Taking a step outside the usual indie rock scene in NYC, I saw a show at Mercury Lounge with a band originally from Boston. It was on a Friday night after work in December, an ideal way to end the work week and start the weekend. As expected, the room was filled with drinks in hand, and everyone’s attention raised towards the stage, awaiting Juniper’s arrival.
The trio consists of Scott Johnson (lead vocals), Alejandro Marin (drums), David Sessions (guitar), along with Jacob Shneiderman (bass), and Angela Morano (keys and vocals) during live sets. The bands' cohesiveness in sound and performance was notable from start to finish.
Originating from Boston, MA, (but recently moved to Nashville, TN) each artist's love for music began at a young age, as a way to express their emotions and connect to others. Juniper as a band initially began as a high school cover band back in 2017, but as time has passed, their work in music took them to new heights, collecting almost 130k monthly listeners on Spotify! The start of their career was playing shows everywhere around the city of Boston, like college campus basements. As the lockdown of COVID made the continuation of their live performances more difficult, they realized they needed to record and release music. Thus, later on, came their first EP For The First Time released in 2019 shortly after their single “Here For The First Time” which now has over 10 million streams! The trio has spent time crafting music reflecting their personal experiences in love, life, work, and just being human.
Their own eagerness to begin the show was visible. As the lights dimmed, they walked through the crowd and hopped on stage taking their respective spots. For anyone, headlining Mercury Lounge is a huge accomplishment that feels special, not only to the performers but also to the audience. Obviously ecstatic to be on stage, the band looked at one another in excitement and began their set.
One thing I could not stop thinking about during their set was how groovy their sound was- so forgive me if that description becomes overused. If you have listened to Juniper's music before you can agree with me, however, seeing them live truly solidifies that description. Because not only is their sound relaxing and fun to dance to but so is their stage presence. The first song of the night, “Angelina” starts off just like that, groovy and upbeat. Immediately as the guitar riffs began I knew I would be mesmerized by guitarist Sessions's talent.
Lead singer Johnson has an ability to draw in the crowd during each song. As the rhythm continued as upbeat and the guitar carried on, the drums in the third song, "(Come to My) Senses" picked up, further intensifying the performance. Each transition between songs was smooth, carrying the same energy throughout as Johnson showed gratitude for the ability to play at Mercury Lounge. He invited the audience to dance along since “It’s a Friday night!”
Their newest single, “Wasted Time,” released in September 2024, was rhythmic and catchy, as sweet harmonies between Morano and Johnson tied the track together. Marin's steady drums and the sick bassline backed the emotive lyrics of the song. The instrumental break was slow and nothing short of groovy as the audience swayed along to the melody.
The introduction to their song “Daydream” was “If you've been on the bad side of a one night stand yell “Booo”.... that shit sucks!” A good hook prior to a song always gets me more intrigued, and the crowd felt the same as the song began. As Johnson’s vocals engaged the audience, the crowd waved their arms back and forth in the air along to the music. A good guitar riff is always riveting to watch, and Sessions had a relaxed way of completely shredding.
Juniper has a sound that showcases influences from a myriad of genres spanning, alternative, pop, R&B, and so on. Their live performances exude a funky melody that’s so intoxicating you can’t help but dance along. You get lost in their performance and truly just feel the music move through you as they play. A great range in sound, some songs are slower than others, with calming harmonies and a deep bassline whereas others have crashing drums, a fast tempo, and sparkling keys that liven up the energy in the room.
Johnson introduced their next song by saying “We haven’t played this since B.C….. before COVID” and transitioned into playing “Please Stop Calling” – a personal favorite. Emotionally raw lyricism, heavy keys, a slick electric guitar, and gorgeous harmonies yet again by Morano and Johnson. The instrumentals and vocals collapsed together beautifully, stopping time altogether in the Mercury Lounge room.
Another favorite song of mine, but this time they were doing a cover of “Evil Woman” by Electric Light Orchestra. With deep alluring vocals and a groovy live twist, Juniper’s rendition of the song was impressive and exciting. On the bass, Shneiderman was going crazy alongside the electric guitar, completely captivating us all! Ending off with their most streamed track “Here For The First Time”, the well-known riff and heavy drums signaled the night of good music was coming to an end. Everyone jumped and sang along to the chorus as the melodies of the night began to finish.
A charismatic frontman with the ability to entice the crowd and a band full of life, they had a chemistry that was felt throughout the crowd. We as an audience had the opportunity to see people who genuinely loved to play music together. From dancing on stage to harmonizations that wowed us all, to a flawless instrumental performance, Juniper knows how to put on a show worth remembering. It was a fulfilling night being able to experience their set in a room full of people who also love their sound.
Check out and follow Juniper's socials for more music and future show announcements and stream their recent single, “Wasted Time”!
Written by Amy Kapel
Photographed by Emma Wannie