Since the band’s inception in 2017, and following three successful albums released in 2019, 2021 and 2023, a nine-piece new-grass band from California’s central valley known as Boot Juice has quickly gained traction as a party-starting crew that explodes on stage — driving its performance and fans effortlessly between cosmic blues music infused with New Orleans soul, Chicago blues and other classic Americana stylings with unbridled charm.
Before the group’s performance at The Domino Room on Jan. 19, lead vocalist Jess Stoll spoke with the Source Weekly about how the group navigates its creative direction without sacrificing authenticity.
“The nice thing about having a band of friends is that we all know each other’s strengths and push each other into those strengths,” Stoll said.
Beyond her role as the lead vocalist, Stoll serves as the band’s creative director, bringing a fresh and innovative approach to the group’s arrangements and overall aesthetic. Stoll’s creative direction is evident not only in the band’s sound but also stretches over things like performance staging and visual identity. For Stoll, taking on the role of creative director ensures that each stage becomes a canvas where the band’s Americana sound/tradition can meet contemporary artistic expression, delivering a performance that is both a visual and auditory feast.
“The band has really gifted me with the ability to make decisions and trusts that the ones I make are always to benefit the band,” said Stoll. “I don’t have to stay in certain lanes or bounds. Each individual show I have full creative license.”
The band’s dynamic lineup consists of several accomplished musicians, each contributing a distinct note to the band’s collective identity. Connor Herdt and Evan Daly provide support vocals to Stoll and play acoustic/electric guitar and mandolins across the group’s 2023 album, “The Right Place.” Brett Worley, Billy D. Thompson and Alex Benjamin fill out the rhythm section with bouncing bass and drums while Caleb Sanders, Matt Vollmer and Micah Marmorstein bring the honey harmony in a brass section that features saxophone, trumpet and trombone.
“On the album we just released, we’ve got horns on every track,” Stoll noted happily. “When the band started out, it was with just a lot of strings, but once we got the horns, I think we really found the sound that we’ve really been looking for.”
According to Stoll, it’s not just the technical prowess, but rather, the band’s deep camaraderie that enhances every performance and the touring journey as a whole.
“You know, being on the road and sleeping who knows where, it can run you down. But once we get on stage it’s easy to get excited. It’s where we really get to interact with each other and dance with each other and feed off each other. It’s not a difficult transition at all,” Stoll remarked.
Whether in the studio or on stage, the band’s collaboration highlights the strength of collective creativity.
This article appears in Source Weekly January 18, 2024.
MAKE LOCAL JOURNALISM HAPPEN
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
