Recently, I had the pleasure of getting to know Germany based emo/pop-punk band JANIZ! Juli is absolutely adorable and I can't get enough of her. Their music is catchy and full of pop, while the lyrics hit more on heartache. It's a sweet nod to predecessors such as Paramore and Blink-182. Check out their new EP, "Candy Colored Rain," out now, wherever you stream.

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So stoked to learn about your band! Would you please give us a little background? (A brief intro for each of you. Name, what you play, favorite band or artist)

 

JULI: Hi, I´m Juli, singer of the band JANIZ and with me today is Matthias who is our guitar player.

 

Where are you from?

 

JULI: We´re from Chemnitz, Germany. Its a small town in the east where nothing ever happens and boring is king.

 

How did you find your way to the punk rock community?

 

MATTHIAS: My older brother used to have tapes with all the good stuff on it and I stole them to listen all the time. I first had contact with famous german punk bands like ´Die Toten Hosen´ or ´Die Ärzte´ when I was about 8 years old. These guys played hard and were telling me about things I never heard before. Later I fell in love with Bad Religion, NoFX and all the stuff coming from the US in the 90s.

 

JULI: My story is a little different. I grew up in the 2000s mainly listening to top 40 radio stations having a wide range of taste in music. I first got in touch with rock and punk music when Matthias asked me to join the band. These guys were fun and played live a lot and that kinda got me hooked so I worked my way in.

 

MATTHIAS: From todays perspective I think its a blessing Juli did not have a punk scene to grow up with because that way she did not get influenced by it at all and that keeps her from coping anything that is out there already. I like to believe it gives us a little different sound within the genre.

 

How did you all meet and decide to make music together?

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JULI: In Germany we have winter markets around Christmas. Every City does them, its like a gathering at community center where you get hot drinks, see traditional woodwork and meet with your friends to get in the mood for Christmas. I was performing Christmas songs on a small stage and Matthias was around too. The second I got off the stage he came to me as a complete stranger asking for my number. I think he told me he needed a female voice for recordings.

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MATTHIAS: The rest of us had already been friends and were playing in this band for quite a bit. In 2015 our singer quit and I was desperate cause we already got a little fame around town and things were about to get bigger. A friend took me to the winter market to cheer me up and the second I heard her voice from far away I knew she needed to be in the band.

 

How long have you been together?

 

MATTHIAS: We like to tell people we formed in 2015 cause thats the time we found our perfect match on vocals.

Who are some of your musical influences?

 

JULI: Like is said, when I started singing I got influenced by a lot of people who aren´t exactly punk and I still enjoy Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, Queen and Taylor Swift for their great work. But we try to get influenced as little as possible when it comes to our own music.

 

What about Janis Joplin inspired you to name your band after her?

 

MATTHIAS: Its the name of our first singer and I believe her mother named her after the great Janis Joplin. We called our band JANIZ LEE at first and after her leaving people already knew about us so we did not want to change it that much. And I always liked having a band name not containing actual words that mean something.

 

Who are some of the other women in punk rock you admire and respect?

 

JULI: Does Avril Lavigne count? Cause I really enjoy her work. Also Jen Razavi puts a big smile on my face every time. Bonnie Fraser, Chrissy Costanza, you see where this is going.

 

MATTHIAS: I can fully support this. Jen is great and I also like to say Joan Jett, she has been great forever. Also Cassadee Pope.

 

For others who are interested in checking you out, which 2 or 3 songs would you recommend they check out first?

 

JULI: If you listen to We All Fall Down, Lovebirds and Straight Outta Line, you can get to know exactly every aspect about our sound and style.

 

Favorite venue or festival you´ve ever played so far?

 

MATTHIAS: No, cant pick a favorite. Every venue got its own charm fed by the people who come to see a show. We like them all.

 

Dream venue or festival to play?

 

JULI: Dream big or go home! We would love to tour the US someday.

 

Favorite band or artist you´ve play with so far?

 

MATTHIAS: German punk band ´Jungfrau Männnlich Deluxe´ are our soul mates when it comes to playing live. They are amazing and so fun to be with.

 

Dream band or artist?

 

JULI: To play with? Everyone here can agree on Green Day, cause they seem like fun and the stage would be huge!

 

Any last words for our readers?

 

JULI: Always be nice. Always have respect for everything that is living on our beautiful planet and don´t ever let people tell you what to do. Except me telling you to listen to Janiz of cause.