Big Joanie

Indie pop / post-punk band from London, UK. Big Joanie are Stephanie Phillips (singer/guitarist), Estella Adeyeri (bass) and Chardine Taylor-Stone (drums). The band formed in 2013 (with original bass player Kiera Coward-Deyell) and released their first EP ‘Sistah Punk’ in 2014 and the single ‘Crooked Room’ in 2016. As part of London’s thriving DIY punk scene Big Joanie have played with locals Shopping; toured with US punks Downtown Boys; and Dutch Punk band The Ex; and performed at the first UK Afropunk festival. Inspired by The Ronettes, Nirvana, Breeders and Jesus and Mary Chain, Big Joanie have described themselves as being “similar to The Ronettes filtered through ’80s DIY and Riot Grrrl with a sprinkling of dashikis.” Big Joanie recorded the debut album ‘Sistahs’ over several sessions from November 2017 to January 2018 at Hermitage Works Studio with producer Margo Broom. The album title derives from the band’s belief in sisterhood and female friendship. One of the main reasons for coming together was to create an atmosphere to be “completely ourselves as black women and discover what was possible to realise in those spaces.” The album cover features Steph’s mum Joan, whom the band is named after, and her aunt on holiday in Wales. Outside of the band all three members are involved in communitarian activities whether running the festival for punks of colour Decolonise Fest, volunteering at Girls Rock Camp, or leading the Stop Rainbow Racism campaign which works to stop racist performances in LGBT venues.