Hailing from Hamilton, Ontario, Junestone released what turned out to be the last great album of 2024. Dropping their debut album First Try on December 30, 2024, Junestone is a hidden gem in Canada’s music scene, with songs which are equal parts pop catchiness, rock swagger, jazz sophistication, and soulful funkiness.

The musical brainchild of alt-funk fusion bassist and jazz-pop vocalist Olivia Brown, Junestone features Borys Franiczek on guitar, Ian Aisling on keyboards, and Justin McHugh on drums, completing a tight unit of diverse influences and chemistry. They refuse to be pigeonholed by genre, crafting music that’s hard to categorise, bridging jazz and alternative rock seamlessly with groovy basslines and funky rhythms underpinning pop melodies with soulful, thoughtful vocals. If you love music that grooves whilst refusing to fit neatly into a box, then Junestone might just become your new favourite genre-blending band.

We caught up with the band to find out more:

With such a sprawling range of genres in your sound, what comes first in the writing process?

Are there any particular albums or artists that you’d point to as key influences?

There’s such a great synergy between the 4 of you, can you tell us how you came together?

Can you tell us about Hamilton’s music scene?

How about Canada as a whole?

Do your songs change when you play them live?

What do you hope people feel when they listen to your music?

What is the ultimate goal of Junestone?