Press pack - Juneau release debut single SILENCE. Please find live review, commentary and single in full belowOOC: If tl;dr, the single itself is right at the bottom :)
Juneau debut on British soil with a bangLive review: London KOKO, February 15thScarcely has a band promoted itself so well without ever having released anything officially, so when Chicago-made pop-punk newcomers Juneau announced that they were going to take to the stage in London to launch their new single and play their first show outside of their home state, never mind their own country, many predicted that it would be something of an anti-climax after all the self promotion. So would that be the case, or did Kellin Falconer, allas Conners and friends make the stage their own on a damp and windy Saturday night in London town? Culture Uncut's own Tom Marlow made his way to KOKO to catch the newcomers and see if they really could live up to the hype...When I first arrive at KOKO tonight, I'm greeted by a sight that I half expected, but which surprises me all at the same time. KOKO isn't the biggest venue in the world, and given that Juneau have promoted themselves so well over the past few months, I was not surprised to see that famous red 'sold out' sign hanging across their name over the door. At the same time, though, it's hard to believe that a band without an official single on this side of the pond would be able to attract such a sizeable audience. Sure, some people have managed to get their hands on their Illinois exclusive EPs prior to this show, but copies are hardly readily available. I couldn't help but think Juneau had some real pressure put on them from the off, but boy did they handle it incredibly well. In fact, they totally owned it. By the end of the night I'm left wondering how they haven't been around for longer given the way they command the stage and their array of pop-punk anthems that are just inherently fun and entertaining.
Rockstar pose: Kellin owns the stageThe night begins with an impromptu acoustic set from Juneau guitarist Kellin Falconer, who is greeted warmly by a decent crowd. His set is a part of his hastily thrown together "#MakeKellinAPopStar" web series that he's filming, and he treats a warm and appreciative crowd to renditions of his own penned work, including the slow and crooning "Here With Me" and the surprisingly upbeat "With Yours". By the time Kellin finishes his twenty minute set with what he tells us will be his debut single "Face Again", the crowd are loud and ready to go, really pumped up by the fantastic songs provided by a man who clearly has talent and diversity in bags. His quip of "Ummmm...thanks, I'll be right back" as he leaves to get ready for the main attraction is greeted by a chorus of laughter and cheers. The sub plot is surprisingly almost as good as the main attraction, and no one can be in any doubt as to why this young man is the brains behind Juneau.
However, as good as Kellin was, it was nothing compared to what was still to come. As the lights go down for the arrival of Juneau, the chants inside KOKO are surprisingly loud, and as Dallas and co take to the stage, far more confidently than anyone could have expected, the noise is almost deafening. I quickly come to the realisation that as much as this is Juneau's debut in the UK, there are a fuck load of people in this room who have been eagerly awaiting the moment for a number of years. And they're not about to let the moment pass lightly. "London, we are Juneau, and you are all fucking beautiful," bellows Dallas Conners, before the band launch into "Twenty-Five to Life" from their debut EP, every word roared back at them from the floor. For a moment, I think I see Kellin shoot Dallas a look of surprise at the reaction, but this is a band exuding confidence and oozing presence. Every headbang, every pose and every single strum of the guitar just screams veteran - and with good reason, this is a band that has been doing this for eight years. Although why they've hidden it in Illinois exclusively until now is anyone's guess, and everyone's loss.
Ringleader: Dallas leads the choir as Juneau swagger through an excellent setFlying through a setlist mixed with pop-punk and metalcore without letting their foot of the gas for a second, Juneau have the ceiling of this intimate venue quite literally dripping with sweat a few songs in, firing through song after song that this crowd just relentlessly laps up. Circle pits open, dancing breaks out and feet bounce gleefully on the floor as Juneau treat us to a masterclass in live performance that puts bands decades their senior to shame. Kellin and Dallas are the real heroes of this band, bouncing off each other, waving to the crowd and indulging in a few jokes between songs to keep the whole night feeling fresh and natural. Musical highlights include the bouncy "Take Me" and the surprisingly heavy "Entrance of Divinity", but the band really save the showcase for the encore. As they return to the stage to yet another raucous reception, hands raised triumphantly in the air, Dallas briefly thanks the fans for making the effort to make them welcome, before inviting them to have fun. During the next track "Faithless", a toilet roll battle breaks out on stage, with the band and their roadies tossing rolls at each other and into the crowd - and the shit eating grins on the faces of the masses say it all.
Set highlight, however, comes one song from the end, when Dallas leaves the stage briefly, announcing the next song "Carry Me" from out of sight. When he returns, the singer is inside a giant hamster ball, and as he sings the cheery song, he races around on top of the delirious crowd as everyone desperately tries to snap a picture when he passes over the top of them - certainly a totally unique way to crowd surf anyway. After we get done with that, all that remains is the purpose for this show in the first place - the launch and debut of Juneau's debut single in this country - Silence. And what a debut it is. The band are clearly totally into this song, and well they might be. It's a lesson in pop-punk perfection - fun, energetic, upbeat and with a bit of a teenage angst angle to it. The verses are punchy, the bridges unique (Dallas almost raps these parts) and the chorus as memorable as your likely to find this year. The shared vocal that sees Kellin Falconer take on the chorus duties really adds another element to the track, and by the time they leave the stage, it's become clear, even to an initial doubter such as myself, that this band really has it all. Not just a knack for songwriting, not just talent and not just the eye for a live show - everything. Remember the name - Juneau are set to take the world by storm.
Run, Dallas, Ruuuuun!: Any night that ends with a man crowd surfing in a hamster ball cannot be faultedIn conclusion: Juneau absolutely swagger and strut their way through what is one of the tightest, most fun and best executed live sets I've ever seen in such an intimate venue as KOKO. If they keep going like this, with excellent songs and an even better setlist, this is a band destined to hit the very top. Catch them in a small setting while you can! 5/5
Silence audio commentary with Dallas and Kellin from Juneau
Dallas: Hey, is this thing on? I've always wanted to say that. Ummm....hey so this is Dallas from Juneau and I'm here with my good friend, buddy and deputy Kellin "the Falcon" Falconer. You wanna say hi?
Kellin: Hey, this is Kellin. Please can I just add, if no one ever calls me "The Falcon" that would be just absolutely fantastic. Thank you (they both laugh). Anyway, we're here to tell you about this new track we've done called Silence. It's weird, because for us, this is like....the 30th song we've released or something, but to you guys overseas in England and Europe and stuff, this is the first you've ever heard from us - we'll be gentle.
Dallas: I bite a little, to be fair.
Kellin: He does. But not nearly as bad as when we were kids. One time I took his Snack Pack and the motherfucker tore a lump out of my shoulder. But that's one for the DVD. Dallas, you wanna start this...commentary?
Dallas: Sure. What part do you wanna talk about. My lyrics?
Kellin: Choices....choices. Tell you what, let's switch it up. You be the bottom this time (laughs). Sorry folks, I make gay jokes sometimes. Dallas doesn't get offended. He's nodding. Anyway, D, you take music and I'll talk lyrics. Switch it up. (he sings) a remix to ignition..
Dallas: And that is quite enough of that (laughs) Alright, well let me talk to you all a little about the music we have here on Silence. I gotta say, I love it. My buddy Kellin writes all of the music for Juneau, and I have always trusted him to get it spot on. He never lets me down, but this is like the greatest thing I've ever heard him put together. It's just a sick as fuck pop-punk song that just...man it oozes fun. It really is what Juneau is all about and I would never have been able to handpick anything that would showcase what we are to the world better than this. There's just so much energy packed in there and he somehow manages to get so many changes in the pace without it ever relenting. It's just...it's sick as fuck man. You know? I really don't know much else to say about it other than that. Nail.On.The.Head, Mr Falconer.
Kellin: Dude, you're gonna make me cry (laughs). Alright is it my turn? This lyrics for this song were written by my brother in arms, Mr Dallas Conners, sat here right next to me at the moment, and at the risk of inflating his ego further, I think the dude really brought it. Dallas always comes late to these sorts of things (the writing) and he tends to come in with ideas without even discussing it with me. So when he came to me and was like "yo I've written a song about a psycho partner you can never shake," I was like "woah what the hell man?" because I had written such an upbeat and punc packed pop-punk track. But then he sung the song to me and I was on my damn feet by the end. It's a song about like, well yeah, like I said, a psycho partner who's all about dragging you down, taking you from your friends and just draining you. The sort of girl...
Dallas: Or guy.
Kellin: Or guy...sorry, man...the sort of girl
or guy who will call you up at four in the morning screaming that they are going to slit their wrists even though you know they won't. That sort of nutcase who just totally dominates you and drags you into their shit. It's about getting over that though and moving onto brighter things, which I think is a really cool and positive sort of theme for a track. I like the teenage angst sort of feel in the lyrics as well. Is it a true story man/
Dallas: Yeah. You remember that Vanessa girl that lived next door...on Central.....
Kellin: Oh! Shit, yeah! She was crazy man. So yeah, before Dallas came out as gay, he dated this emo chick Vanessa who lived next door to him and she was always calling him and trying to get him not to hang with us and stuff. She was insane. She used to threaten to kill herself nightly. I think Dallas got like four hours sleep that year. Combined. Dude looked like a zombie.
Dallas: Yeah, and actually, that's what the chorus is all about. It's going back to night times at that period. Her bedroom backed onto mine, and she didn't have a mobile phone.
Kellin: That's fucking weird. I wouldn't be in the same street as someone without a mobile phone, never mind the same relationship.
Dallas: Right? Anyway, she would like pound on the wall to get my attention every night and then she would scream through the wall that she was going to kill herself, but I could never hear what the hell she was trying to say. So yeah, the chorus is all about trying to calm this psycho bitch through the wall when I could barely hear her, and then the desire for silence, which is where the title came from. You know, like "silence is calling", it was like all I wanted for a year was a little bit of silence, and I think that summed it up well. And honestly, I asked Kellin to sing that part of the song because his voice has a different tone to it than mine and it made it sound a little bit more....sort of teenager..than mine does, which really knocks home the authenticity.
Kellin: Is that a rap?
Dallas: I think so. Unless you got anything else to add?
Kellin: Shit, wait yeah. I reminded myself. The rap. Anyone still out there? Hey, well if you've heard us before, you'll notice one thing very different about this song from all we've done in the past, and that's Dallas' sort of rap bit in this track. We never did that before, but it sounds bad ass as hell, and it makes the song sound so fucking fast and edgy. I loved that.
Dallas: It just fit so well. I had to leave it in there.
Kellin: It is awesome, amigo.
Dallas: Amigo?
Kellin: I said it. (laughs) But yeah, I think that's all we have time for in this little...discussion. Thanks for joining Kellin and Dallas. The song will be coming in your ears as soon as we leave, so...as they say....brace for impact! See you all soon!
Dallas: Peace out.
Silence, by Juneau
Title: Silence
Artist: Juneau
Genre: Pop-punk
Label: N/A - self release
Music by: Kellin Falconer
Words by: Dallas Conners
Recorded: Chicago, IL
Personnel: Dallas Conners (lead vocals), Kellin Falconer (lead guitar, vocals), Josh Isaakson (rhythm guitar), Ryan Oberst (bass), Jordan Peters (drums)Sounds like:
Standard text/
italics: Dallas Conners
Bold text: Kellin Falconer
I hate all these lies, and the way you cry
You imprison my heart every time you "die"
Promise the world and then tease with a prize
Pull the carpet from under and it's no surpriseChoke me to death, make me turn blue,
Suffocate all that I held true
Told me these aren't chains,
They're just ties that bind,
All my friends seem to have it in for you
I hate all these lies, and the way you cry
You imprison my heart every time you "die"
Come up, stand with me in this suicide scene
Your roses ain't red they're just black and greenYou try, you try to shock and shake me
But I won't fall to your games
Cry and cry, your tears may break me
I got 1 credit left for my shot at fame
Silence is calling
I'm yelling through my wall and
Word for word we're falling
To the ground, ground (ground, ground)
Silence is calling
Still waiting for your call and
I'm gonna bring you
Round, round (round, round)
NowYou gimme a hand, have sex in my car
Don't tell me it's love cos that's too far
You tell me you care, is that my shirt you wear?
Fucking crazy, you swallowed that lock of my hair
I hate all these lies, and the way you cry
You imprison my heart every time you "die"
You drive me to seek, at the base of a beer
Never mind boiling bunnies, you're roasting a deerYou try, you try to shock and shake me
But I won't fall to your games
Cry and cry, your tears may break me
I got 1 credit left for my shot at fame
Silence is calling
I'm yelling through my wall and
Word for word we're falling
To the ground, ground (ground, ground)
Silence is calling
Still waiting for your call and
I'm gonna bring you
Round, round (round, round)
NowI hate all these lies, and the way you cry
You imprison my heart every time you "die"
You bury my heart, kept my head on a spike
It's time to fuck off, now take a hikeTear me to pieces, bring me to hell
But you still make my trousers swell
Wake me up inside, shake me to life
Free me from the fear of your knife
1 2 3 4...1! 2! 3! 4!
Silence is calling
I'm yelling through my wall and
Word for word we're falling
To the ground, ground (ground, ground)
Silence is calling
Still waiting for your call and
I'm gonna bring you
Round, round (round, round)
Now 