If you’re searching for new tunes to satisfy musical cravings, then look no further! JUICE is a fresh mix of Canadian talent originally hailing from the halls of Humber College’s music department. Blending classic soul and R&B sounds with modern indie rock and hip hop, this team of six has produced tracks that will be sure to leave your ears sizzling.
JUICE will be playing at The Head of Trent on October 5. Recently, Arthur spoke with Tom Hanley, guitar player and vocalist extraordinaire, to learn more about the band.
Hey Tom! How are you doing?
I am doing great. How are you?
Good, very good. I have to tell you, I’ve been listening to your music for three days straight. You guys are fantastic!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you like it.
Where did the name “JUICE” come from?
A lot of people think it’s a tie with orange juice or apple juice [laugh] but it’s really not. We’re a live band and we really focus on a lot of live energy, good vibes. It’s sort of like when you’re driving down the road and someone’s in front of you going really slow and you have to give it a lot of juice when you’re passing them in the left lane. That’s kind of where we got the name from. It’s energy based.
How would you describe your genre? It seems to be a little mix of everything.
Totally. We go with funk, rock, R&B as a description, but it’s definitely tough to categorize it in one genre.
How long have you all been together?
We’ve been jamming together for about four years now. I think our first show ever was like a Halloween show in some apartment on Bloor Street in Toronto. But we’ve been going seriously for about the past two years.
And you all attended school together?
Yup, we all went to Humber College together. It’ a great school. Lots of great musicians who are also really cool people.
Can you name a few of your musical influences?
Right now, I guess Frank Ocean, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, John Mayer, and Curtis Mayfield.
Who writes the songs?
I would say that I’m the primary song writer. Basically, what I’ll do is write the skeleton of a song and bring it in to the guys. Then we figure out the groove and the style, like how we want it to flow.
I see. So it’s really a collective creative process then. Are there any themes or topics that come up a lot in your songs?
Yeah, I think a lot of it is where I’m at lyrically when writing. For example, when we wrote this record about a year ago, we were just graduating university. So even the title, “Hit the Ground Running” was all about the idea that once we’re finished school, we’re going to dig hard and go for it.
What are your live shows like?
It’s as energetic as possible. We try to get everybody up dancing. We played at a bunch of jazz festivals this summer and there was such an array of ages, from toddlers to teenagers to young adults, to senior citizens. It’s energetic, fun and positive. We focus on the good vibes and try to get everyone in the audience involved.
You’re scheduled to play at The Head of Trent on October 5. Have you ever been to Peterborough?
Yeah, I’ve got a bunch of friends there. We played at The Head of Trent last year and Rail Jam two years in a row. We’re really excited to come out to Peterborough again. It’s always a good time. It should be an awesome show.
Where can interested people find your music?
Juicemusic.bandcamp.com is our online store, and we’re also on itunes, or you can go to our website.
