Artist Spotlight: Juice

My first artist spotlight goes out to one of my favorite bands - Juice. I stumbled upon this 6 piece rock band back in college. My shoes were damp from the moss covered field, and the air cut through my flannel (I know - it was a different time) but I was so enthralled by the group of men that came out on the stage. The crowd was no more than 200 people and I was surrounded by my classmates that I had quietly grown jealous of. They were all the crunchy, hot, queer environmentalists who seemed to understand social dynamics on a level far above my capability. Some were coworkers, and others were friends of a friend. I deeply wanted to be close with all of them but this was a period of my life that I felt so distant from my desires. Instead of introducing myself to the pretty girl standing next to me, we all danced in the mud as a light mist started to rain around us. We exchanged smiles and knowing eyes as we got lost in the surprisingly soft fiddle solos as the lead singers' deeply passionate, slightly gravelly voice rang through the field. 

I love Juice for their music first and foremost. I love the bright pinks and yellows in the electric guitar opening up “Audrey Tell Me”, the swirling blues and grays in the chorus of “Peace of Mind”, and how the lyrics blend into the bridge of “Girlfriend Song”. Their lead singer is not only one of the few men to really make me stop and question my sexuality, but their chemistry on stage is unbelievable. Before I knew any of the lyrics, I was jumping around to the cold April air. Their music flows like honey and oftentimes fills my apartment with autumnal reds and oranges that seem to go with every season of the year.

Beyond their inherent talent, Juice is one of those deeply sentimental bands for me. “Audrey Tell Me” marks the period of still right before my life was about to take off. I was single and surrounded by friends but deeply lonely, confusing being single to being unlovable. It was a time filled with great exploration and discovery, and a time equally paired with frustration and heartbreak. I met my first girlfriend and showed her this song. We would blast it in the car during the course of our relationship. For the first time in my life I felt wanted, loved, and cared for. My heart was on fire. “Peace of Mind” marked a period of deep reflection. There was a man that I met who so drastically changed my life. And we could have been in love, but I walked away. I played this song over and over again thinking about what life could have been, what life would have been. Would I have been happier, did I make the wrong choice? This song seemed to encapsulate all the desperation of “what if” that plagued my heart after my first breakup. 

“Girlfriend Song” marked the time after my abusive relationship when I moved out of New England and was on my own. It was vaguely reminiscent of the pop punk I had grown up on, with a familiarity of the simpler times; before I made seemingly incorrect decisions and ran from people who deeply loved me. In my processing of hurt and anger, I sang along to this song in my car. And for a minute, I was back on that field. My white shoes were impossibly muddy and I didn’t have any idea of how good life was about to get. It was a reset, and maybe if I listened long enough I could convince the universe to let me go back and try again. Let me try to appreciate what was in front of me a little more. 

Juice will always be one of those bands that so deeply brings together all parts of who I am. Their older discography is smooth and silky and their new music evolves as I do. If you are looking for a band with deep roots, talented vocals, and one that will allow you to grow with it - I cannot more enthusiastically direct you to them.