The last time I saw junodream was in February. Dad and I got to The Deaf Institute just in time for doors, made our way up the stairs and found ourselves in a tiny room packed to the rafters.
A couple of weeks before, I’d sat him down and played him Pools of Colour, junodream’s debut album. The record had only just come out, but I reckon I’d already listened to it about 40 times. Actually, that’s probably a conservative estimate.
It was an admittedly unsubtle and shameless attempt on my part to get him to come to the gig – and it worked. It was an amazing gig, and I still can’t really believe we ever saw them in a room that size.
Tonight, however, they play a much bigger venue – Camp and Furnace in Liverpool. It’s one of multiple dates they’re doing up North this September, supporting shoegaze giants RIDE on tour. And they’re already thinking about what’s next – new tour dates have just been announced for early next year. I can’t wait to see them in London; they play a huge headline show at Electric Brixton on 27th February.
The jump in venue size in only a year is crazy – but so deserved.
They’re also heading to the Continent for the first time later this year, with dates in Paris, Amsterdam, Cologne and Brussels towards the end of November. One thing’s for certain – junodream have a very exciting year ahead of them.
For now, the band turn their attention to Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle. Camp and Furnace is a great venue – it’s a new one for me but I’ll definitely be back.
At exactly 7pm, the hangar door slides open and I head straight for the front row. An hour later, the London-based quartet make their way onto stage.
The first three tracks (‘The Beach’, ‘Kitchen Sink Drama’ and ‘Death Drive’) are all taken from their debut album. Pools of Colour is a gorgeous record and, quite frankly, a ridiculous debut. It’s one of my favourites of the year. Almost 40 minutes of spacey, atmospheric and complex dream rock, full of introspection and commentary on modern life. Their sound is timeless and has definitely been influenced by the likes of Radiohead and Pink Floyd. They’ve learned from the best.
About halfway through their set, Ed Vyvyan (vocals, guitar, occasionally shaker) points to the bass drum head behind him and asks the Liverpool crowd to “remember the name junodream”. I’m going to ask you to do the same. If you haven’t heard of them before, you need to check them out.
Up next is ‘Travel Guide’, a dazzling track off their 2021 EP of the same name.
When Vyvyan announces that the band are going to play a new song, I wait for the telltale bassline intro of ‘Dream Untitled (On and On)’ – their latest single – to blare through the speakers. But it doesn’t come; junodream play something else they’ve been working on, and it’s fantastic. If these new tracks are anything to go by, album number 2 is going to be something else.
junodream finish with old favourite ‘Nobody Wants You’, taken from their other EP Isn’t It Lovely (To Be Alone). The Liverpool crowd, which has doubled in size by this point, breaks into applause.
We only get 6 tracks in total, and it’s not enough. Except if you’re trying to prove that junodream are a group of talented musicians/songwriters – I think everyone in the room on Tuesday reached that conclusion about 30 seconds into ‘The Beach’.
If you haven’t figured it out by now, let me be clear: I’m a massive junodream fan. They’re out of this world. It was really cool to see them on a bigger stage – they’re made for it.
And this is only the beginning.
February can’t come soon enough.
Review by: Ayla Hewitt
Images credit: Ayla Hewitt
Follow Ayla on Insta: @aylagoestogigs @aylaratesalbums
