The five-piece hailing from London create some of the most atmospheric and moody music in recent memory, and our Q&A with Junodream delves a little deeper into their sound, their inspiration, and their future.
I can’t remember how I came across Junodream. It was probably whilst spaced out and sat at my friend’s house in the early hours. Their music is exceptionally good for those situations. Whilst I don’t remember how I found them, I do remember the many memories associated with their music. For example, sitting on the Paris – Turin train in August and listening to their most well-known track To The Moon whilst staring out at the vast peaks of the French Alps. That combination left me equally as spaced out.
And that’s what Junodream is really about.
Who are Junodream?
The five-piece hailing from London create some of the most atmospheric and moody music in recent memory, songs that build up into dramatic soundscapes and contain lyrics that add a level of style to the mundanity of modern life.
Junodream fall between so many different bands it becomes hard to say exactly who they sound like except themselves. Their two EPs sound a lot like Radiohead. And Air. And the mid-ground of Pink Floyd. There is truly an abundance of references you can pick up on with every listen of either EP. That may be why they sound so modern and sometimes ethereal.
Junodream themselves have coined their sound as “space rock”, which does a pretty good job of summing up the atmosphere they create in their tracks.
For those not in the know, Junodream formed in 2018 and is comprised of Ed Vyvyan (vocals), Dougal Gray (guitar), Tom Rea (guitar), Will Ryder (bass) and Jake Gidley (drums). Despite being a relatively recently founded band their success in gaining a reputation in the alternative music scene has been rapid.
Junodream have been performing sell out shows since 2018, and just recently added dates for a tour commencing in April 2021. Of course, if the pandemic allows them to. With a number of tours and performances already having proved successful for the group, it comes as no surprise that Junodream already have a sizeable back catalogue of tracks. With the recent release of their new single Easy Life the credibility only increases.
I caught up with Junodream in a Q&A session to discuss life and how the pandemic has affected their work.
First off, Junodream, where does the name come from?
It’s a cross between a Pink Floyd B-side Julia Dreams and the Juno keyboard. If the word-ram worked for the likes of Rolling Stones and Radiohead, then no excuses for us.
How did all of you guys end up meeting and forming a band?
We’ve all been friends throughout our teens, although Junodream was born in 2018. The rest is history.
Which bands have influenced your sound the most?
Examples of most consistent ones are probably the likes of Radiohead, AIR, Zero 7, Brian Jonestown Massacre – we’ve always been fans of these. More recent inspiration has come from Sneaker Pimps, Thievery Corporation, DJ Shadow, Boards of Canada to name a few.
Moreover, what is your sound?
Somewhere between Post-Rock & Space-Rock. If you can think of a name that’d be great. We’re looking for one.
What’s the message you want people to take from your music?
Although our music is a soundtrack to the end of the world, there’s hope. All’s not lost.
What has been the best gig you’ve played so far?
Grasnapolsky Festival in Netherlands. Stage was great, venue was great and crowd were great. Just before Covid kicked off as well …seems like a distant memory now.
What artist would you most like to collaborate with?
Justin Bieber – for the cash.
How would you describe yourselves outside of music?
Five stand up guys.
How have you found this year?
Excluding Jan and Feb which were epic, a solid 1/10.
Finally, is there anything new in the works?
Silly question Sam, silly question.