Interview w/ Today Junior

Proud to bring to you today an interview with some of Allston Rock City's finest, Today Junior! I've been totally obsessed with these guys as of recently, and have become my go-to band in the local scene with their infectious hooks and tight knit melodies reeling me in and are at the top of the list as it relates to must see acts in Boston right now. Bros Mike and Harry plus their bassist Craig carved some time out of their hectic schedules as they get ready to play TT the Bears on February 6th, and we touched up on how the band got started and what was it like recording their latest album. Here is the transcript from my chat with the trio:

Give us your names and what you do in the band?

Harry O'Toole on guitar and lead vocals, Craig Barter on bass and vocals, and Mike O'Toole on drums and vocals.

What is the earliest memory you can recall of listening to music at a young age?

Harry: Whenever I was upset or crying my mom would play me "The Obvious Child" by Paul Simon and I'd dance around and laugh instead.

Mike: When I was really little my sister and I would run around our house with fake horses to the "Lonesome Dove" theme. 

Craig: I remember listening to The Beatles red album on repeat in my living room by myself, dancing around, singing, and having the time of my life.

Did you guys all dream of being in a band one day when you were older or did that just come along randomly?

Harry: It's definitely been something I've always thought about since I had started playing guitar, but I started taking it more seriously in high school with my friends.

Mike: After playing and jamming on a some cover songs with a few of my buddies in middle school it was so obvious that music was what I wanted to do.     

Craig: Ever since I sat in on a jam session my dad and uncle were having. I may have only been eight years old but I played the hell out of that bass drum!

How did you guys all meet up together initially to form the band?

Harry: Mike and I had been practicing different covers and jamming with one of our friends, Zack, who introduced us to Craig. The four of us ended up playing epic cover shows in Allston at house parties/basement shows throughout the year of 2010.  One thing led to another and Mike, Craig and I formed a pretty awesome bond and just haven't stopped playing since.  We really get along as friends more than anything else, and I think thats what makes it great.

Take us through the recording process for your latest album "What's The Skinny" and how fun and productive the whole process was?

Harry: "What's The Skinny" was made entirely in the basements at our dingy Allston house.  We had songs we wanted to record, but they weren't fully flushed out yet, so we were hesitant about doing something in a studio environment. Lucklily, our roommate at that time, Skye Perry, was very eager to record our stuff. He had a bunch of recording gear from past projects he was in and spent his free time mixing and engineering our stuff. . We basically just transformed our basement into a mini recording studio. The recording process lasted from December 2012 to about May 2013. We ended up doing some of the mixing through April and into June. It was definitely an unforgettable experience and loads of fun. We all were able to wake up and fall asleep in the studio, which was sweet! There were lots of late nights and early mornings and lots of coffee to help get through it. We had hiccups along the way but it was a learning experience like everything else. In the end, we were proud of the sounds we achieved. 

What does it feel like to be a part of the Boston music scene that is so vibrant and ever growing at this very moment?

It feels…

What are some of your favorite shows that you've played as a band, any in particular that stick out?

  

 Mike: All the shows are so fun and different in their own ways.  Our CD-Release Show for "What's The Skinny" at ZuZu Bar in Cambridge with Sleep Crimes and The Sones was such a killer night! 

 Harry: One that sticks out for me might be when we played Great Scott with Iamdynamite and Virgin Marys. It was just awesome to be alongside two kick-ass bands.

 Craig: Playing the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston especially sticks out since we played betwixt Madonna's cone bra and Kurt Cobain's smashed guitar…rock and roll.

What do you guys like to do in your spare time when not involved in music?

We watch episodes of Columbo and our favorite action movies when we are looking for hope. But we mostly do the music thing.  

What's on tap this year for you guys, any upcoming shows you'd like to promote?

We only have so many shows planned right now, but there will definitely be more coming up. Hopefully, if everything goes as planned, you may see Today Junior in Brooklyn, Chicago and some other cities before June.

  

Plans for a Today Junior music video are in the works for the winter/spring. We have been working on new material and just taking our time with it a little more this time around. I can definitely say that our sound is starting to expand a little more every time we come up with something new.  We are going to start recording this winter into the summer and see where that takes us. 

Lastly, why do you think fans should check out your music and/or see you in concert?

Because we think its awesome music that everyone could get down with! 

Thanks once again to Mike, Harry, and Craig for being so awesome in taking some time out in doing this interview! These guys have been featured numerous times here on the site, and they have been nothing short of friendly and outstanding gentlemen when I interact with them in person after a show, they are definitely a band on the scene that you should be checking out in concert and supporting moving forward. For more information on the guys, 'Like' them on Facebook right here and give them a follow on Twitter over here. Their official website is located over here and check out their Bandcamp site at this location here to stream all of their music, including their latest album, "What's The Skinny?"