and literally just put all my sadness and heaviness into them – it was cathartic. You’ll hear that in the screamo part at the end haha”
Grace Newton-Wordsworth, Joan & The Giants
Coinciding with the release of ‘Sleep Alone’ & in celebration of previous single ‘Cool Kid’ as well, Joan & The Giants headed out on their first ever headline tour; their debut East Coast dates as well. Starting in Newcastle on July 5th, the band then traipsed up & down the coast, hitting Sydney, Wollongong, Brookvale, Alexandria, Melbourne & Mornington, before heading back west, to play four shows across WA’s Bunbury, Busselton, Dunsborough & Perth.
“This is our first ever headline East Coast tour – we are all so excited but a little nervous. We’ve been dreaming of flying over and just playing music over there for so long, as live shows are probably my most favorite thing to do in the world. We’ve toured WA many times, from the top to the bottom and played hundreds of shows over here – we’re ready to get on a plane and explore a new part of Aus (and of course come back to WA for the regional leg). The connection and energy from shows is something else, and even if 5 people come down – we get to share what we’ve been working on for so long over here and make the spaces as big, bold and beautiful as we can possibly go!“
Grace Newton-Wordsworth, Joan & The Giants
Led by frontwoman Grace Newton-Wordworth, Joan & The Giants have been captivating audiences with their distinctive alternative-pop sound since 2019. With beginnings from longtime collaborators Grace & Aaron Birch, they both connected from their unique backgrounds & upbringings. Grace Newton-Wordsworth from her farm life & strict Christian up-bringing in South WA (unable to share her sexuality with her friends or family) & Aaron Birch from a remote indigenous community in the Kimberley. Fittingly, ‘Sleep Alone’ has ripples of the childhood angst & sadness throughout the song.
“I loved most of my childhood, but there were definitely some difficult times where I felt quite trapped in my body – I grew up in a loving but intense Christian home and while I still hold onto a lot of the core kind values, there were some parts of my childhood experience that were incredibly suffocating. I spent years hiding my sexuality, and parts of myself that I still struggle to be open with. The line “You take me back to when I was a kid, begging for someone to save me. It leaves me frozen, trapped in the morgue again” – I feel like sometimes relationships can bring a lot of sadness to the surface of things you’ve been holding onto your whole life. When you finally meet someone who you open up to, a lot of wounds can be opened with that.”
Grace Newton-Wordsworth, Joan & The Giants
At present date, Joan & The Giants have amassed a loyal & fevered following across Australia; with 500,00+ streams across DSP’s & previous support from Spotify (Fresh Finds AU & NZ). Radio were quick to support the band too with triple j premiering previous single ‘Home Song’ & supporting with triple j airplay & triple j Unearthed for a slew of previous releases. Community Radio came aboard with their 2022 debut EP, seeing it spend 3 months in the Top 10 Metro Community Radio Charts. Recently, Joan & The Giants won 2023 WA Music Awards for Best Rock Song’ & Outstanding Indigenous on their single ‘Cool Kids’ with a runner up place for Song of The Year. The band has also toured & shared stages with the likes of Eskimo Joe, Winterbourne, Caravana Sun, Didirri & more.
JOAN & THE GIANTS ‘COOL KID // SLEEP ALONE’ TOUR’
Sat 5th August – The Bird, Perth – TICKETS