Joanna Gruesome

ByLets Go Punk
Joanna Gruesome were a Cardiff noise pop band formed in 2010

Joanna Gruesome were a five-piece noise pop band from Cardiff, Wales, who took their name as a nod to musician Joanna Newsom and put out two albums alongside a run of smaller releases.

The group also made their politics part of the package, speaking openly from a feminist, anti-homophobic stance, while still keeping room for a little self-mythmaking in how they presented themselves.

Getting Started in Cardiff

The band began in 2010 with Owen Williams (guitar and vocals), Max Warren (bass), and George Nicholls (guitar). In 2012, the lineup settled into its best-known shape with the addition of Lan McArdle on lead vocals and Dave Sandford on drums.

Some of the band’s press material leaned into a made-up origin story about meeting in anger management sessions. The members also used “Gruesome” as a shared surname, a wink at bands that treated a last name like a uniform.

Albums, Labels, and Recognition

Their debut album, Weird Sister, drew strong notices from outlets including Pitchfork and Rough Trade. On November 28, 2014, the band won the Welsh Music Prize for the record.

Joanna Gruesome followed with their second album, Peanut Butter, released on May 11 in the UK through Fortuna Pop! and on June 2 in the US through Slumberland Records.

Lineup Changes and the Last Stretch

In June 2015, the band announced that Lan McArdle would be leaving. Kane Stonestreet and Roxy Brennan stepped in, and that version of the group released one single, “Pretty Fucking Sick (of It All).”

Joanna Gruesome played their final show in 2017. Afterward, McArdle and Williams started Ex-Vöid in 2018, and Williams and Nicholls formed The Tubs the same year.

Members

  • Lan McArdle
  • Owen Williams
  • Max Warren
  • George Nicholls
  • Dave Sandford
  • Ciara Killick
  • Ciara Cohen-Ennis
  • Matthew Green
  • Kane Stonestreet
  • Roxy Brennan

Discography

Albums:

  • Weird Sister (2013, Fortuna Pop! UK, Slumberland Records US)
  • Peanut Butter (2015, Fortuna Pop! UK, Slumberland Records US)

EPs:

  • E.P. (2011, self-released, MP3)
  • Family Portrait (2012, Art Is Hard Records, 7-inch)
  • Cream Soda Grrrl, E.P. reissue (2012, Reeks Of Effort, tape)
  • Split with Trust Fund (2014, Reeks Of Effort UK and Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records US, 12-inch EP)
  • Astonishing Adventures! “The Captured Crusader” split with Perfect Pussy (2014, Captured Tracks, Slumberland Records, Fortuna Pop!, 7-inch EP)

Singles:

  • Do You Really Wanna Know Why Yr Still In Love With Me (2012, Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records, 7-inch)
  • Sugarcrush (2013, Slumberland and Fortuna Pop!, 7-inch)
  • Pretty Fucking Sick (of It All) (2016, Fortuna Pop!, 7-inch)

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