Case Study: Junodream Phase One (2016-2021)

Junodream were the first artist I worked with. Since 2016, I have worked functionally as a visual creative director for the band. Variously styling, photographing, directing music videos and advising the band on their visual presentation. As both friends and collaborators, we worked to create a distinctive look for their first cycle of EPs and singles, before a visual refresh in 2021.

Previously playing under the moniker ‘House of Lions’, the band wanted to move away from an teenage indie boyband image that was manufactured for them. And as they began to explore grunge, post-rock and psychedelia in their music, they wanted to move towards a more colourful, spontaneous and humorous visual presentation that reflected their age and taste.

In 2016, we put together a broad physical reference archive, mining band photos, movie stills and famous images from the era the band were pulling from. Including Pixies, early Pavement, ’90s sitcoms, and Ryan McGinley’s New York photos.

We settled on a warm, Americana look, channeling B-Movies and framing distinctly British locations with the look of American road movies. And for styling, we looked at the rugged, primary colour wardrobe from ’90s classic My Own Private Idaho. Finally, building from the band’s four-colour logo, we worked in a saturated block-colour palette that became a signature for the band.