Joan As Police Woman

Using "beauty is the new punk rock" as her credo, Joan as Police Woman's Joan Wasser makes music with a rare combination of vulnerability and sophistication. Wasser's project blends two of the most profound influences on her music: the classic soul of legends such as Al Green and Nina Simone, and experimental underground acts ranging from Sonic Youth to Bad Brains. After years of being a supporting player, she took center stage with 2006's gorgeously heartfelt debut album, Real Life. As she added more depth to her style with the jazz leanings of 2011's The Deep Field, her 2021 collaboration with Afrobeat legend Tony Allen The Solution Is Restless, the eclectic confessions of 2024's Lemons, Limes, and Orchids, and the reinterpretations of 2026's Real Life Evolution, the emotional honesty underpinning her music was second to none.