Joan between two lovers

Joan Wasser, aka Joan As Policewoman, has been making quite a name for herself on the back of her debut solo album, Real Life.

An accomplished violinst who studied at Boston University with renowned musician Yuri Mazurkevich, Wasser served her musical apprenticeship as a session musician and in a series of cult indie bands. These included The Dambuilders and Those Bastard Souls, where Wasser numbered current Saturday Night Live cast member Fred Armisen and The Flaming Lips’ Steven Drozd among her fellow group members.
The Boston music scene has over the years produced such talents as The Pixies and Throwing Muses, although Wasser professes herself unimpressed with the city.
“Boston is one of my least favourite places,” she says, from her hotel room in London. “Its music scene is really the big redeeming feature. Generally, I found the place to be quite conservative and anti-art, but you could forge relationships with musicians there. The Pixies were a little before my time, unfortunately, but I did play with Tanya Donnelly a few years back. She was doing a live record and looking for musicians to work with, so she called me. That was a blast.”
Donnelly is far from the only artist to have utilised Wasser’s considerable talents. Although now earning plaudits for her elegant brand of indie, the singer (who was Jeff Buckley’s girlfriend at the time of his tragic death) has collaborated with many musical icons, among them Lou Reed.
“For someone who has a reputation as a very intense guy, I found him to be very sweet and encouraging,” she reflects. “When I was with Antony & The Johnsons, he performed with us one night, and did his first ever vocal performance of ‘Candy Says’. Doug Yule actually sings it on the Velvet Undeground record. We also did a track from Berlin. You learn a hell of a lot performing with an artist like him.”
Is the aforementioned Antony a person she looks up to?
“He’s probably one of the most important artists around right now,” enthuses Joan. “From my own personal viewpoint, what he gave me as a musician was an understanding of just how powerful quiet music can be. I’ve played in a lot of loud bands, and in fact I still like to play loud music, especially live, but he taught me that down-tempo and atmospheric songs cast their own particular spell.”
Joan has also performed with a man who recently celebrated his 60th birthday, Elton John.
“That was with Rufus Wainwright, in Dublin actually,” she reflects. “It’s quite educating to meet a guy who’s been doing this for as long as he has. And you know, he’s probably one of the most recognisable people in the world, but he’s actually very considerate and down-to-earth. I really enjoyed meeting him.”
I conclude by asking Joan about the intriguing name she’s chosen for herself as a solo artist.
“There was a show called Policewoman in the ’70s, with Angie Dickinson,” she explains. “I was at a ’70s-themed party one night, with my hair dyed blonde, like all girls should try at least once, and wearing a very ’70s outfit. And a friend of mine remarked that I looked like Angie Dickinson in Policewoman, and that‘s what inspired it.”
It was a good choice. You see it and think, “I should listen to that.”
“That’s what I wanna hear!”
Joan As Policewoman plays Tripod, Dublin on April 15.