In 2004 the Junipers originated in Leicester as a recording project initiated by Joe Wiltshire, Marc Johnston, Pete Gough, Liam Riley, and Stuart Pratt. Drawing inspiration from pioneering 1960s acts such as the Zombies and the Left Banke, the ensemble places particular emphasis on vocal harmonies while incorporating mellotron, banjo, and heavily effected pianos and guitars to produce a lush, neo-psychedelic texture. Their self-produced debut album, Cut Your Key, arrived in 2008 and earned positive notice from the BBC along with key outlets including Uncut and Record Collector. Several singles appeared afterward, yet 2009 brought a significant change when lead vocalist Marc Johnston departed and Robyn Gibson, a friend of the group, took his place. Further personnel adjustments occurred across 2011 and 2012 as bassist Liam Riley and drummer Stuart Pratt exited, succeeded respectively by Ash Seldon and Ben Marshall. With this revised roster the band tracked and issued its second album, Paint the Ground, in 2012. The following year saw the release of a four-song EP from the Junipers’ side project, the Junipers’ Euphonious Trolley.
