Among our glamorous guests at our Lady Wimbledon’s Tennis Party this Saturday are young American country music stars and influencers, Juna & Joey.
The brother & sister duo’s popularity exploded organically by posting covers on YouTube with almost 8.1 million collective views and a viral TikTok at 10 million views.
Their singles ‘’Til Your Heart Breaks’ and ‘Something Good To Miss’ charted, attracting the attention of music execs, brands and other stars alike, with their performance on ‘America’s Most Musical Family’ prompting partnerships with Levis, invitations to perform on a national tour with American Idol Cade Foehner and an international AEG UK Tour with BMG artist Twinnie.
They have an annual anti-bullying campaign with major partners every October, kicked off the iHeart WIRK Rib Round Up 2021/22, performed The British Country Fest in 2021, and are now touring the UK.
Our Celebrity Editor Angela Sara West (@angela_sara_west) chats with the singing/songwriting duo from Palm Beach, Florida, ahead of Saturday’s exciting event!
Hey guys, welcome to the UK! What are you looking forward to most about Lady Wimbledon’s Tennis Party?
Juna: Thank you! I have heard a lot about Wimbledon all my life and have watched it on TV, so it is surreal for us… And, of course, I am excited to meet Lady Wimbledon! I love England and all of its amazing things to do and see. I’m excited about meeting all the guests and being in that amazing venue, Warren House. It is an honour.
Joey: Meeting a player! Any of them will do… It will be an event to remember, I’m sure!
Your favourite players?
Juna: I do love the sport – it’s an elegant sport. I watched it last night in our hotel room. I am leaning toward Djokovic and I would love to see Serena play, of course. We live in Palm Beach, Florida, an area where many of the greatest tennis and golfers train and live, so it is a part of our community that we grew up around.
Joey: We went on tour with an artist called Zia Victoria, and her father is a former pro and tennis coach to Novak Djokovic. Zia’s brother is a tennis player – they even have a court in their backyard – so we learned a little bit about tennis and even sang at a few tennis events with them. So, we really enjoy sporting events. On the female side, after learning about Serena’s story, I would say it will be her, or I love an underdog, so maybe Catherine Harris – she reminds me of my cousin…
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cakjl76FJn8/
Have you visited Wimbledon village before?
Juna: Never! this is so exciting, we’ll definitely TikTok us in the village.
Joey: For us, it’s like being at Disney World! This experience will be something we will always remember and tell our friends and family about.
Were you musical as kids? And who are you your music icons?
Juna: Yes, I started at the age of four. I look up to Ariana Grande, Kelsey Ballerini, Ashley McBryde and many female artists that came before me…
Joey: Ed Sheeran is a good role model for music… While we are on tour here, a lot of people want us to do one of his songs, so I would say Ed for sure. I also admire Morgan Wallen and ERNEST, two American Country singers.
Your dream collaborators?
Juna: I would say Ashley McBryde, Lady A for harmonies, Cody Johnson and maybe Adele, so I can learn to master my power of projection, as she has done so well.
Joey: Since a lot of people say I look like Elvis, and with the new movie coming out, I would say Elvis and Keith Whitley. And currently, definitely any current artist Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, ERNEST and Hardy are my top picks.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZws-2FlV6D/
What are the most prevailing themes in your songwriting?
Juna: Well, we are country, so mostly heartbreak and all that comes with the experience of being in love – positive and sometimes not, but always a learning experience.
Joey: We also like to tell stories of just life in all its forms, and I like to come up with the melodies that are upbeat and fun. Like, we have a song – ‘Boys In Boots’ – that has that kind of feel.
Juna: Joey always comes up with great melodies, which is helpful. We like to write differently, so many times we write alone, together, or with co-writers in Nashville, New York and Los Angeles. And I hope to write with a few UK artists as well!
Joey: Juna and I have different styles… I am more upbeat and love to come up with the vibes – the music melodies and piano. Juna is more lyrical – she is way deep with that. She tends to be more on the melancholy, yet her songs are so meaningful.
How did your upcoming single ‘More Than A Maybe’ come abouJuna: We wrote it in Nashville with our co-writing team, and we had an idea of a young love theme going and we needed an ‘up’ song, and we just wrote the chorus first and the rest fell into place.
Joey: I usually come up with the melody, and that day when we got to the writing session with our usual co-writers, we just all had an ‘up’ vibe, so it just flowed.
During your UK school tour, you will also be hosting talks about mental health and school bullying…
Juna: I wrote a song with Joey called ‘Anchor’ and it was a true story about a girl we knew in school who was hurting herself because she was being bullied. I didn’t want anyone to hear it – it was so personal and I felt it was private – but when I played it for our manager she cried and said it was so beautiful we had to record it. I didn’t see how that could be a real song, but it was, and it just took off from there. We went to camps and other schools, and on our socials reaching out to people young and old and being there for them if they need someone to speak to, and help gain their strength to stand up for themselves.
Joey: We partnered with https://www.teachantibullying.org/ – a program designed by a school principal – and Pace University for orange Tee Shirt Day anti-bullying movement every October in the US and in the UK it’s every November. This year it’s the 14th-18th https://anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/anti-bullying-week I think you have to wear odd socks this year… So don’t forget to support this!
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What do you hope to achieve, and what advice will you be giving them?
Juna: First and foremost awareness. So many people are secretly being bullied – even adults. We watch our manager being bullied by the industry all the time, but she has learned how to handle it and cope. So, it isn’t just kids… this is happening all around us and it is just wrong.
Joey: We are hoping to teach bullies that it is unacceptable and to teach victims that you do not have to harm yourself – what you need is an ‘Anchor’, a person to help support and guide you through this rough time and to stay protected from the bullies. It could be anyone – a teacher, parent, best friend, anyone… Do not suffer in silence – if we can prevent one suicide we will have succeeded in this important mission.
Finally, are you working on any new music at the moment?
Juna: Oh yes! We are constantly writing and trying to improve. We are collaborating with a lot of hit writers in Nashville and we are anxious to release tracks as we write them. We Are in the process of collaborating with top producers in Nashville and will be recording when we get home in September. Be ready for a steady stream of songs we feel are worthy of recording!
Joey: Our first EP, which is almost completely released, we wrote when we were 13 and 15, so we are ready to put our second project out and hope the songs are improving and we are growing as artists both in writing and delivery!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CO5es9UskNK/
Insta: @junanjoey
© Angela Sara West 2022 – Celebrity Editor
