CRS 2021 – Q & A With JUNA N JOEY

Photo courtesy of Juna N Joey

They’re young, talented and related! The country pop duo, Juna N Joey are a brother/sister act on the rise. Get to know them via my CRS 2021 Zoom interview right here, right now.

Patti McClintic: Hi, I’m Patti from Think Country.

Juna N Joey: Hi, what’s goin’ on?

Patti McClintic: Apparently lots of technical problems, but we’re over that now. What’s goin’ on Juna N Joey? It’s so good to meet you. I watched you guys on the CRS pre-lunch show performance and you were so much fun.

Juna N Joey: Thank you so much!

Patti McClintic: It was a lot of fun. I’ve listened to your stuff before, but I got to see you actually doing your thing, so that was good. It looked like a good time, even though there were no people in the audience. (CRS was all virtual this year) That was kind of odd, right?

Joey: Yeah. We still appreciated that we were on CRS. They did a great job running it.

Juna: Yeah. Everything was in order and they did a good job controlling it. They made sure it went all smooth.

Patti McClintic: So, why don’t you guys really quickly introduce yourselves to our Think Country world. Tell us where you’re from and a little bit of your background.

Juna: Hello, we’re Juna N Joey. My name is Juna, I’m 16-years old. We’re from West Palm Beach, Florida. We do country pop music. We have pretty much every social media that you could ever imagine. I started off singing when I was around four-years old. I play piano and classical stuff with my teacher, and then there’s Joey.

Joey: I was actually into sports up until I was eight or nine-years old, then I went to one of my sister’s music lessons. I guess I was singing on the couch a little, and I started humming and she was like, “Do I hear something? That sounds pretty good.” So, then I started to do music and actually started a rock band, and my dad loved it.

Juna: Classic rock.

Joey: Our dad loved classic rock. He was like, “Yeah! Led Zeppelin!” Then we weren’t really feeling it. So, we did that for about two years and we weren’t really feeling the rock, so we kind of went to country pop, and now we’re a duo.

Patti McClintic: So, I understand you guys kind of got your jumpstart on YouTube.

Juna: Yes, that’s where we gained the most traction at first. We started posting covers on there and people started to like them. So, we just kept trying to grow our YouTube channel, and now we’ve expanded to other social media platforms and doing things like radio and press and all that.

Joey: Tik Tok.

Juna: Yes, Tik Tok, and also writing music with people from Nashville, and just on our own too.

Joey: Just trying to get on the radio too, so we can hear ourselves.

Patti McClintic: Yeah, well, that’ll be next. You’ll get there. So, tell us about your most recent single, “Paper Heart.”

Juna: So, we put out “Paper Heart” for Valentine’s Day. The song is about having that one thing that reminds you, or makes you think of that one person. In the song, the boy gave the girl a paper heart to hold on to, to remember him.

Joey: Because he moved away and they weren’t able to see each other for a very long time.

Juna: It was a thing to say, “Remember me,” by.

Patti McClintic: Who wrote that?

Juna N Joey: We wrote that.

Juna: In Nashville.

Video courtesy of Juna N Joey and YouTube

Patti McClintic: How did you get that recorded? Everybody’s getting so creative during this whole quarantine thing of how they get music recorded.

Joey: We actually have a guitar player, Dylan Thomas, who does our recordings right now. So, he does the tracks and we do the vocals. We basically send it to him and then he does it in the studio.

Juna: With our band, he does it all in the studio and then he sends it over to us and we do it in our home studio, just to be safe and make sure we use our own mics because of COVID. Just because it’s a lot easier to be safe. So, for the most part we’re doing it here in our studio with our own mics and stuff, and we record it there.

Patti McClintic: You guys also have an EP coming out sometime this year, right?

Juna: Yes. Actually, the first song from the EP that’s coming out is called, “Something Good to Miss,” and it’s coming out March 13th and we’re so excited because it’s been a long time coming for this song. There have been like, three different release dates for this song.

Joey: It got pushed back, like, a thousand times.

Juna: Yeah, it’s finally coming out and we’re so excited. We recorded it with Kenny Royster, he’s a producer in Nashville.

Joey: He worked with Luke Combs on the song, “Hurricane.” He produced the song, “Hurricane.”

Patti McClintic: Just a little song. (Laughs)

Juna: (Laughs) Yeah, and he was so amazing, and his studio was so nice and so professional.

Joey: Yeah, Kenny Royster is a very experienced guy. He taught us some vocal techniques that professional singers use, and we have been using them ever since, and trying to enhance our vocal abilities. So, we really thank him for those tips.

Patti McClintic: So, the song is “Something Good to Miss,” and you guys wrote that one?

Juna: Yes, we wrote it.

Patti McClintic: It comes out March 13th. That’s really soon.

Juna: Yes, and we’re really excited.

Joey: We actually have a music video already done and we’re also doing a lyric video for it. We’re also so excited to get out merch for our fans.

Juna: There are a lot of things coming out. We did the video with one of my friends as the “love interest,” and it was really cool.

Joey: She’s taller than me, so I had to be kind of on my tippy-toes.

Patti McClintic: So, it was you and her as the couple in the video? You and Juna’s friend?

Juna: Yeah. I just play a friend.

Patti McClintic: Yeah, it would have been kind of weird if you two would have played a couple. That would have been awkward. Really awkward. So, that’s exciting. How many songs will your EP have? Do you know yet?

Joey: It’ll have four.

Juna: Those will be coming out later in the year.

Patti McClintic: What are you doing to celebrate this EP when it comes out? Obviously, live shows have come to a bit of a screeching halt, but what are you doing? Are you doing any livestreams or anything locally in your area?

Joey: I was thinking maybe we should have a release party in Nashville. We just bought a house up in Nashville, and it would be pretty cool to bring up our whole band and some fans and throw a huge party.

Juna: In our house?

Joey: Yeah, in our house.

Juna: Oh, let’s not do that. (Laughs)

Patti McClintic: A house trashing party as a housewarming party? (Laughs)

Photo courtesy of Juna N Joey

Joey: We’re actually going to Nashville in a week and we’ll be doing some new songwriting sessions and stuff. We have some shows up in Nashville.

Juna: We’re really excited because we’ve been wanting to get a house up there for a while. The amount of times we would call the realtor and say, “Okay, let’s see that house.” Then the realtor would call back and say, “Oh, sorry that’s under contract.” Every single time!

Joey: Nashville’s become a very popular place, everybody’s trying to live there.

Juna: The house is in Manchester, so it’s not really Nashville.

Joey: So, we’re like, an hour away from Nashville. I would have loved to be in downtown Nashville.

Patti McClintic: Until you’re there and then you’d be thinking, “Oh, I really wish we had moved to Manchester so we could be away from this madness.” So, you might be better off.

Joey: We moved next to our manager because we wanted to get more work done with music, and Nashville is such a city of country music. So, we have a summer home up there to work at.

Patti McClintic: Good for you. So, when you’re not doing music, what are you doing? What’s fun? What’s exciting?

Joey: Well, I’m actually into fitness a little bit. I kind of like to workout. I’m kind of addicted to it, because once you start you want to see some progress. I’ve been doing it for two-and-a-half years now. I just love being healthy, you know? I’m a cook, I do certain meals that I eat every single day, that my family gets sick of.

Patti McClintic: What is your “every single day” meal Joey?

Joey: Rice and ground turkey with spinach.

Patti McClintic: And Juna’s going, “No, no, no…” (She actually was shaking her head and saying, “No.”)

Juna: I don’t know how he lives his life on one single meal. I just could never.

Joey: Oh, and Chipotle. Without Chipotle, I couldn’t live.

Patti McClintic: Oh, and Chipotle, so there is that one fast food demon you have. What about you Juna? What are you doing for fun when you’re not doing music?

Juna: I love playing the violin, as well as cook, not one meal, I cook a variety of things. (Laughs) I also like to swim sometimes, not really right now. It’s kind of cold. Actually, it’s not that cold here, but it’s a little chilly, so I haven’t been swimming recently. So, yeah, I play instruments all the time and I also love to drive because I’m getting my license in two months. So, I’ve been driving my parents everywhere, and driving them crazy at the same time. I drive my mom crazy because I ask her to drive every single day, and she doesn’t want me to because she gets nervous.

Patti McClintic: I remember those days.

Joey: She’s a lead foot.

Patti McClintic: Usually it takes one to know one.

Joey: No, I’m pretty smooth when I drive.

Juna: Mmm hmm… (Laughs)

Patti McClintic: Well, you guys, it has been so much fun to chat with you. Since we are Think Country, when you guys “Think Country,” what do you think?

Juna: When I think country, I think of family and genuine people. I think of the scenery, woodsy vibes…

Joey: I think of positive energy.

Juna: Yes, positive energy.

Joey: I think people from Nashville are so nice. They go to church. They’re good, Christian people and they just love music, and we love them.

Juna: Everybody’s like your neighbor and so friendly and so kind. They’re people that we want to surround ourselves with, and that’s why we’re heading up there more often.

Joey: I think of fishing, mullets…

Juna: Backroads… Mullets? (Laughs)

Patti McClintic: Speaking of mullets, my husband used to have a mullet, but that was back in the day. Like, way back in the day when mullets were in their first mullet go-around. Now, they’re coming back around again, I guess. I don’t know why, but they are.

Juna: Our dad had a mullet too. Curly, long haired mullet.

Joey: From the Bronx.

Patti McClintic: We’re from New York too, the other side of the state. It was a thing back then, the mullet. It was cool to have a mullet. It’s becoming cool to have a mullet again and I’m confused about that. Do you think Joey should get a mullet?

Juna: I tell him that all the time and he tells me no.

Joey: I don’t know about that.

Patti McClintic: Maybe a mullet wig, just for a day. Do a video with a mullet wig. Think Country told you to. No. Don’t do that, the boss would kill me. It has been such a good time talking with both of you and I hope I can catch you live and in person sometime soon.

Joey: That would be awesome. Follow us on social media (links listed below). We’re doing a tour in September and we’re really excited for that because we want to get some fans from other parts of the world, so they can listen to our music in the UK. They listen to country music there.

Patti McClintic: Oh, you bet they do. We’re based in the UK, Think Country is based in London. They love country music.

Juna: We’re going to be there for a month. We’re opening up for Twinnie.

Patti McClintic: Oh, cool. She’s great. We’ll make sure we get your name out there loud and proud.

Juna N Joey: Thanks so much!

Patti McClintic: Bye guys!

Juna N Joey: Bye!

Weren’t they fun? Really full of enthusiasm and bright futures ahead of them. Give Juna N Joey your support by giving them a follow on their social media sites and sending them a comment. Be sure and tell them Think Country sent you! Look for their new single March 13th too.

For more news, interviews, reviews and features that always bring country closer, please visit thinkcountrymusic.com