Judging from the slate of vocalists who have been dominating the pop and R&B realm as of late, it seems like the pop paradigm of the late 90s and early 2000s is experiencing a rebirth. From the ultra-mainstream of Camila Cabello and Dua Lipa to the more alternative and artsy realm of Salt Ashes and FLETCHER, the blend of slinky beats and velvety vocal runs is a formula that doesn’t seem to ever wane.
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Enter Los Angeles’ Sugar Joans. Having been bolstered into mainstream consciousness through NBC TV’s music competition show The Voice (Season 7) where she was coached by Gwen Stefani and Pharrell and finished in the Top 12, she has since cut her teeth as a session musician, lending her vocals to films such as Trolls 2, Pitch Perfect 3 and Hairspray, and singing backup for Billie Eilish and LORDE.
Ready to step back into her own spotlight, Joans is releasing her latest single “No Patience.” Reminiscent of the swankier side of Ariana Grande, Joans exhibits her prowess with mini vocals runs, not overstraining or overdoing it and keeping it manageable. It’s this restraint that keeps “No Patience” interesting and impressive. Whereas most young artists like to showboat and impress, she exhibits control which sets her apart from the pack.
Benefitting from a loud/soft song blueprint that ties it closer to an alternative R&B crooner like Emilie Sande, “No Patience” took a bit of effort from scratch to finish. “Most of my songs start with a beat idea from one of the producers that I work with,” she explains. “If I hear the instrumental and I am inspired, I write the top line. Then we will go back and add instrumentation, and change production elements until the entire team is satisfied. Oftentimes my songs go through 10-15 versions before I am happy. I will change the song form, change production aspects… a lot of trial and error until we get it to that ‘sweet spot’.”
Centered around gentle pluckings of an acoustic guitar and accompanied by dramatic keyboard swells, Joans vocals dips and dives around lyrics that tell of a melancholic breakup but learning that the only way to recover is to move up and out. “’No Patience’ to me is a breakup anthem and it was inspired by a moment of empowerment I felt within myself,” she explains. “I hope when people listen to it that they can feel empowered and strong— with or without a partner — and know that they are MORE than enough by just being their authentic selves.”
“I wrote the song with my best friend and writing partner Svē,” she continues. “We met at Berklee College of Music and stayed in touch. She came to visit LA on a trip and we got in the studio and pumped out the song in three hours. It was magical. Then we worked on the instrumentation and production on the song for about a year to perfect it.”
The result is a track that could easily propel her into pop consciousness, despite the challenges of being an indie musician.
“Being an independent artist is never an easy road,” she says. “There are some moments where I have been very close to throwing in the towel. You have to have a thick skin to be in this business. I am constantly hearing the word ‘No’ and once you put your art out into the world you are subject to everybody’s opinion about it. I have learned to be strong…and I have also learned that no matter how tough the road gets there is nothing else that I would rather be doing than making music. It truly is the most gratifying experience in the world.”
Photo Credit: Brittany Brooks.
