Joan of Arc

The Profile

Joan of Arc were an American indie/experimental rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1995 by Tim Kinsella after Cap’n Jazz. Known for rotating lineups, collage-like production, and emotive, off-kilter vocals, they released numerous albums across the late 1990s–2010s and disbanded in 2020.

Core member: Tim Kinsella; frequent collaborators included Mike Kinsella and Sam Zurick. The band announced its final album in 2020 and disbanded the same year.

Two in-depth reviews spotlight Joan of Arc’s debut A Portable Model Of and the follow-up How Memory Works. Critics frame the band between Cap’n Jazz and American Football, praising Tim Kinsella’s fragile, emotive vocals, intricate arpeggios, fractured rhythms, and playful electronic textures. Standout songs and bass work are highlighted, with the group positioned as a key ’90s indie/emo outlier from Chicago.