JOYNER is the new sister music duo we’ve been dying for
I know that if you’re like me, you’re probably looking for amazing outfit inspo for Coachella (or any of the summer music festivals you might be attending). So, if you’re looking for both outfit inspo and some new tunes to jam to, you should definitely check out the indie-pop sister duo JOYNER.
I’m not gonna say I’m burnt out on Haim, but like, when I want a more fashionable happier-vibe sister group, JOYNER is my go-to. The group is made up of sister Summer and Torrey, who have been playing instruments, singing and creating music since they were lil’ California girls. Not to mention, their Instagram is quite literally #aestheticgoals.
Today they released their newest pop vibe, “White Lights,” features airy harmonies, chill moods, and sophisticated lyrics that’ll draw out all your feels. The duo says the song is about a “situation that we wished we could have done over,” hence the first line of lyrics, “Can we turn back, start it on the right side.”
Just like the song has some psychedelic vibes — it has a matching video, which features holograms and projections. So if you are itching to get into those Summer music festival vibes right quick, JOYNER has got it handled.
Check out the video here and peep the Q&A below.
Are there any lyrics that particularly mean something special to you? Which ones, and why?
Lyrics for us are the greatest tool of telling a story, so they are all intentional and mean something special in their own way. But one of our favorite lines from “White Lights” is in the bridge. “It was clear the second I ran, that I’d be free and full of remorse. See you in visions my love.”
We recorded these at home in Logic not really thinking we’d use them, but they ended up really resonating with us and adding to the story so they wound up in the song!
What is like to work with your sister while doing something you love? What is the dynamic like when you are working on something new?
Summer: Working with your sister is honestly the best — we get each other, and we share the same goals and vision. Typically a song starts with one of us having an idea, a few lyrics, then we finish writing it together.
Torrey: I honestly don’t know how we’re so in sync and on the same page about music, but there’s a dynamic with us that I think would be really hard to grasp if we weren’t related. We get annoyed with each other and have our moments, but ultimately there is nothing better than sharing the same vision and living it out with the person you grew up with.
How do you feel about any comparisons to Haim?
We absolutely love Haim! It’s so fun to see other sisters working so well together and creating great music. Any comparison to them is a huge compliment.
What was the inspiration for the video for “White Lights”?
We had a few ideas in mind, but when we started shooting it became its own animal. Our director Brad Besser had the idea of doing holograms and projecting our faces onto one another which turned out so cool. Everything else sort of just happened in the moment as we experimented with different things. We shot the whole video in our house over the course of two weekends.
You previously released a song called, “Welcome to Your Life, You’re a Star” — tell us about the inspo behind that song. Is it about a specific person?
At the time we wrote this song we were sharing a tiny apartment in a sketchy neighborhood in Hollywood and living in the irony of having this glamorous, yet grunge lifestyle at the same time. We were inspired to write a song about the things we saw happening all around us everyday. It’s really a song for anyone who knows the hustle of moving to LA, pursuing a dream, and all that comes with it.
You both have a great sense of fashion — where do you get your inspiration from for your style?
Thank you!! We try to be conscious about reducing our environmental footprint and making choices that positively affect people and the planet (everyone go watch “The True Cost!”). We love shopping secondhand so naturally we’re really inspired by a lot of the vintage pieces we find around LA. And as you can tell, turtlenecks are really our jam.
If you were to attend Coachella (are you?) what would you girls wear?
Torrey: Ugh, not this year! But we wish. I have this dreamy ivory slip I found at Shareen’s in DTLA. I think I’d wear that with a gold chain headpiece, and bare feet of course.
Summer: Jean shorts and a vintage tee shirt! Comfy all the way.
https://soundcloud.com/thisisjoyner/white-lights-2
Tell us something embarrassing about each other.
Summer: One of the funniest moments of Torrey that comes to mind is, one year for Halloween she made a huge juice box costume (straw and everything), she was really on a juicing kick and she spent weeks panting and making this thing. When we got to the house party we were going to, she got stuck in a corner and literally couldn’t move because her costume was too big. We didn’t see her for like an hour!
Torrey: Summer has a really bad habit of falling down the stairs. The other day she hit an all time low and fell going UP the stairs.
Summer: It really hurt!
What’s next for JOYNER?
More music! More shows! Our EP comes out May 18th and we are playing at the Mint in LA on 4/29.
For More on JOYNER
Instagram | Spotify | Soundcloud
Photos by Kristin Gerhart
