Where are you currently based?
We’re scattered around Sydney, but we work out of our studio in Marrickville.
How did you first start playing music?
We were all drawn to music at a young age. Somehow that accidentally brought us together when we all took lessons at the same music school. We’ve been inseparable ever since.
What’s been happening recently?
We’re just all very stoked about this release. We’ve been super busy working with a lot of different artists as producers but are going to be getting in the studio this week to finish the next batch of singles.
How does it feel to have debuted as a band?
Like we’ve been keeping a secret for years and finally everyone knows. We were just kind of waiting for the right moment and the right song that would define us at the beginning. Now that we’ve made our debut it feels like we can go anywhere from here.
Your single ‘Remember’ is out now, how did this track come about?
This one is about my family, and particularly my granddad. When he started losing his memory, I got very introspective and themes of time, love, family and friendship just kind of blurted on the pages. The song doesn’t sound much like the meaning, but I kind of like it that way.
Where and when did you record/produce/master?
There are a lot of elements that we kept from the original demo that I recorded in my room mid last year. We recorded Max’s guitars and did some extra production at Nico’s house and mixed it at the studio in Marrickville.
How did you approach the recording process?
It was one of those tracks that didn’t take very long to finish. The bones of the track were already there, we just had to bring it to where we were hearing it in our heads. That part took a lot longer, we spent a lot of time in the studio tweaking the tiniest things.
Who or what influences your sound?
Thematically, we pull our influence from everyday problems, mental health, love, and relationships. We try to embody a mood brought upon by the lyrics in our production choices. But our influences range from Bon Iver, The 1975, BROCKHAMPTON, Tame Impala… there’s so much out there.
How has your previous music pursuits/bands etc led to the formation of JNR.?
We’ve technically been in the same band since high school. We’ve changed genres a few times as we’ve grown – but we’re in such a great place musically at the moment. I feel like we’ve found our place, though that might grow as we do.
What’s your plans for future releases?
We’ve got singles upon singles coming this year. We want to release as often as we can without burning out. There’s so many songs we’ve been sitting on that we can’t wait to show you.
Please tell us about the dynamic in the band between each member:
We’re all best friends. It’s hard to define that because we’ve been best friends for close to 10 years. We’re always there for one another and always will be – I guess that’s the dynamic.
Being a band of producers, how has this lent itself to the music production/creation process?
It’s really interesting. We all have our own ear and our own way of doing things, so it’s really helpful when we’re all in the room to see how other people listen to your work. Sometimes we’ll start a song from scratch in the room together, other times one of us has a fully completed song that just needs the others to get their hands on it. It depends on the song and what we want to work on.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
Lizzy McAlpine’s new record is great. We’ve also been loving COIN’s new album. There’s so much good music being released now, this answer could go on forever.
What’s planned for 2022?
More music. More growth. More jnr.
