JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN – “ANYONE”
A SPILL EXCLUSIVE VIDEO PREMIERE
Today we have the pleasure of introducing an intimate performance from celebrated NYC-based music icon Joan As Police Woman, who revisits her enduring track “Anyone” in a newly unveiled video presented in trio format. This is indeed a captivating preview of The Real Life Anniversary Sessions, a series celebrating the 20th anniversary of her debut album Real Life, first released via UK label-par-excellence Reveal Records.
With a legacy defined by fearless reinvention and emotional candor, Joan As Police Woman has long occupied a space entirely her own. Performing under that name since 2004, Joan Wasser has established herself as a widely respected figure in contemporary music. Her work spans performance, composition, and production, reflecting a restless creativity that resists stylistic boundaries and moves fluidly across musical traditions. Over the course of her career, she has built an expansive catalog that includes ten studio records of original songs, two collections dedicated to interpretations, and a retrospective compilation.
More than a nostalgic look back, this session, for which she is joined by Will Graefe (guitar and vocals) and Jeremy Gustin (drums and vocals), reframes a fan favorite with a renewed sense of space and emotional clarity, underscoring the timelessness of her songwriting. The choice of venue is to be commended, perfectly capturing a moving moment – the closest we could possibly feel to an exclusive personal concert.
Captured live at The Owl Music Parlor in November 2025, the performance strips the song to its emotional core, spotlighting Wasser’s immersive delivery and unmistakable voice. The result is intimate yet commanding—an artist revisiting her past not to preserve it in amber, but to let it evolve naturally in front of an audience. Two decades after Real Life first introduced her singular vision, “Anyone” and its video companion “The Ride”, which appeared several weeks ago, resonate with striking immediacy.
About this new offering, Joan says, “I wanted to take “Anyone” out of its original 6/8 triplet-based soul ballad territory. Will Graefe, Jeremy Gustin and I have been creating a new sound together since we began touring in October 2024. This arrangement came together quickly when we shifted it into a more exploratory folk / jazz feeling reminiscent of Van Morrison”.
Joan As Police Woman may be a superb artist in her own right, but she also happens to be a member of Iggy Pop’s touring band (on keys and vocals). Another collaborator familiar to our readers is Damon Albarn, who duetted with Joan on her song “Get My Bearings” and invited her to feature on the Gorillaz album Song Machine. She also performs with Damon Albarn’s Africa Express.
Many years since launching her career playing violin with The Dambuilders, she has blossomed to become one of the most sought-after artists in our day, her credits as a vocalist and instrumentalist now extending to literally hundreds of artists. Among them are Afrobeat legend Tony Allen, Lou Reed, Anohni & The Johnsons, Meshell Ndegeocello, Rufus Wainwright, John Cale, David Byrne, Dave Okumu, Chris Dowd (Fishbone), Lau, Scissor Sisters, Sparklehorse, Beck, Laurie Anderson, Lloyd Cole, Afel Bocoum, Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode) and Tanya Donelly (Belly, Throwing Muses), as well as Japan icons David Sylvian and Steve Jansen.
As Joan As Police Woman takes Real Life back on the road, audiences will soon have the rare chance to experience these songs as living, breathing works—reshaped in the moment, charged with spontaneity, and delivered with the emotional precision that has defined her career. Not simply a recital of beloved material, a Joan As Police Woman concert is an immersion into atmosphere, intimacy, and fearless musical conversation. Two decades after Real Life first appeared, these performances promise connection at its most direct and unforgettable—an invitation not just to hear the songs, but to feel them unfold in real time. Tickets for the Real Life 20th Anniversary Tour can be obtained at https://linktr.ee/japw or www.joanaspolicewoman.com/tour
CREDITS
Lyrics & Music written by Joan Wasser
Joan Wasser – vocals, piano
Will Graefe – guitar, vocals
Jeremy Gustin – drums, vocals
Adam Sachs – audio recording engineer, mixer
Ehud Lazin – videographer
(c) Sweet Police under exclusive licence to Reveal Records 2026
Joan As Police Woman photos by Judi Rosen
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
‘The Real Life (2006 Album + Bonus B-Sides)’, available digitally and on CD via Reveal Records, is also available via Bandcamp:
UPCOMING LIVE DATES (INCLUDES ‘REAL LIFE TOUR’ FROM NOVEMBER 2025)
MAR 7 Frenchtown, NJ, United States – ArtYard
JUNE 20 New York, NY, USA
NOV 5 London, United Kingdom – Union Chapel
NOV 6 London, United Kingdom – Union Chapel
NOV 7 Manchester, United Kingdom – RNCM (Royal Northern College of Music)
NOV 9 Glasgow, United Kingdom – Oran Mor
NOV 11 Brugge, Belgium – Cactus Club
NOV 12 Amsterdam, Netherlands – Zonnehuis (sold out)
NOV 13 Hamburg, Germany – Mojo Club
NOV 15 Aarhus, Denmark – Train
NOV 16 Copenhagen, Denmark – DR Concert Hall
NOV 18 Budapest, Hungary – House of Music Hungary
NOV 20 Roma, Italy – Angelo Mai
NOV 22 Berlin, Germany – Haus des Rundfunks & Großer Sendesaal
Joan As Police Woman
[Single]
(Reveal Records)
Release Date: February 24, 2026
Artist Links
Photo Credits: Judi Rosen
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DEVIN SHAFFER – PATIENCE
