Making mellow pop that homes in on an earnest spirit and glistening production quality straight from the '80s, joan is the duo of Alan Thomas and Steven Rutherford. Their first EP, portra, saw release in 2018. Both natives of Little Rock, Arkansas, Thomas and Rutherford met when their prior bands shared stages in town. They began writing together in 2016. The duo's debut as joan, "Take Me On," appeared early in 2017 and was followed midyear by "Love Somebody Like You" and in December by "Tokyo." Sticking to a consistently mechanical sheen, sentimental tone, and yearning vocal delivery, "I Loved You First" was released in March 2018, shortly before they kicked off a string of U.S. tour dates in support of Geographer. Featuring two versions of "Take Me On," their first EP, portra, arrived that July. After partnering with indie label SNAFU Records, they were back with more songs in 2019, including "Drive All Night" and "One More Touch." A move to Photo Finish Records resulted in the EP want u back in mid-2020. ~ Marcy Donelson