Rising Stars: Meet Scott Johnson of Juniper out of East Nashville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Johnson

Hi Scott, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Juniper formed in the summer of 2017, just as I finished high school. Before heading to college, we wanted to record an EP as a final send off before parting ways to different parts of the country, where the future of the band seemed convoluted.

Around this time I met Alejandro, drummer of the band. Alejandro and I were best of friends in college, meeting on the first day of our first year school in Baltimore, MD. He lived 4 floors above me in the same building, which was ironic because back home in Boston we grew up 7 miles from each other without ever knowing it. He had grown up playing drums with different jazz ensembles, but had never had an outlet to join his own band. In the summer of 2018, Alejandro filled in for a weekend of shows, and after playing together that weekend, we never looked back. He was in, but more importantly, we shared the vision and love for music and where we wanted it to take us.

I transferred schools my sophomore fall of 2018 and immediately took advantage of a lackluster social life to write more. Through the next 8 months, Alejandro and I, in a long distance format, put together a recording project that eventually came together in the summer of 2019 in Boston, MA titled “For the First Time.” In the early months it 2019, the group expanded to five, where we recorded and released music up until March of 2020.

When COVID-19 hit, we were deeply rooted in the Boston scene. We played venues all around the city, college basements, and everything in between. The onset of the pandemic brought all that came to a standstill. This was during our junior year of college. The band consolidated, and as we entered into our final year of college, we knew the goal of recording and releasing our debut album had a time clock because we had no idea where our lives and the world were headed.

With that, we began writing and recording Distance Keeps Me Distant, which spoke on the changing nature of relationships (with oneself, with loved ones, friends, and the world around you) as a result of the pandemic. Our first single, “Angelina,” released in December of 2020, with the album release in June of 2021, just as we finished college. We engineered ourselves in our Allston, MA apartment, recording vocals in a small closet, just to have to redo them because of loud street noise as being a first floor apartment. It was an incredible experience; it was honest, unique, challenging, but inspiring. We worked with Philip Etherington who produced and mixed the record. It was a blessing not only because of his talent and dedication amidst a global crisis, but because of his friendship and guidance he gave us throughout the fourteen month journey.

Itching to get back on stage after the release of Distance Keeps Me Distant, we landed an opening slot for Boston band Los Elk at the infamous Sinclair. It was our first show back to a sold out hometown crowd. The energy in that room was bone-chillingly exciting, and in congruence with our streaming and social media numbers growing, we realiezd that this was something people were resonating with; it felt like we were onto something.

After various Northeast shows, by the fall of 2021, Alejandro and I were connected to Nashville songwriter/producer Carrie K, whom we graciously stayed with for a few days to record and project out some new material out of her home studio alongside engineer/producer Josh Lovell. This was our first time in the city, and we immediately fell in love with the scene. Over the next year and a half, we would travel back to Nashville three separate times, our longest stint close to one month long. We recorded with incredible folks such as Julian Dente, Carrie K, Josh Lovell, and others, and it became clear this was the place Juniper thrived in most, the place we needed to be.

Simultaneously in the fall of 2021, we met David Sessions. David was mutual friends with our touring bassist at the time Jack Davies, and from the moment we played with him, we could tell he was more than just a prolific guitarist, he was the guitarist Juniper needed. From Rochester, NY, David attended Berklee College of Music. His unique style is an amalgamation of Americana, alternative, blues, and RnB, which has elevated the band and brought us to new sonic spaces. The three of us are like brothers, and this closeness helps us continue to be grateful for what we have and cherish the community we’ve found along the way. We are constantly reminded that the driving force of the band is the joy we share in doing it together.

In the fall of 2023, we moved down to Nashville and have since recorded and released our EP, “Pennies in the Driveway.” We are enamored with Nashville and the artistry, creativity, live music, and songwriting that bursts at its seams. To be able to grow a fan base in the music capital and set our roots in a new region of the country has exposed us to incredible people, influences, and community. It feels like we’re closer than we’ve ever been.

Our hopes of being here are to network and grow our community both online and in real life through touring and continued releases, all in hopes to take the band to new and unbounded heights. Our dream is to play sold out arenas and stadiums around the world and continue to make music that brings people together through our collective struggle, joy, love, and experience as humans.

Check out our newest single, Wasted Time, on all streaming platforms.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not. I don’t think there’s a band that can say they’ve had a smooth road. Between multiple lineup changes, COVID, and long distance as a band at times (David in Rochester, Alejandro in Baltimore, me in Boston), it has not always been easy. Especially as a self funded independent artist, we are always dealing with hurdles.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I love to write and tour. I am most proud of our ability to adapt and to work with what we have, making the best of any situation. No matter what, we persevere together.

I write for the band, love to write with others for the band, and write with others for their projects. Songwriting is a life source for me. Sharing that passion and energy on stage is magical.

I also work for a climate tech company called Voltus, dealing with the sustainable energy transition. It is impactful to have Juniper also care about sustainability and other social issues, because using our platform as a voice for change and a voice of a community is the most important thing we could be doing

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I saw Bruce Springsteen when I was 12 at Fenway Park. To see a band put on a 4 hour show to people in there 60s as well as teens, and see how emotionally charged and energetic the crowd was, it was truly a spellbinding experience. I saw that and said “I want to do this. This is the power of love.”

Another great memory was seeing the Beach Boys with my Dad in 2008 led by Mike Love. We ran to the front when doors opened to be by the barricade. I was 8 years old. That taught me there is nothing better than a sold out show.

Pricing:

• T shirts: $25
• Tote Bags: $20
• Trucker Hats: $20
• Streaming: monthly
• Our love: priceless

Contact Info:

• Website: https://stacks.li/nk/juniper
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/junipertheband?igsh=amVqMHRvNmxmZ2I1&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JuniperTheBand?mibextid=kFxxJD
• Twitter: https://x.com/junipertheband
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@juniperofficial?si=RdsBfUCHTKjvOjgd
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/AvknRB4GmtkfUmVR7