Who do you run to when you’re sad or in a celebratory mood from happiness? For acclaimed alt pop duo joan members Alan Benjamin Thomas and Steven Rutherford, becoming new dads inspired them to write songs dedicated to their daughters. The result is their poignant 13-track album titled “superglue”. “We’re singing it to our little girls,” said Alan. “We want them to know we’re superglue for them.” The duo invited Filipino singer-songwriter Zack Tabudlo to lend his honeyed vocals to the title track.
Prior to joan’s Asia Tour, we managed to hop on a Zoom call with Alan and Steven, together with Zack to talk about how “superglue” came about, figuring out fatherhood, and what they love about each other’s music repertoire. Zack Tabudlo even put Alan Benjamin Thomas and Steven Rutherford on the hot seat when he recalled being snubbed by the joan duo when he was younger. Scroll down to read more:
Q: Hi joan, you (guys) have a new album out right now, it’s called “superglue”. Care to share with us? It’s a project that took a while, it’s been in the works for quite some time. Wanna share with us a bit more on “superglue”?
Alan: Yeah. We started writing music at the end of 2016, 2017, and have always been a single and EP kind of base band and just wanted to treat every song as its own thing and figure out what joan was gonna be. And it took a few years to kinda find our group. I think we knew from day one what we wanted to be but we never felt ready to release an album and honestly, we weren’t even sure if we wanted to, we didn’t know how it would fit with our thing.
After 4-5 years of writing and touring, we happened upon some songs that started feeling like they belonged together in a project. And we took a writing trip to Nashville and wrote with some friends of ours on different projects and artists and stumbled upon some really personal songs that mean a lot to us. And “superglue”, the album, was born out of that and here we are touring! So we’re really proud of it! And the song, “superglue”, in particular, is our favourite song we’ve ever written so we’re so happy to finally have it out to the world.
Q: So that’s your current focus single, right? “superglue”? What’s the story behind it? The title of the song itself, “superglue”?
Steven: It’s about a lot of different things but for a long time, the working title for the album was the intro track; “life death & everything between”. It was just us, writing about and asking questions about life and just trying to figure it out. The day we wrote “superglue”, it really clicked to us and really made sense that needed to be the title of the album. It answered all the questions that we were setting up in the intro and it made sense. Basically, it’s saying whenever we’re feeling like we’re in a million pieces, we have people in our lives and loved ones that feel like our super glue that kinda brings us back together and we wanted people to have something that they could resonate with. Lyrically and through a song and through an album, like, they can hear that and think of somebody in their life that might be their super glue.
Q: That’s cool! I think that comes back to your two little girls and your new families and all that.
Steven: Totally!
Alan: Absolutely!
Q: So let’s talk about Zack! You’ve got a new single out as well, right? Tell us a bit more about it.
Zack: It’s a track called “Gusto” and it’s basically about someone you like. It was a collaboration between me and a hip-hop artist here in the Philippines and he’s one of the top artists right now. So far, it’s been on the charts, I think, it’s in the Top 5 right now so that’s kinda crazy. It’s one of those unexpected songs that just came out in me. I think I wrote it around last month and did everything. And when I sent it to Al James, he sent his vocals in like 2 days and I had the opportunity to finish it within a day or two. And then sent it to my label and then everything just happened really quickly. It felt really flowy and it felt really nice. It was also one of the songs that really made me go back to what I usually do, which is more of the pop/hip-hop kind of style that I’ve always done a few years back. And I feel quite nice to just go back to my roots. Especially coming out from the “ZVCK: FOR VLL” album, which was really funky and it inspired a really different me. But yeah, it feels really nice to go back and it’s been a success so far so I’m really happy.
Q: And you’ve got a few releases coming out so why don’t we talk about this new release together with joan. Let’s talk about what this is all about. Have you guys announced to everyone what’s this project about?
Alan: Yeah! Well, we love Zack and we love what he does and we love his music. (To Zack) We love your album, by the way, I think we told you that the last time we talked. Yeah, we just love his voice. He’s got a powerful vocal and we’re really proud of how far he’s come. So it just made perfect sense that (when) we wanted to have someone feature on another version of “superglue”, we were like “Why wouldn’t it be Zack? If he’s down.” and he was down so he recorded some vocals. (To Zack) Did you do it at your home studio? I don’t even know where you did it.
Zack: No. I think I did it at my friend’s house. *laughs*
Alan: *Laughs* Oh okay, nice! That’s true joan fashion, just in a bedroom. I love it!
Zack: It was a really random night.
Alan: So we had him guest on the 2nd verse and he sings throughout the rest of “superglue”, as well. And we wanted him to put his own spin on it and his own lyrics and just give him the chance to shine on the song. It’s our favourite song we’ve ever written so to have someone like Zack to come on board and kill it for us and take it to another level, it means the world to us so we’re super excited to have him on a version of it (“superglue”).
Q: So Zack, what about yourself? How did you feel when you were told and contacted and got involved in the whole project? How did you even get to know about joan’s songs?
Zack: Yeah, it’s really crazy! I’ve always been a big fan of joan and their music. I had my heart broken the very first time when I was 16 and they were my soundtrack during that time. *laughs* I even told them that they kinda snubbed me when I was starting the whole music thing but it was really funny though. I was like, “Hi guys, I’m an upcoming artist and I hope you guys can make music with me and stuff”, and there was no reply from them.
Everyone: *laughs*
joan: But here we are!
Zack: But yeah, they’ve always been a hero to me. They’re one of those artists that kinda made me who I am today and I am really honoured and thankful to be on this track. Especially a track that means a lot to me, as well. The first time I heard it, it felt like a gospel song. And growing up to be a Christian boy and just making music for what I believe in, I had the dream to make gospel music. Eventually, hopefully, when I become bigger and just to bring back people with the word of the Bible and stuff. It just feels really cool and nostalgic to hear a song like “superglue” and I’m so excited for everyone to hear it.
joan: That’s awesome dude!
Alan: That’s funny to hear- real quick, on the side to the gospel influence- we both grew up in a church and it’s just in you, you know? You grow up with the music and that world and you don’t even realise that it comes out that way. I would’ve never used that word (gospel) to describe it but that’s a really good word to describe it. That’s cool!
Q: So, you guys also met at some point, right? Once it was agreed and everything was gonna come together, then you guys met. How was that like, meeting for the first time?
Zack: I think it was just through Zoom.
Alan: Yeah, we just met online but yeah. I mean, this is the new meeting so here we are. But I’m sure in the future- next time we’re in the country, we’ll definitely have to meet up because I think we’ll be natural, good hangs. But yeah, the first Zoom meeting was great! It was really natural and we hit it off immediately. He’s (Zack) very easy to talk to. I hope we’re not hard to talk to *laughs*
Zack: *joking* It was hard for me because you guys snubbed me when I was young.
Alan: You keep saying it didn’t bother you but you keep bringing it up. *laughs*
Zack: It kinda did, honestly. *laughs and fakes pain*
Alan: We apologize the last time, we’re sorry!
Everyone: *laughs*
Q: Do you guys have any funny, interesting stories to talk about the recording and writing process?
Alan: Well, I can tell you, the first time he send the vocals. We love his voice already and we weren’t exactly sure what to expect, you know, anytime someone puts their own spin on something. And I remember hearing when he hits a note and it’s very high, I just remember looking at Steven and just being like “Holy crap! That sounds awesome!” *laughs* We launched into the stratosphere.
And we worked with one artist named BEKA, for an old song of ours called “brokenhearted” and it was a really similar situation where they both just have naturally, really powerful vocals and voices. With her (BEKA) too, it was just, you’re going through the takes and comping the vocals and picking where we want to go and all that, and everything they’re sending is like ‘That’s it, that’s the one!”, so it just shows the professionalism of Zack. *to Zack* You have a killer voice, dude!
Steven: Yeah, you always have the pit in your stomach when you get the track in and you’re like “What’s it gonna sound like?”. Is it gonna be what we hoped? And then, I mean, it (Zack’s vocals) was just way above and beyond what we expected. It’s such a special moment when you hear it for the first time and you’re like “Yes! This is what it needed. It was perfect!”.
Alan: On another note, the guy who mixes all of our music is one of our best friends, Matt Huber. I remember sending him the vocals to drop in and mix this new version and he just texted back and it just said “This boy can sing!” *laughs* So yeah, *to Zack* you can sing, if you didn’t know.
Zack: Thanks, guys!
Q: That’s really good, right? When you get something that you know is the one and you don’t have to reconsider or retake anything. Zack, what about yourself? How were you when you were recording and all that?
Zack: Yeah, if I can remember, I was getting goosebumps the whole time I was recording the track because again, I’ve always looked up to these guys, ever since I was really young. I had a chat with one of my friends who makes music as well and we were like, “Holy shit! I was just a listener to these people and I’ve always just listened to these tracks and it was always just a dream of mine to be in a track with someone I really look up to and stuff.” So, being in it and being able to record and being able to put my own spin on it and these guys (joan) just giving me the freedom to do what I can to the track just meant the whole world to me. It’s just crazy, like right now, I can’t believe I’m in an interview with joan.
joan: That’s so sweet dude!
Alan: You deserve it buddy! You’re killing it!
Zack: Thanks, guys.
Q: What was your favourite song by Zack?
Steven: I remember, before we reach out to Zack, his album “ZVCK: FOR VLL” was like really, really cool to me. I thought the production of it was really cool, the vibe was really cool. Zack, I don’t know if that’s a favourite one that you’ve done but legit, from start to finish, I just love the feel of it. I saw ‘AKIN KA’ and sent it to Alan and I was just like “This is so sick!” It’s amazing, it was so cool so that would probably be my favourite song. I love that whole album (ZVCK: FOR VLL), it was really cool to me.
Q: Any other possible collaborations, you think, moving forward? Later this year?
Alan: Man, I hope so.
Q: When you guys (joan) come back to Asia and come back to do shows, I think having guest appearances will be a cool thing, don’t you think?
Alan: I like that idea a lot! We’ll write that down.
Q: Who was the first to reach out to each other, between Zack and joan?
Zack: Technically, I was the first one. *laughs*
Steven: Zack reached out, apparently, way before. *laughs*
Zack: I think it was you guys who reached out first.
Alan: Yeah, I think so too. We hadn’t made the connection yet that Zack had reached out to us a while back when he was younger. That was the funny part, once we heard that, we were like “Oh my gosh, we can’t believe that”. Yeah, we had been listening to his latest album actually and loved his voice so our team reached out to his and we made some magic.
Q: So to Zack, why joan? Out of all the other artists, why did you reach out to joan?
Zack: Like I said, they were my heartbreak soundtrack during that time of my first love. And I think one of my first girlfriends was one of the people who recommended joan to me. Like the first song I first heard was “tokyo” and “i loved you first” and that was top-tier moments for me.
Q: Your new album is inspired by your newfound fatherhood. What are the amusing challenges you have to face in fatherhood? Any diaper changing stories?
joan: *laughs* Plenty of those. Too many to count.
Steven: So we both have kids 3 weeks apart and obviously, we have tons of stories about going through fatherhood but a lot of the album was us figuring it out together and kind of having each other to lean on. Just seeing our kids and seeing the world in their eyes, as they’re learning about the world. You kinda have a second chance of thinking through things, both big and small. While they’re learning to eat, it reminds you to think through to not take it for granted that you can eat. So many things that kinda accumulate together and while we have to figure it out separately, we also had each other to lean on and figure it out together as well. It’s (fatherhood) very challenging and it’s very amazing at the same time. It’s literally the best thing to ever happen to me. It’s really cool. It’s such a special album to us because there are so many aspects of life that it talks about, fatherhood being one of them, and was just cool to have somebody to go through all that with.
Q: Are you guys are missing that while on tour?
Alan: That’s what I was gonna say. The main challenge in any artist’s life, especially if you have a family that you’re close to, you get used to being home and then, boom- you’re gone for a month or two at a time. Luckily on this tour, we have a few days at home in between shows, which was nice but you know, then you’re right back out and you’re missing your girls again. It’s really bittersweet because, on one hand, we’re doing things that are like providing for our families and on the other hand, those things that you’re doing to provide also make you be away from them for certain periods of time. So it’s really a juxtaposition of a job, for sure. But we try to stay grounded and thankful and grateful for what we have and that anyone, at all, cares about our music blows our minds. So yeah, we’re super thankful.
Q: For Zack, how does it feel to have an international fanbase and do you also plan to stage a solo international tour?
Zack: It feels really nice to have people listen to my songs internationally. Like, one of the mind-blowing moments for me was when I was in Malaysia two months ago, they (fans) just sang the whole lyrics of “Pano” which was in Tagalog. I had no idea how Malaysians know how to speak Tagalog for that one. *laughs* But it was really crazy. That was a surreal moment for me, and being known around the streets, while we were eating. It was a really big turner. And doing a solo international tour, I think, it’s always been a plan for the fans and everyone who listens to the music and hopefully, really soon, we can announce something.
Q: Since you’ve collaborated with your heroes, why not take it further and have them in one of your songs? If you have any one song that is already out now that can fit joan, what song would that be?
Zack: Collaborating with them has been really crazy and I feel like I have a lot of tracks that really fit in between me and these guys. Mainly because of the influences they’ve given me, with me making music and stuff. I feel like a song called “Cruel”, which was one of the first ever tracks I released.
Steven: I love that song!
Zack: Oh you heard “Cruel”? That’s cool! *laughs* But yeah, I think they can fit in “Cruel”.
Alan: *joking* We’ll send you some tracks tomorrow.
Everyone: *laughs*
Q: For joan, do you have any further plans to collaborate with Asian or K-pop artists in the near future?
Alan: It would be an absolute honour to be collaborating with some K-pop artists. It’s on our radar for sure. We’ve pitched some songs to that (K-pop) world but I don’t know if any of them have landed yet. But we love K-pop, we love J-pop, we love a lot of that whole pop world. I think we would naturally jell. When we’re writing, we’re kinda chameleons, in that we can write “superglue”, kinda pop-rock anthemic song and then we can turn around and write “nervous” which is very different from “superglue”, in terms of production but it’s still very pop. So I think we can kinda fit where needed and in the K-pop world, we would definitely be honoured to collaborate with an artist from there.
Q: About your video for “superglue”, it tells a story about a man who’s reminiscing about the time he had with a past lover. Can you explain about the concept, the idea behind the video?
Steven: We’ve been chatting with these guys out of New York, their name is Marcel, it’s a production company. They’ve been friends of ours for a really long time, they’ve pitched for several music videos. And when they’ve sent the treatment over, we have been thinking of a music video kinda in line with that one. And they sent the treatment for the “superglue” music video and it literally felt like a match made in heaven. It felt like the right time to get with them on it and the idea was exactly what we were hoping for. And the whole idea, for him (the character in the mv), he’s an older man and he lived this whole life with somebody and then, all of a sudden, she was gone. And he’s basically having to figure out how to put the pieces of his life back together and he’s thinking through that and reminiscing on it and just thinking back on his life with her and how it’s not the same anymore. I love the contrast of the song and the video being different than what you would think if you listen to the song at first but it completely makes sense when you watch it. We literally cried the first time we saw it, it was more than what I could hope for it in a music video.
Alan: And it ties in with the song for us. When we were writing that song, we definitely had our daughters in our minds but we also had our wives in our minds and we try to write this song in accessible and I think the video helps with that. In an accessible way that can be to any loved one that you have, like it can be about your grandma or your grandpa or a best friend or a teacher. Anyone who has had an impact on you and in those dark times in your life, you can call on and we hope that everyone has somebody like that. And I think the video really help get it out that, “This (song) isn’t just about Steven and Alan’s daughters. Like, I can relate to this because I have someone else that I love that isn’t my child”. I think the video really helps slam that idea home.
