Tell our readers all about your band! Where are you from and when did you get started? What is your music like? Hi! My name is Joan Avant, and I’m a one woman band. My style of music is gothic Victorian symphonic rock. I’m from Dallas, TX and I started this project in 2017. If Baz Luhrmanns’ “Moulin Rouge” were a rock band… that would be me.
What are your goals for your band? The best focus for now is just to get heard.
What do you do for a living? I am a violin teacher. I have my own private studio.
How do you balance your work and personal life with the band? It is a lot of work but at the end of the day it is possible. Working from home is very helpful to my lifestyle. I’m able to help my kids with their homework, but also I can work on music and teach all in the same space. It does get hectic, but where there is a will, there is a way.
What do you consider to be the best investment you've made, music-wise? My home studio and all of the instruments and gear I use for it.
What's the worst or least helpful thing you've ever spent money on as a musician/band? Music School!
What kind of merch sells the best for your band? And what do you purchase most often as a music listener? CDs tend to sell best. I also still love to purchase CDs and t-shirts to support bands.
Which online music or social media platforms are most helpful to your band? Facebook and Instagram.
What does "making it" mean to you, and what do you think a band needs to make it in 2020? I think just making a sustainable income is “making it.”
Joan's new album Dies Irae was released on December 10, 2021 via Red Masque Records.
Digital download: https://joanavant.bandcamp.com/album/dies-irae
To learn more about budgeting, band finances, and more, order Money Hacks for Metalheads and Old Millennials in paperback and ebook formats: https://amzn.to/3lCsFdq
And don't forget to follow Alternative Control and Metalhead Money's 2021 coverage playlist on Spotify!