Reality Escape: Q&A with Trunky Juno

Post Author: Myles Hunt

English lo-fi pop marauder discusses his dynamic latest track “Daddy’s Gone For Cigarettes”

Spring is in full force and with that comes the stampede of music all aiming for the ears of the global listener space. Last month one such musician, Trunky Juno, blossomed into the fray with due diligence. His March track “Daddy’s Gone For Cigarettes”, via Young Poet Records, best garners the attention of many avid music fans who are eager for more. During what hopes to be a start to a slow crawl of live performances on the not too distant horizon, Trunky Juno will be a well received addition this season.

“Daddy’s Gone For Cigarettes” is full of grunge-like power as his vocals ride underneath the flow. Ambient lounging vibes lay in thick throughout. Trunky is adamant on chilling while finding a way to escape from an unknown terror. Is it worth it to do anything? That is the question being asked, and the music mirrors that pessimistic energy. An angst reminiscent of the early ’90s is in pure demand. It is a catchy song, yet it offers the intense emotions to pour from its subtle beat, matched with the solos and riffs within. There is a chorus of madness that is desirable for the times.

“Sometimes we all feel like going out to buy cigarettes and never coming home,” he shared of the track. “Escaping reality by shaving your head and moving to a farm in the Outer Hebrides. Or maybe just turning your phone off for a few days. I loved the phrase, ‘Daddy’s gone for cigarettes’ so much and decided to write a track around it. It took a really long time to get it right, but I hope the message is one the average anxious millennial cowboy/cowgirl out there can enjoy.”

Trunky Juno further elaborated on his tunes and his progress as an artist to date. You can read his thoughts and get lost in “Daddy’s Gone For Cigarettes” below.

Daddy’s Gone For Cigarettes” really takes listeners on a trip, how was working with David Alexander on that process?

It’s always a pleasure to work with David on tracks. Sometimes when I work on a track for a long time I end up getting bored with it, or end up hating it. It’s always great to send it over to David and it comes back refreshed, and with a new lease of life, full of ideas I’d never have thought of. 

Was this track born in COVID times or had this been a baby in the making over the years? If so, how have current events influenced your writing?

This is actually a track I wrote a few years ago but just never got around to finishing it. It was always one of those songs that I’d show people and they wouldn’t hear the same thing I was hearing, but I knew there was a good song in there somewhere. I’m writing and recording some tracks for my next EP at the moment which will be much more of a COVID baby, it hasn’t really changed too much how I do things because most of the recordings have been done at home anyway. 

Do other mediums beyond music push the creative boundaries in your work?

I try and watch a movie every night, and I think they do subtly influence the music I write. I always wonder what it would be like to hear music without knowing anything about music, and that’s what I like about other art forms. I like that I know nothing about them and I can just appreciate them in a more abstract way without thinking about the gritty details. 

2021 is already off to a wild start, what are your hopes for the future, both personally and professionally?

I hope live music can start happening again pretty soon.

What was the biggest failure that offered the best learning opportunity in your life to date?

Every band I’ve been in before I became Trunky Juno.