bio

The members of Chapel-Hill based Can Joann spent their childhood days in places ranging from Cincinnati, Ft Lauderdale, and Caracas, Venezuela. The four members of Can Joann were drawn to the musical mecca of Chapel Hill for both college and music... and a healthy portion of political asylum thrown on top. Their sound has been described as being "caught somewhere between math rock, jangly indie rock, and post punk." After releasing their 1st sampling - a 4-song demo CD recorded by Jerry Kee (Superchunk, Archers of Loaf) released in late 2004, they landed a spot in Miami at the finals of Little Steven's Garage Band Contest and got their 1st taste of playing outside of the confines of the Chapel Hill region. The Aiden Grace EP garnered favorable press in the NC Triangle where Grayson Currin (Pitchfork, The Indepent) proclaimed "The Aiden Grace EP pops open-and-shut as one of the most enjoyable 17 minutes in recent local pop memory." Impressive when you consider the band made only 100 handmade copies.

Can Joann reached a wider audience with the release of their debut full length, "Hurt People Hurt People," recorded both at Pox World Studios (The Rosebuds, Portastatic) and in an 19th century rented farm home. The album also caught the attention of dozens of blogs and was serviced to college radio throughout the country . The self-released, self-promoted album was welcomed by radio program directors and it charted on the RIYL national college radio charts 8 straight weeks in November/December 2006. This abundance of press & airplay was not exclusive to the United States. The band has been favorably reviewed in the Toronto Star Anti-Hit List, UK's Dirty Bronson, and Ireland-based MP3 Hugger just to name a few. They have been featured on podcasts in Canada, Australia, South Africa, & South America. And back in the US, this relatively little known band also captured the attention of national critics Idolator who announced: "Today's elbo.ws Top 10 list includes three Can Joann tracks, with "Indecision's Way" on the No. 1 spot. Considering that Sufjan and the Hold Steady round out the top three, that's a big accomplishment, even in our tiny, tiny music-nerd world."

With 2007 underway, Can Joann began fleshing new material stretching their sound in more directions. They continued supporting their music with regional touring throughout North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, DC, and New York. They have shared the stage with The Thermals (SubPop), Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (Polyvinyl), Travis Morrison (Barsuk), Oranges Band (Lookout!), The Narrator (FlameShovel), & Beauty Pill (Dischord).

2008: Joel is in graduate school. Ryan plays bass for North Elementary. Michel bought a house and is remodeling the hell out of it. Andrew moved to South Africa.
Although the band took an indefinite break in June 2008, new tracks have been recorded and are being arranged for a free release in the form of a downloadable album entitled "Second Language" in January of 2010.