Juniper and Instrumentals for Film&TV

Lisa has a hauntingly familiar voice..not sure what it is, but I put the CD in my car and didn't take it out. The lyrics are well written, and delivered with style. Look for great things from this band. - T.J. Kelley, Host and Producer, Rock 102.5 Dothan Alabama

Juniper is one of those great, rockin' bands. They get your mood going and let you feel awesome after hearing their music. I owned some earlier material from the band, and am now eager to get more! - posted at www.greatmusicsites.com

Looking to stand apart from the crowd, Juniper has hit the mark. Unique in their Alt-Pop, Industrial groove genre, they've developed a sound that can be definitely called their own. Completely self produced Juniper is the real deal. Indie to the end they've defined themselves on their own terms and in their own ways.

Ron is the self proclaimed guitar-toting, songwriting philosopher of the two while Lisa reflects an eclectic mix of powerful and ambient moods with her vocal deliveries. Having found each other in love, their union has compelled them to develop an erotic musical vibe that oozes with sensuality, zest and wonder...

Juniper is totally focused on song production in their home studio, promoting their music via the web while seeking licensing opportunities and developing a live sound performance. Some of their most recent achievements include licensing of their music on "Dr. 90210" and "E! True Hollywood Stories".

No small potatoes, Juniper is demonstrating what it means to be indie in today's music industry. Finding opportunity any and everywhere is what it truly to takes to make it in today's business of music and we at Catsask are certain that Juniper is set to spread thier vibrantly distinctive musical creations into the future... - Catsask Online Magazine

RadioIndy is pleased to present Juniper with a GrIndie Award for the CD "Crazy Love"


Juniper’s recently released album “Crazy Love” delivers an edgy and original showcase of alternative rock music. Right from the first track, “You Rock My World,” the drum beats pulse subtly into your soul while the strong and solid guitar plays driving riffs. The strong and emotive lead vocals on the title track “Crazy Love” are reminiscent of the popular female vocalist Alanis Morissette. Vocals throughout this album are melodic and mysterious, which gives way to the interesting and sometimes cryptic lyrics. There is a great amount of creativity, as each instrument presents a certain depth to the songs. “This Is My Job” and “I Like Solitude But Not Long” features piano that adds to the hypnotic tones. Juniper also balances the music with a variety of electronic sound effects that complement these well-crafted songs. If you like to hear music that has mystifying overtones and is in the style of Evanescence, then you should definitely check out Juniper’s “Crazy Love.” - RadioIndy.com HiFi Internet Radio

When did you first become interested in music? Hmmm...does before being born count?! There was always music in my family. I've always loved music and singing and being the center of attention. I remember listening to Willie Nelson in my parents VW bus on trips. I first sang in public in 3rd grade. The "Sound of Music" was my favorite movie and I wanted to sing like Julie Andrews. I got to sing "When you wish upon a star" when I was in 4th grade. How cool is that and especially since I now live near Disney! My brother actually sang before I did and my mom wanted me to play the piano since she did not have the chance. I hated it when I was little but now I'm glad she made me! I think I was in every Children's Choir there was in our hometown. I did not take formal voice lessons until I was in High School. Even though I sang solos I was very shy off stage. In High School I sang in the traveling Show Choir and even sang a solo on TV!

What is your role in your band? I am the lead vocalist and sing background vocals as well. Every now and then I'll come up with a keyboard part for a song. My band name is "Juniper" and it is myself and my husband. It's interesting because my husband has no musical background but taught himself to play the keyboard and piano. He's the one that told me we’d have a CD!

Was there anyone who inspired or influenced you to pursue a career as musician and performer? I always enjoyed watching my grandfather lead music in church when I was little and how happy he made people. I wanted to make people happy with my singing. I was given his song books when he passed away. When I was in Middle School, I sang a solo in a production. After the show was over, a little girl came up to me and said "I don’t know why, but I was crying when you were singing. It was pretty." I think that has touched me the most. You don't realize the power that music has to convey so many emotions to people on so many levels. When I was younger I'd rather just close my eyes and "feel" what I was singing rather than seeing the people. I tried to sing a song for my Dad when I was in 7th grade and got so choked up that I ran out of the building. I've never sung the song since.

What project or CD are you most proud of? I'd have to say "Unspoken" which is our second CD. My husband and I worked very hard on it and it was our first "mainsteam" album. We promoted our little socks off with that one! We even submitted one of the songs "Believe" to the Orlando Magic to see if they would use it as their theme song.

What performances have you enjoyed the most? I must say one is the New Year's Eve concert we did in 1999. What better way to bring in the new millennium than to be singing your own music! It was surely rockin! I remember this past 4th of July when I was singing in Downtown Winter Park. I was singing "My Country Tis of Thee." I had brought my two youngest children with me and they were sitting right in front of the stage. My youngest son was belting it out with me and it brought tears to my eyes. I sang "O Holy Night" in December at a candlelight service (which was my first time singing it in public!). The night was so quiet and beautiful. I really enjoy all of them because I get to spend them with my husband!

From your experience what qualities do you think an aspiring artist should have today to succeed in this industry? Persistence, be humble, flexible and be able to take constructive criticism. Stay true to who you are and what you believe in. There are too many "cookie cutter" musicians who are all alike. Be different!

What do you love about this career? I love that I can be whoever I want to be. I can be happy, sad, soulful –-anything –-through my music. I love that I can be with my husband and share everything with him. I honestly get nervous every time before I sing but he’s my constant supporter. I love that I can sing wherever I'm at and whether I have instruments or not. Sing a song that other people know and see how quickly they relate to you!


ON BEING A ROCKIN' MOM

How many children do your have and what are their ages? I have 3 wonderful kids! My son Neal –-age 13, my daughter Brianna - age 11 and son Evan -age 9.

Did you perform and/or write music before you were a mom? I performed a lot before I was a Mom. I enjoyed being out in public singing any chance I could get! I even did Broadway in Elementary Schools!

How has motherhood enriched your music and affected your career? I now know it's not all about me. All the choices I make will eventually affect them. They inspire me as well with performing. They most surely give me energy!

Do you bring your child or children to see you perform? It was tough when they were little, but we brought along a babysitter (who doubled at running the sound and lights!) to help watch them while we were on stage. They've all been coming with us to our concerts since they were babies. We have videos of our oldest son in his walker bouncing to the music while we would be writing songs and our youngest son trying to "eat" the microphone and sing.

How have you made time to balance both careers? Sometimes I think not too well. I work a full time job, sing with the Orlando Opera and then have time for the music with my husband. I need to work on focusing more time on the music with him. Since we now have a home studio, this makes it easier because we don't have to travel out of the house to record.

Any advice or tips for other Rockin' Moms? Always make time for your kids! I don’t want to look back and think "Gee I missed that." Get them involved! My kids love to help with equipment, give ideas for songs and even critique the ones I've done. They see it all pay off when they come to a performance. Make a schedule. I'm a habitual note taker and post-it note writer. I try to stay organized this way.

Where do you see yourself a year from now? With another album and hopefully doing music full time!

Thank you Lisa! ~Tiffany Petrossi

To listen to more of Lisa's music visit the Jupiter website.
There song, "Escape," was also featured on the Rockin' Moms CD Compilation Vol. 1. - RockinMoms.com

From the moment the two of them first met, it was love at first sight. Now Ron and Lisa of Juniper have formed together to create something magically. In this 1st time interview with Junior's Cave, both Ron and Lisa talked about their love for music and each other. Enjoy this spotlight!

Isaac: Hi Everyone. Welcome to your interview with Junior's Cave. Now that 2008 has officially ended, what are your reflections of the year 2008 for Juniper?

Lisa: Can we say "Crazy?!" We put an album together, Ron went promoting in LA and we worked full time jobs as well. It was productive with finally being able to have a home studio and not having to pay for studio time. We got some of our music on E! True Hollywood Stories: Rachel Ray as well.

Isaac: How did the two of you come together as a group? What drawn you to each other?v Ron: We met when I was in college and Lisa was in high school. She saw me at a picnic and dug my hot coach's shorts. I loved her smile and those legs! We both enjoyed just being ourselves around each other. We could talk about anything and she'd watch sports with me!

Lisa: I was amazed by his magnetic personality. He could talk to anybody and to top it off he was hot! I'm not outgoing with people I don't know so he brought me out of my shell.

Isaac: Elaborate a little about whom were your biggest influences in the music industry and why?

Ron: Who influences or inspires me currently? Beck inspires me because of his diversity and imagination in songwriting and performance. I admire Shirley Manson as a beautiful marriage of rock and sexy, second to Lisa though. Eve Adams at acmrecords.com is a true blessing - the first to put our music on TV.

Thank you Eve! I met David Trotter (music producer and co-founder of Studio 51) in Los Angeles and I love the way he talks about music in TV. He makes it seem like a captivating, ballroom dance. I'll never forget what he said about music screeners though, "They're trained to pick out fly shit from pepper." I laughed my ass off!

Lisa: I like Gwen Stefani, Pat Benatar, Shirley Manson - anyone that has that raspy "sexy" kind of sound or is just out of the ordinary. They are definitely original! If you can believe it, one of my favorite songs is "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler.

Isaac: Let's talk about what you feel Juniper will bring to the music industry?

A new sense of originality and a breath of fresh air. No more "cookie cutter" songs. And music that will inspire and enhance visual medium.

Isaac: If you had an opportunity to work with one artist or group, who would it be and why?

Ron: There are so many. Aside from artists already mentioned, Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics comes to mind. Her voice is so rich and diversely gifted. I'd love to say I made a track for her because I don't think I'd miss the mark. To me, she appears as if she could sing in so many ways and make it sound very good. But I digress, cause I think Lisa fits that description to a "T".

Isaac: How would you describe your music to others?

>>>NIN and Garbage with hints of Portishead and Sneaker Pimps. More or less fits in this genre as opposed to consistently sounding like these artists. So it's definitely eclectic. Rarely, if ever, the same way twice.

Isaac: What type of feedback have you received from your previous releases?

>>>We've received glowing reviews from evolvingartist.com, Madalyn Sklar of gogirlsmusic.com, and an assortment of Honorable mention awards from organizations like Billboard, songoftheyear.com and songprize.com. Our Unspoken album received a lot of favorable reviews and feedback. But not all our feedback is positive. You can find a pretty scathing opinion of our Escape CD at earcandymag.com with a little bomb icon next to it too! Then find glowing reviews of the same project at kweevak.com and smother.net. So it's a very subjective process. Our philosophy is that all feedback, when constructive, will make us better. Any deconstructive or hateful feedback is ignored. And, pretty much all public feedback is good exposure.

Isaac: What can fans expect from your latest CD, Crazy Love 2008/2009, you are working on currently? What is the inspiration behind the CD?

Lisa: The inspiration is really what we feel for each other. How often do you get to do something you really enjoy with someone you love (well besides the obvious!)?

Ron: The inspiration for tracks like You Rock My World, Crazy Love, Without You, Free and When It Rains echo feelings in my relationship to Lisa and vice versa. But I think we attained a kind of universality to them so that everyone could relate. Topics like fantasy, sensuality, innocence and even disappointment are touched on. You Rock My World and Crazy Love are the most sensual. After 14 years of marriage, we wouldn't be completely transparent as artists if there wasn't a little bit of the kinky somewhere in our music. Same can be said for the arguments, like in Without You. Run Away, This Is My Job and Gain the World reflect more on our experiences with corporate America and economic undertones. While the lyrics are a bit more specific in This Is My Job, Run Away maintains a more generic idea where people can more easily insert their own ideas. Both tracks highlight a captivating piano with industrial and down tempo vibes.

The last three tracks are instrumentals. My favorite of the three is "I Like Solitude But Not Loneliness."

Long title, but the idea was so genuine to me that I had to keep it. In regards to songwriting, I am more productive making music when in solitude. More details about each track on the new release can be found at our website www.juniperis2.com on the music page.

Isaac: Where can fans locate you at online?

>>>At our website, www.juniperis2.com, myspace.com/juniper2, we both have Facebook pages as well.

Isaac: What can fans expect from Juniper in 2009?

Ron: Lisa will be performing with the Orlando Opera in several productions. Juniper music will continue to be on TV so visit our site and sign up for email updates as we'll let you know when and what shows our music will be playing for. Planning has begun on a new music video for this year on one of the Crazy Love tracks.

And it's likely we'll have made another album before the year is over thanks to finally having our own studio.

Isaac: Time for some shout outs to your family, friends, and fans…

Ron: Shout out to my two sons Neal and Evan, my daughter Brianna, my seven brothers and sisters, Ikon, Rob Guskiewicz, Josef Gonzalez, all my friends on MySpace and Facebook, and thank you Jesus for saving my soul.

Lisa: Hey to my family, my "little angels", Angie from WV, Dina the fabulous video queen, crazy stalker man, Ikon, Lulu, Tick and Belle, and Will C.

Isaac: Final words from Juniper …

>>>Thank you Juniors Cave for this exposure! Let's hook up again on the next CD release - Juniors Cave Online Magazine

Categories are something most bands fit into yet also vehemently shun; no one wants to be pegged as a certain sound because descriptions are almost always limiting. Mainstream radio bands of today do fit into a category though, whether it be alternative, hardcore, or emo; regardless of their artistic intentions. But there is no room in any named category, no matter how loosely interpreted, to squeeze in the individuality that is Juniper: A breath of fresh air to the stagnant climate of modern music. But there's more...

Ron and Lisa Potter met in Bible college. Their promo picture is like one of those photos that come with a newly purchased frame; very unassuming and just plain, well, normal looking. What lies under the two-dimensional Kodak field is an extremely sensous creative duo that crosses paths with Garbage, Psykick Girl and yes, gotta say Moby, and delivers some haunting electronica visions and delicate, sexy vocals that nourishes the soul like an 'after-the-rave' spring water.

There is a philosophical question of whether music is created or received. For instance, programmer/guitarist Ron Potter undergoes spontaneous creative endowment when doing such seemingly superficial tasks like brushing his teeth or driving a car. Most of us can't eat and drive, let alone write an epic sounding orchestration ala Beck while passing in the fast lane. Rons' programming is slick and uncomprimised...the bouncing airy qualities of track 7's "Thornless Roses" crossed with an almost retro-lap Casio sound is Perfection with intended capitilization. The beats are hammered out in funk-bop, minimilistic styles, the bass is simplistic yet endearing, and the break-downs of tones and electro-pulses are tranquil and unearthly. Yet least of to overlook is his tribal/jungle instrumental tracks which are just as interesting and essential as the eccentric duos collaborations But wait, there's more....

Lisa: Her voice could be the audible scent of a blooming rose. Not to get too poetic, but she must've been taught that the best gifts in life are shared, because she feeds her sultry harmonies out to mankind like "manna to the gods". I'm not kidding, this has to be one of the best voices, and lyricists, in (uncategorizable) music today. Of course the production value and CD package is impressive alone with a picture of a convertable (wish I knew my cars better) vehicle and flawless, clean and polished audio tracks. Ahh yes, one more thing...

Dont' let the fact that they met in Bible college sway you to think that their Compact disc evangelists. Absolutely nothing could be further from the story. "Juniper"'s M.O. is apparantly breaking the stream of same-old same-old, without a pretentious paddle, just feverishly carrying on upstream to the market available for the true talent/poets of today's consumer. Need I say more?

I give this album a 9 out of 10 on the evolution scale!
- www.evolvingartist.com

Your CD hasn't been out of my stereo since i got it! It's amazing! Add me to your mailing list! Keep up the good work! I can't wait to hear some new tunes from you guys! - Kyle from the UK

All factors considered, this is a complete package ready for shipment. If nothing else, you will stand strong in the face of industry scrutiny, and do quite well within your chosen genre (alternative), as well as cross over into a few other catagories. Pitch this music to everyone at radio, to film & TV supervisors, and to A&R globally, and you will no doubt find success. - www.makeastar.com, April 2004