Big Joanie

Formed in London in 2013 around Stephanie Phillips, Big Joanie is rooted in British punk informed by post-punk and riot grrrl, featuring direct songwriting, spare melodies and an intentionally rough sound, sometimes punctuated by indie-rock touches. The project originated from a reflection on the place of Black women and other marginalized people in DIY scenes, initially with Kiera Coward-Deyell and Chardine Taylor-Stone, before bassist Estella Adeyeri joined in 2017. Originally a trio, Big Joanie has operated as a duo since Taylor-Stone’s departure in 2023. After the EP Sistah Punk (2014) and the single Crooked Room (2016), Big Joanie released their debut album Sistahs in 2018, followed by Back Home in 2022, on which the band broadened its approach by mixing darker pop, angular guitars and references to girl groups as well as punk. Alongside touring, Big Joanie has also been involved in organising Decolonise Fest in London, a festival conceived to showcase artists of colour in alternative music. On stage, Big Joanie have shared bills with acts such as Downtown Boys, Parquet Courts, Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney, following a trajectory embedded in British and American independent networks.