Juna N Joey Are Gonna “Slip Out the Side Door” With Hot New Single

by Preshias Harris / 547 days ago / Comments
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From viral social media influencers to Country up-and comers

When the front door closes, another one opens / What ya think it’s there for? You slip out the side door.

That’s the relentless earworm that anchors the chorus of “Slip Out the Side Door,” the magnetic new single from brother-and-sister duo, Juna N Joey who have transitioned seamlessly from viral sensations to emerging pop-country artists on the way up.

There’s something unique about sibling harmonies (think: The Carpenters, The Everly Brothers) that is readily apparent in the songs of Juna N Joey, with a sprinkling of Lady A and Dan + Shay added in for good measure.

Their new single, “Slip Out the Side Door”, is their strongest outing to date, coming on the heels of previous singles including “Something Good to Miss” and the power ballad “’Til Your Heart Breaks” and a debut EP. 

Juna N Joey caught the world’s attention initially while posting cover versions of songs, racking up around 8.5 million collective views on YouTube and a viral 10 million views on Tik Tok. Not only that, in 2022 they were on Instagram’s Best Covers of the Year list, featuring Juna’s voice on their rendition of Mariah Carey’s Holiday classic “All I Want for Christmas is You.” (Find links to Juna N Joey's social media below.)

But Juna N Joey are much more than a cover band, coming into their own as singer-songwriters on their current projects, including “Slip Out the Side Door” that Juna N Joey wrote alongside James Carson (“Jimmy”) Nash. They are also co-writing with hit songwriters in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville. 

I met up with the young duo during Country Radio Seminar (CRS) in Nashville, just days after the new single was released.

“We have an EP coming soon but no title as yet,” Juna told me, as their focus is on promoting the current single.  “We’ve got a lot of shows coming up,” she said. “We’re going to Texas, we’ve been to Cincinnati, we’re doing a lot of radio stuff.”

They are also doing shows in their home state of Florida and had just played Nashville’s Whiskey Jam before CRS.

I asked about their writing process, whether they prefer to write separately or together.

“It depends,” said Joey. “Sometimes we write together, we write separately, and we write with other co-writers. Juna and I both have hook books.”

Joey noted that they use their hook books to jot down phrases or potential song titles they can turn to in a writing session. “Maybe our manager will say something and we’ll say, ‘Oh that’s great! Write it down!’”

Serious about their craft, Joey said they are taking a Berklee songwriting course, “So we can learn from the best musicians and try to implement that into our music.”

I asked them about their favorite aspects of the songwriting process.

“I think my favorite thing about it is that it can go in any direction,” said Juna. “Sometimes we’ll start with a whole song and then one of us wants it to be upbeat, but then, ‘Nah, it’s got to be slow because this part works like this.’ And one of us says, ‘Oh, we’ve got to put this here,’ and then it’s, ‘No, can’t put that there because of this.’ It’s just that there are so many possibilities to take a song in different ways.”

She added, “It’s great when we get that feeling, ‘What are going to put here on this line,’ and you go, ‘I got it! I got it!’ and it fits so well. When it comes to you, it feels so great.  I think it’s such an amazing process because you get to be so creative in what you do and what you say.  If you have an important message, it’s easier to get across when you’re writing the melodies and singing it.”

“It’s fun writing, especially with my sister Juna,” said Joey. “She’s a great writer. We create memories all the time.  I think writing is something that is personal too, but it’s always great to meet other songwriters. You always learn something when you’re writing.  It’s like a path and you don’t know where it’s going to go.  Then, all of a sudden, in like ten minutes, we’re like, ‘Oh, we got it now!’  

Joey said that when he’s writing he can lose track of time: “I’ll start writing then I’ll look at the time and it’s nine-fifty and I’m, ‘Oh my God, I’ve been writing for seven hours! It’s crazy!”

In just a short span of time, they have gone from creating their songs and videos at home to being in a professional studio environment.  I asked them how this experience has felt to them.

“I think my favorite thing is just seeing the songs come to life when we went into the studio and the band started playing them,” Juna acknowledged, “Because when we sent them the track, it was only acoustic guitar and vocals.  We didn’t really have an idea of what it was going to sound like. Then we went in there and Wow! The song really came to life. It became a real song. It was amazing and they did it so quick. They came up with all these licks and melodies and cool things.  They were really chill about it. They let us express our opinion, if we thought the drum should be played this way or if we tried to do it in half-time. They were open to our ideas.”

Joey echoed his sister’s comments. “It was really cool to see what they did with the song from acoustic to full production. It was such a great environment because the last time we had produced a record, it was during Covid where everybody was in separate rooms, so this was a different feeling.  With this record, I felt that everybody was together and had ideas while we were in the same room so there was more of a connection.”

Find a way to see Juna N Joey live. Meanwhile, discover more about this duo that is definitely on the way up. Check out their website and Facebook page, and follow them on Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok and YouTube. Find their music at Spotify here. #JunaNJoey

 

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About Preshias Harris

Preshias Harris Journalist

Preshias Harris is a music journalist who has interviewed everyone from Alabama to ZZ Top for articles and stories published in numerous music magazines. She is the author of longest-running monthly country music column in America and authored The College of Songology™ 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s ‘Need To Know’ Reference Handbook. As a music career development consultant with special emphasis on emerging and aspiring artists and songwriters, she focuses on ‘chasing the dream’ while understanding the realities of the music industry. She maintains a writers’ room on Music Row – named The Sangtuary – for her clients and their co-writers. She is a member of ASCAP (as a publisher), BMI, The Country Music Association (CMA), The Recording Academy, The National Association of Talent Directors (NATD) and a life member of Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).

You can find out more about Preshias at https://www.collegeofsongology.com and find her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com