Indie rock outfit Junaco has been steadily carving out a space for themselves in the music world with their signature blend of soothing melodies and introspective lyricism. Their latest single, “Serene,” is proof of their ability to transport listeners into a realm of tranquility. Inspired by a winter spent amidst the woods of Northern California, the track exudes a warmth and calmness that feels like a deep breath of fresh air—a sonic embrace of nature’s beauty.
This spring, Junaco is taking its music on the road with a southwest tour, bringing its cozy, atmospheric sound to audiences eager for a heartfelt connection. Fans can look forward to hearing more from the band as they prepare to release their highly anticipated LP, “In Motion,” slated for summer 2025. With “Serene” as a precursor, the album promises to deliver the same emotive depth and artistry that Junaco has been known for, setting the stage for what could be their most compelling work yet.
For those new to Junaco, “Serene” serves as the perfect entry point—a track where the soothing vocals and gentle verses create an immersive experience akin to being wrapped in the nurturing embrace of the natural world. As we sit down with the band today, we’ll delve into their creative process, the inspiration behind their music, and what lies ahead on their journey. Let’s explore the world of Junaco together.
We’re eager to learn about your journey. Could you share some personal background with our audience, perhaps touching on formative experiences or influences that shaped you as an artist?
The three of us grew up in very different places, with very different experiences. Joey’s from Indiana, Tejas is from southern Oregon, and I (shahana) grew up in Southern California. Despite these different experiences, music was an integral part of our upbringing. We also all really valued spending time outside, and those memories were also very impactful.
What inspired the creation of your latest release, “Serene,” and what central themes or messages were you hoping to convey?
Serene plays with the ideas of finding peace in birth, life, death, and rebirth within our lives. It’s about seeing the peace in letting go and being carried through life by these destructive things, and the beauty that is reborn in their wake.
You’ve mentioned that your time in the Northern California woods played a role in shaping the tone of “Serene.” What specific aspects of that experience translated into the song’s atmosphere?
I (Tejas) was living out at the river on and off for most of the last year and had watched the changes after a huge wildfire came through the area in the summer. I got really inspired watching the scenery change month by month, watching the leaves decompose into the ground and months later be replaced by incredible wildflowers. We’d all gone through some pretty big life changes in the last year – moving, relationships beginning and ending, and overall entering a new phase of life. “Serene” is sort of a way of connecting all of those things together and processing the changes.
How does your upcoming LP, “In Motion,” build upon or differ from your previous work?
We’ve collaborated as a band on writing and recording live for the past few projects, and “In Motion” feels like an extension of that workflow to a much greater degree. We wrote most of the album together last winter in a yurt in Northern California on the Smith River over the course of a week. All three of us were living in one big circular structure, lighting the wood stove every morning, sauna-ing, and getting in the icy river almost every night. There’s limited daylight and so much rain up there at that time of year, so those factors, combined with not having access to the internet for a while, really made it feel like we were living in our own magical little world, and the music just sort of started appearing from there. Most of the songs felt like they came about really quickly; we would start talking about a feeling or experience someone had or a little piece of music one of us had been working on and then just start playing together and see what appeared.
When it came time to record, we decided to flip the scenery around as much as we possibly could. Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, TX, seemed like Mars compared to the damp, mossy Smith River, so that’s where we decided to work. We wanted to produce this one ourselves and were really excited to work with our good friend Mario Rameriz on the engineering side. We ended up spending about ten days on the ranch and recorded all day every day. Like the writing process, it again felt really intuitive, free, and connected. Almost every song on the record started with us just all sitting in the live room pretty close together and playing until it felt right. We definitely went with a more old-school sound palette that felt like it really matched the energy of the songs and the places they were conceived. After Sonic Ranch, we were lucky enough to have Oliver Hill play really beautiful string arrangements that kind of took over the space that we’ve typically sonically reserved for synths and keyboards, and that felt like it took the record to its final form. Jake Aron, who mixed our EP “Without A Head,” mixed these songs, and Heba Kadry mastered them.
Where does “Serene” fit within the broader narrative or emotional landscape of “In Motion”?
It’s sort of an outlier in the lyrical content, and that’s part of the reason we decided to put it out on its own. Sonically, though, I think it’ll give listeners a good idea of some of the themes that will carry through into the record.
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What’s the significance of the album title, “In Motion”? How does it tie into the themes you’re exploring?
“In Motion” perfectly captured the feeling of making the record. We were all living in different, kind of opposite places, flying and driving to get together and work on music. We also ended up writing and recording in such ever-changing and opposite landscapes that the title just fit. Also, everyone in the band changed homes, cities, and lifestyles quite significantly in the last couple years as well, and these songs all came about during that time.
With your Southwest tour coming up, what are you most excited about? Are there any special touches you’re incorporating to bring your music to life on stage?
We are really excited to tour again and share all of these new songs we’ve been working on with people and places that we’ve never been to before. We had such a great time creating all of this music and feeling it change from writing to recording to mixing. The tour feels like the final extension of the song’s life, where we actually get to share them with people and see how they morph and change as we play them night after night.
Beyond the LP and tour, what other exciting projects or developments can your fans look forward to in the coming months?
We ended up recording more songs than we can fit on the record, so we’re really excited to find creative ways to put out the rest of the singles. We’ve already begun recording new music and have merch on the way as well.
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