Big Joanie have announced their debut album Sistahs, the first release of a new ‘Daydream Library Series’ from Eva Prinz and Thurston Moore’s publishing house Ecstatic Peace Library.
‘The Daydream Library Series’ is spearheaded by Prinz, Moore and Abby Banks, and will go on to publish "genre-crossing musics including opera, classical, punk rock and sound-healing."
Each release is accompanied by a limited edition fanzine, edited by Moore, Prinz and the musicians. Sistahs will be out in late November. You can hear new single ‘Fall Asleep’ below.
Prinz and Moore first encountered black feminist punk band Big Joanie when they were supporting The Ex in London earlier this year and subsequently spoke to them at their merch table.
“There were only these cool T-shirts on the table, so we approached all three ladies in the concert hall, made friends and asked where on God’s earth their record was,” says Prinz.
“As luck would have it, Steph [Phillips, singer] explained they had just completed their first full length album with Thurston’s friend Margo in a studio very close to our headquarters in Stoke Newington, and were ‘looking for a label.’ I consulted our colleague Abby Banks who was dancing with us at this gig that night, and declared we have to make records again!
"Thurston ran Ecstatic Peace Records & Tapes for a number of years and has the expertise to show us the way. Abby and I met Big Joanie for (iced) tea the next day and we figured out how we could make this happen. We are all ecstatic Sistahs will be the first official release on our new baby label."
Big Joanie’s singer and guitarist Stephanie Phillips said that the band allows the members to be “completely ourselves as black women and discover what was possible to realise in those spaces.”
The album cover, which you can view above, features Phillips’ mother Joan (who the band is named after), and her aunt on holiday in Wales.
