What is your name/band name? Juna N Joey
How long have you been writing and performing?
Joey: 12 years. Juna is only 15 and I just turned 18.
When did you first become interested in music?
Joey– When Juna was 4 and I was 7.
Who are your influences?
Juna: Kelsea Ballerini, Ariana Grande and Luke Combs, Gabby Barrett
Joey: Stevie Wonder, Adam Levine, Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs
When did you know that you wanted to be an artist and a songwriter?
Juna: I was watching the Little Rascals and I saw the actress singing L.O.V.E by Frank Sinatra and I knew then –I performed for my Dad and he cried and said to my Mom, “This girl is a star.”
Joey: I was playing sports and I accompanied Juna on piano and was singing in the background and the teacher asked me to join in. I did and I was hooked.
Other than your musical influences, who has most influenced your decision to become a singer?
Juna: Our parents and their constant support.
Joey: Also, our grandfathers were both in music – Dad’s side was an opera singer from Italy and Mom’s was in a country band in Pennsylvania but traveled the country in a band with various stars.
How does your early music differ from your most recent music?
Juna: Prior to us having a catalog of our own original music, we started performing covers on our YouTube page. Through those performances, we gained 7 million views on our YouTube. As we got older, we started writing our own songs and have been garnering a following based on our original music, which is very exciting. The new music is very authentic to us because we wrote it.
Joey: As we got more experience with music, we started writing what we were observing around us and honed our skills and started co-writing in Nashville. Before, it felt like there were some mature topics that weren’t exactly a fit for us (i.e. songs about breakups, drinking, etc.) However, now that I am 18 and Juna is 16, we feel more comfortable with being able to express ourselves.
Tell me about your current project?
Juna: We were supposed to record our first EP in May of 2019 after we got out of school and we had to push it back until August. In the meantime, we were held up at home and learned Pro Tools–and recorded some other stuff to fill in. So this EP is a year behind schedule and we are anxious to get back to the studio and record the next batch of songs.
Joey: We recorded with Ken Royster (he also did Luke Combs “Hurricane”) so it was our first formal EP in Nashville – and we were super excited – by the time we recorded the EP, the summer was over and it was almost Fall so we had to wait for the mixes. We are very anxious to release our first song in February!
Was it difficult for you to pick a single to release?
Juna: Due to COVID, the producer only had time to do four songs so in this case, no.
Joey: It is so hard to know what others will like – it’s difficult to choose. We just try to do our best.
What do you hope listeners take away from listening to the single?
Juna: The most important thing is that we are developing our sound. We are songwriters and this EP is geared to our peer group and shows the ups and downs of this stage of our lives. I hope they will see a different side to us and relate to our original songs.
Joey: We are songwriters/musicians and artists – we just go with the flow and hope everyone enjoys our vibe. We are working on more songs for the future – some great pop stuff – so we have a long career ahead of us and hope that our fans will grow with us.
Do you prefer to release full albums or release albums a single at a time? Why?
Juna: I prefer singles. It’s easier to focus fully on one song start to finish – I am a bit of a perfectionist and like to be involved in every aspect so singles have my undivided attention. A whole EP becomes a little overwhelming.
Joey: I like them both!
What did you do during the pandemic when you weren’t able to be doing shows?
Juna: We were going to appear on America’s Got Talent and our manager and our Mom decided COVID was not worth risking –so before we could cancel, production shut down and made the decision for us. We were bummed at first but then our manager pointed out this could be a huge opportunity for us to get a lot of exposure and work done in our down time. I learned Pro Tools on our computer and our lead guitarist of our band recorded and engineered our tracks. We were also asked by a branding agency to sing a thank you tribute song to the Vanderbilt hospital workers for COVID so we literally picked the Dido song “Thank You.”
Joey: From there we decided to just do our own EP while we were waiting for our producer to schedule us so our manager suggested we go with a theme that reflected the current situation. We made an EP called COVID Covers and it featured songs like “All By Myself,” “Six Feet Apart,” and a few others. It was just a project to work on because we had no choice – and we were a little upset about being quarantined – so we made the most of it.
Have you been able to do any shows yet?
Juna: Yes, that’s the incredible part–we wound up getting so many live streams performances that we were doing two a day for a while and tons of interviews. We were asked to do the Universal-backed The Prince’s Trust Unlock Virtual Festival in Europe and it was pretty cool.
Joey: We are learning how to use all kinds of platforms like Twitch and the gaming platforms. We’ve also been doing a weekly fireside streaming on both Facebook and Instagram and tons of at-home YouTube covers – that’s how we first gained our fanbase on YouTube. We are also trying to find the time to use Tik Tok. Because Juna goes to online school all day and we have to tape our livestreams, we’re left with little time to create content so we have lots of photoshoots and try to focus on Tik Tok on the weekends!
What will it look like when you get back to your typical performing and touring schedule?
Juna: We are scheduled to do a Spring 2021 tour in Europe with a reality star and singer Twinnie which we are super excited about – we never thought our second tour would be in Europe but it’s going to be epic.
Joey: We are waiting until spring and hope to get back to our fairs and festivals schedule in Florida, the iHeart local fests, and our radio tour as soon as COVID and our Mom, a nurse, let us.
Anything else you want to share?
Juna: Yes, we wrote a song and made a video called “Anchor.” It is an anti-bullying song about a girl I knew. I really want to help people through this difficult time. They can dm me their bullying story and we will help them through it and advise them on how to find an “Anchor” to protect them.
Joey: We just feel that at our age and in our hearts, we want to spread positivity and love to all–that is what America represents to us. I hope we can move on from this period of time without judging one another and moving forward we can try to respect one another’s opinions. It is super important to respect everyone’s differences – that’s what is beautiful about this country.
Juna n Joey also said that they really want people to stay home and if you must venture out, please wash your hands, wear a mask, and follow the protocol until next spring when the vaccine is available. “We have many friends who have been seriously ill. We are lucky our Mom is a nurse and that our management puts our safety first at all times. Please hang in there – your life depends on it.”