Q&A: Miranda Joan Unpacks 'Overstimulated'
IN THE MIDST OF LOCKDOWN’S STILLNESS AND THE CLAMOR OF LIFE’S REOPENING - Miranda Joan found herself at a crossroads. Her latest album, Overstimulated, encapsulates the energy and introspection of this unique period.
As a seasoned performer alongside music giants like The Killers and Lorde, Miranda shares the lessons from these experiences, emphasizing the enduring need for dedication and the eternal demand for caring deeply about one's craft. Overstimulated is a rich tapestry of jazz, soul, and pop, each track a story colored by the diverse influences that have marked Miranda's musical journey.
As we approach the year's end, Miranda shares her intentions—patience, focus, and persistence. The trio that propelled her to the completion of Overstimulated now guides her forward, with a commitment to love and support shaping her artistic ambitions. Explore the vibrant mosaic of Miranda Joan's journey in our interview below.
LUNA: Overstimulated is described as a collection of songs that emerged from the period of lockdown and into the reopening of life. How did this unique period influence your songwriting and the themes explored in the album?
MIRANDA JOAN: The period of lockdown into reopening profoundly shifted my mindset around what it was that I wanted to create with my life as an artist. The overall sentiment was one of wanting to make records, to see my projects through to the finish line and to leave all my cards, which in my case are songs, on the table. It was a humbling time that put many things into perspective, one of which was not wanting to take this life for granted. As things reopened and I was able to collaborate with others in person again, I dove head first into the opportunity. This album was the outcome. It has been an overstimulating experience, returning to it all, and so I chose to name the album after the undercurrent of energy that has defined the last couple of years.
LUNA: Overstimulated features collaborations with Ben Carr AKA CARRTOONS. How did this collaboration come about?
MIRANDA JOAN: Working on this album with CARRTOONS blossomed out of what was originally intended as a one song collaboration. One of the rabbit holes I fell down in the depths of lockdown resulted in a parody love song about Dwayne The Rock Johnson called “I Love You, Dwayne”. The production I was hearing in my head was something I thought Ben would absolutely crush, and so when I was back in New York he was one of the first people I hit up for a session. That song, which has also been released into the world along with a music video where I drag a cardboard cutout of Dwayne around Brooklyn, led to another and then another when finally I saw an album coming together. Here we are now, two and a half years and eleven tracks later, with Overstimulated.
LUNA: The album is said to shift into a space of contemporary Jazz and Soul. Can you share how the instrumental and acoustic meet the electronic in the LP, and what creative choices were made in this fusion?
MIRANDA JOAN: The album is a collision of the genres that I love. And part of why I think CARRTOONS was a perfect partner in this project is because we share a lot of those loves. I studied Jazz in university and growing up was influenced by pop, soul, R&B and singer-songwriter. Living in this era of music, you really have access to it all and so more and more I think we’re seeing a freedom for artists to explore all facets of their influences. Ultimately when it came to production, I think my brain works more as a songwriter than as an artist. Meaning that I think less about what “my sound” is and more about what the story of that particular song asks for. This is why there’s some range in the vibes from track to track, and I think the live elements that pop up throughout the record, like upright bass, woodwinds and strings still work amongst the electronic elements because they’re helping to color in the story.
LUNA: As you reflect on the themes of Overstimulated, what do you hope listeners take away from the diverse stories and emotions explored in the album?
MIRANDA JOAN: As in most all of the music I make, my hope in sharing it is that whoever may need to hear it does; that the catharsis, joy and connection it brought to me throughout its creation ripples out towards the listener. Music brings me closer to myself and to the world around me, I think that’s one of its powers, and so in sharing music, my hope is that it may do the same for someone else. There was also a life lived between these songs, my macro hope is that it is felt. My micro hope is that in the network of my music community, amongst my fellow independent artists, that releasing a record ignites some energy and encouragement for their releases. It’s hard to finish things and can be intimidating to let them go, at least that’s how it has been for me, so every time I see one of my peers putting themselves out there, it inspires me to do the same. If I can create a bit of that in the community that has helped me grow and profoundly influenced me, then I also view that as a beautiful win.
LUNA: Having shared the stage with high-profile artists like Andy Grammar, Lorde, Shawn Mendes, and more, how have these experiences shaped your approach to music and performance?
MIRANDA JOAN: These high-profile gigs have influenced my approach to music and performance in a few ways. My latest gig has been touring with The Killers and one of the things that I’ve been reminded of is the dedication to craft. You always have to care. No matter how big you are and however many teammates you acquire to help you along the way, you have to care the most and it’s always going to be hard work. I used to fantasize about fairy godmother coming along to help me but I think what I’ve realized is, even if she does, there is no ‘eventuality’ in which I no longer need to show up. If you love what you do and have something to say, you’re going to have work extremely hard not only to create it but to sustain it. There are many more lessons I’ve learned but I think this one sticks out the most at the moment.
LUNA: The influences on your music range from Bill Withers to Anderson Paak. How do these diverse influences contribute to the unique blend of Soul-Pop that defines your sound?
MIRANDA JOAN: There is so much incredible music to get lost in. The two artist above plus artists like Emily King, Robyn and Little Dragon were probably most in my ears when I was working on this record. I think the classic artists and certainly the jazz I came up listening to remind me to focus on craft and be free; to improvise, and the contemporary artists have influenced the soundscapes I explore and the ways I want to use my voice.
LUNA: Growing up along the Pacific Ocean in Vancouver and later experiencing the creativity of Montreal, how have these places influenced your music, both lyrically and sonically?
MIRANDA JOAN: Montréal is where I was born and also where I returned for university. It’s a wonderfully unique city with tons of personality filled with creative people. Musically, Montréal helped sow the seeds of my artistic pursuits. Vancouver, specifically the north shore where I grew up, was outside of the noise of the city. It offered me the stoicism of the coastal mountain range, the majesty of the Pacific Ocean, and the evergreen and ever-presence of the Pacific rim rainforest. When I need solitude and quietude to gather up all of the living, I return there. I return to nature. There’s a balance to it all, one that I continue to find, but I’m so grateful to have had a bi-coastal upbringing, followed by all that I’ve learned in my time in New York. Places and its peoples tell stories, and it has been a gift to experience.
LUNA: You co-host and co-founded Brooklyn’s Femme Jam, an all-female-led jam session. How important is creating spaces for female musicians, and how has this initiative impacted the music community?
MIRANDA JOAN: Femme Jam was born out of a curiosity to see what an entirely female-led jam session would feel like. Five years in, turns out it feels pretty good! It’s an inclusive space for everyone to come and play, and what I’ve learned in doing the session is that it is the leaders who set the tone. We wanted something friendly, and we wanted something where, as a new person on the scene and particularly as a woman on the scene, you could come and feel welcomed. Most of all, we wanted it to be fun, and I think that’s something we’ve accomplished. The band is an all-star ensemble and it’s powerful to share the stage with them while also supporting local organizations and non-profits that we believe in. It’s been an ambitious undertaking but one that has come with an abundance of love. The community that has been fostered from the session is one of talented folks with hearts to match, and it continues to be an evening I look forward to. The hang alone is worth the price of entry :)
LUNA: Arts mentorship has been a significant part of your career, especially with SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young. How has mentoring youth impacted your own perspective on music and life?
MIRANDA JOAN: Working with young people for the past decade has impacted me in so many ways, top of mind is that it has kept me honest and grounded. They don’t care much about what you’ve accomplished, in fact it rarely comes up, the connection is earned over time and comes from a feeling. In songwriting with young people, I’ve also been humbled many times over in the ways in which my participants have surprised me. We onboard rules, expectations and outcomes to our work and art as we grow, whether we notice or not, and in creating with young people I’m reminded that there really are none. Creativity is as unique as its creator, and I’m endlessly in gratitude for the opportunity to learn from these brilliant and bold young minds.
LUNA: As we start to wrap up the year, what intentions do you have for the rest 2023?
MIRANDA JOAN: Patience, focus and persistence; the holy trinity that got me to the finish line will be my guiding light moving into this next year. There is no one moment that defines me, and in pursuit of creating more art and continuing to hone my craft, I think those three things have served me well. I want to create, I want to be an artist. Those goals are simple enough, it’s the rest of it that seems to get overcomplicated. The other, bigger piece of it all is to continue to pursue my ambitions with love. I have an incredible family and community of friends whom I also think of as family, and part of my life’s joy and purpose is to support and love on them in the ways that they have for me. We’re all out here trying to figure it out. I try to show up where I can and carry the living and the love into my music.
If you want to follow along, I’m on all the socials and you can sign up for my mailing list for the more in-depth updates on my website www.mirandajoan.com. My sophomore album Overstimulated dropped November 10th, I’d love for you to check out and, if you’re feeling it, to share it with someone you love. That would mean the most to me.
