Mojo Juju's latest release, Seeing Red / Feeling Blue, is an album of two halves. There's the title, which perfectly captures the mix of fierceness and introspection in her lyrics. There's the music, which fuses live musicianship with controlled production courtesy of hip hop producer Ptero Stylus (Diafrix/Mantra). Then there's Juju herself, a complex artist equally adept at channelling Tom Waits or Madonna. Juju brings all these elements together for a seamless pop experience that is as intelligent as it is playful.
"I've always worked with live bands and explored different genres but mainly within the whole American music tradition - jazz, blues, rock'n'roll, that sort of thing," Juju says of the album's genesis. "I started writing these songs as a follow-up to my first solo album (Mojo Juju, 2012) and realised they weren't turning out like my previous work. I thought it would be a perfect time to work with Stylus, so I went to him and asked him to bring an electronic pop experience to what I was doing. He said, 'Oh really? Cause I wanted to work with a live band!' So we had to meet in the middle (laughs)."
Prior to embarking on a solo career Juju fronted Newcastle noir/punk/swing act the Snake Oil Merchants. The band gained a cult following on the strength of two full-lengths albums - Mojo Juju and the Snake Oil Merchants (2007) and Sellin' You Salvation (2010) - and their blistering live shows. Juju's debut solo effort from 2012 continued the jazz/noir theme with each track like a chapter from a lost James Ellroy novel. Juju brings all this experience to bear on Seeing Red / Feeling Blue, an assured, highly accomplished contemporary pop effort.
The album also sees Juju stretching herself creatively. There's the newfound pop-sensibility - Juju says she was listening to lots of Beyonce and Frank Ocean during the writing process. Then there are the lyrics, which are far more personal than on previous releases. Tracks such as album opener Your Love and the fiery They Come and They Go are honest accounts of emotional longing and failed relationships. It's all delivered with Juju's trademark wit and sense of playfulness ("I'm not stupid/F--- you cupid" Juju snarls in first single A Heart is Not a Yoyo).
"There's an element of truth in everything I've written," she says. "As much as I'm a fan of telling a cool story and embellishing the truth - I'll never let anything get in the way of a good story, my father taught me that - if you haven't experienced the emotion behind the story then people won't be able to relate to it."
"But on this record, yeah, I did get a little bit more personal and maybe a little bit more transparent. The songs are about relationships but not necessarily about romantic relationships. Sure, it might be a love song, but it might be about an experience I was going through with a band mate or an old friend. I guess it's a tradition in pop music to write love songs and there's truth there, but it might not be what you think it is."
Juju will be bringing her live show to Canberra on June 13. She has put together an incredible backing band including members of Melbourne roots act the Cactus Channel and her brother and long-time collaborator Steven de Luzuriaga. "It's amazing to have that sibling relationship where we can work and tour together," Juju says of her partnership with de Luzuriaga. "I'm hoping we might get some of [that chemistry] when we hit Canberra."
MOJO JUJU
When: June 13, 8pm
Where: Transit Bar, Civic.
Tickets: $20 + BF available from moshtix.com.au
