We’re looking forward to introducing you to your friend juniper. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning your friend , it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I feel like I’m walking a path for sure. I am such a frolicker at heart, so I like to wander as well, but I am very focused right now on my career goals and making things happen so I can spend most of my life doing my passion. Alice In Wonderland is a story that I really connect with because Alice is essentially wandering but it’s such a purposeful and productive time for the character. She grows so much and faces so many fears so I think you have to have elements of both to really do the life thing well.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
hi hi🌷 I am your friend juniper and i am a singer, songwriter and producer making little friends (songs) for you to sonder with. I’ve lived in a lot of different places and where ever I am, I write, record and produce all of my own music in my home studio. Right now, I’m living in Nashville and really loving it. I grew up in Texas and had family in Tennessee so it feels really familiar. I also lived in Oregon for a lot of my growing up so I definitely have a pacific northwest folk influence in my sound. Both of my parents had great taste in music! I was listening to Cat Stevens, Carol King, The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Chris Isaac, Loreena McKennitt, Barbara Streisand…the list goes on.
I was all musical theater growing up and was bound for broadway but shifted focus in college to songwriting and performance. It started with my dad buying me my first guitar. He was diagnosed with cancer when I was 18 and playing and singing to him became a really important way to spend time together. Music became the only thing that kept me afloat both during his illness and after he passed away. I started writing poetry and learning covers of my favorite songs and realized I could really make a difference through music. Songs had always been there for me through every hard experience I had. Music was my solace, my friend. I wanted to do for others what songwriters I loved had done for me. Pursuing songwriting and performance allowed me to combine all the things I felt passionate about. After I graduated, I launched my artist project and have been growing my
audience and sound ever since. I care most about my lyrics and the message of each song I write.
I also co-run a music and art mini fest in Nashville with my partner and we are so excited to get things rolling again in 2026!
My second full length album, ‘sonder’, is coming out November 14th! I’m already working on the next project as well. I have a concept for my album for next year and plan to hunker down this winter to record everything.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
When I was in preschool, every day at nap time, the staff would play Enya. I remember it was the first time I felt really overtaken body and soul by something. I would listen to Enya and would just feel invisible and like I was in a movie. I remember feeling this same way the first time I performed a solo song in front of an audience. I’ve always known the power of music and how much of a role it’s played in our story as humans throughout history. Music is and has always been the most incredible things I’ve ever experienced and I feel so proud to be a musician.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Every day! The music industry allocates money with less thought than the current administration. Everyone else in the industry but the musician gets paid. The market is oversaturated and it seems like the general public wants really vapid music😅 But I choose to listen to the words of every musician I respect, “never give up!”
And another beam for the bright side, no matter how bad things get, music will always be medicine. Live music will always be desired and I plan to spend the rest of my life making music that the world needs.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes! My whole artist project is meant to feel like you’re hanging with your good friend. I’ve actually been working over the last year to portray more of myself in my content. I make all of my own videos and edit all of my own photos and really love creating vivid art, but it’s a lot of work and I’ve really wanted to simplify the process for myself in a way that feels authentic.
I want people to listen to one of my songs and want to know who made it, go to my social media and realized they have a new friend. Each and every song is meant to be a comrade and a safe place to self evaluate and grow. I want my songs to inspire people to sonder and see the world for how big and diverse it is. I think for a while, I was trying to be what I thought the world wanted in my image and now I just want people to see me.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
This is such a thing for most artists, if no one ever saw or heard your art, would you still create it? I feel like the answer isn’t what people want. Yes, I would still write songs and make music, even if I was told no one would ever hear it, but I wouldn’t be on social media, I wouldn’t be paying out of pocket to play and tour, I wouldn’t be treating myself more like an influencer than a musician.
Anyone who is pursuing a creative career, I see you, I know you and I applaud you!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://yourfriendjuniper.set.bio/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourfriendjuniper_/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-moreland-ochoa-180160246/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourfriendjuniper
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yourfriendjuniper
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/yourfriendjuniper
Image Credits
My partner, Hugh Macdonald, took all the photos. I edited them
