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1.) We’re excited to be speaking today with acclaimed dark indie-pop band Junodef; greetings and salutations, gang! Before we dive down the proverbial Q&A bunny trail, could each of you say ‘hi’ and introduce yourselves to our ever-inquiring reading audience?
Hi there! I’m Karin, guitarist and singer of Junodef!
Hello I’m Tyra, I play bass and sing!
Hello hello! My name is Norea and I’m the drummer of the band!
2.) Congrats on the amazing new single Diane’s Robot! Karin what was the genesis of this catchy and altogether unforgettable song?
Thanks! Glad you like it. It’s actually Tyra who wrote the song, and me and Norea helped arrange it a bit. Tyra started writing it on an out of tune piano and went on to experiment with vocal pitching and created this kind of weird robot-sounding duet. She asked me to translate the piano part to guitar and then added lots of synths to make it less of a piano ballad, so although the kind of weird and eerie core of the song is still there, Diane’s Robot has gone through several face lifts (face drops?) before release.
3.) Norea, what distinguished Diane’s Robot from anything else that can be found on the 2022 music scene?
The main thing that distinguishes Diane’s Robot from other music that can be found on the 2022 music scene is probably the fact that it’s a duet with a robot, using a pitched down voice. It’s genius, and I can say that because it wasn’t me who wrote the song.
4.) Tyra, who was the producer on Diane’s Robot and what did that collaboration between the band and producer look like in the studio?
The producer on Diane’s Robot was Russ Russel. He is most known for his legendary metal productions for bands like Napalm Death, At The Gates, Dimmu Borgir. He is an incredibly sweet and lovely guy, and we had such a nice time hanging out with him and working in his studio together. It was a very relaxed and safe environment to work in, and we spent quite a lot of time just having a few beers and watching our favourite music videos together. In terms of music, he definitely contributed a lot to the sound of the song, most of all in the way that he managed to add a whole new layer of darkness and rawness to the track, with his metal background and all.
5.) Karin, how is Diane’s Robot similar to some of the past music Junodef has created? How is it different? I’d say the main similarity is the core feeling of the song. It balances sadness with something a bit more ominous, which is something we usually work with, not intentionally, but I guess we have some strain of drama and impending doom in us haha. The main difference from previous songs is probably the sound. It’s a bit more bold and the contrasts more drastic, with the erratic synth bass contrasting a carefully plucked guitar part, and how we have pushed the normal harmonies we sing into being a full on robot-human duet.
6.) Norea, what do you hope fans walk away with after giving Diane’s Robot a few dozen good listens?
Good question! I think if it makes the listener feel something I’m happy, whether that is that they recognize themselves in the lyrics or swing their hips along to the synth bass and drums.
7.) Tyra, Junodef hails from Sweden and is based out of the beautiful city of London, England, How do those roots inform the music the band creates?
I think we get a lot of our heavy and dark roots from Sweden, and from all being into metal and heavy music. It’s something about those Scandinavian forests right? And I think after moving to London and being introduced to a whole new music scene, our sound has definitely changed, and evolved into something a bit less dark and difficult.
8.) Karin, looking ahead, what does your touring schedule look like at the moment?
We’re almost done for the year, with only one headline show in London to go (14th December at Jaguar Shoes, come along!). Next year we’re looking to play more shows in and around London, as well as in Sweden. I reckon we’ll be out playing quite a lot, which is exciting, and we’re all gearing up for doing that as well as possible!
9.) A question for all of you! Who inspires you musically?
Karin: It changes so often for me, one day I’ll be listening to some mainstream pop boy and be like “my god this is so clever” to drooling over the darkest doom band the next minute wondering why we even bother about writing choruses. Right now my main inspiration is 070 Shake and AA Williams.
Norea: This changes from day to day. The Dandy Warhols, girl in red, Ingenting (Swedish punk band) are three current favourites. I’ve also been obsessed with solving sudoku while listening to this instrumental jazz playlist on spotify the last couple of weeks. It is just magnificent for my brain right now.
Tyra: At the moment I am inspired by a mix of synthy alternative pop like Susanne Sundfør and Fever Ray, and heavier bands like Electric Wizard, Part Chimp and Black Sabbath.
10.) Norea, on the heels of the release of Diane’s Robot, can fans look forward to an LP release from Junodef in 2023?
I wish I could tell you more, but unfortunately, we are going to have to be a little secretive. What I can tell you is that we are definitely going to release some music in 2023. Make sure to follow us on social media and all that to stay updated.
11.) Tyra, what does the creative process look like with Junodef? Does every member of the group have equal creative say in the music?
Usually either me or Karin sit at home in our bedrooms on our own and write songs and create demos in Ableton, and we’re kind of always working towards having a somewhat finished core of a song before introducing it to the rest of the band. I find it very difficult to write together with people before I know what direction I want to take a song in. I feel like I need to have a clear idea before I can invite other people into the process. But we usually finish up the songs together and add new elements and arrange the last bits and bobs.
12.) Karin, any final thoughts on Diane’s Robot?
I would like to get some cred for our craftsmanship building the robot head in papier-mâché. It took SO long to dry because we used way too much glue. Don’t use too much glue, kids.
13.) Final – SILLY! – Question (for all of you!): Favorite movie about the music scene – This Is Spinal Tap, Almost Famous or La Bamba?
Karin: Spinal tap! We watched it for the first time on tour last year after being scolded and publicly embarrassed for not having seen it yet. It’s funny.
Norea: Sweet lord I love Almost Famous, it’s actually one of my favourite films. The film is quite problematic, so I don’t know if that’s a good thing to say, but it is also a great film.
Tyra: Spinal Tap!!!
