title: Juice

URL: http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=970

date: 1999

writer: Ian McFarlane

Formed in 1991

Style: Hard funk

Original line-up: Amarnath Jones (guitar, vocals), Krishna Jones (guitar, vocals), David Kyle (bass), Lucius Borich (drums)

Album: Wine of Life (Dr J/Polydor, 1994).

History

This Sydney band played a fiery fusion of hard funk, aggressive rock, psychedelia and soul (somewhere between Funkadelic, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and the `stoned soul picnic' stylings of Sly and the Family Stone). Juice was one of a number of young bands at that time exploring diverse musical avenues on the traditional Australian pub-rock scene: d.i.g.'s acid jazz, Swoop's soulful funk grooves, Def FX's techno-metal, Skunkhour's funk'n'rap and Caligula's techno-pop. Amarnath and Krishna are the sons of Phil Jones who worked with The Unknown Blues in the 1960s, before travelling to the UK where he joined progressive band Quintessence. Lucius Borich is the son of guitar legend Kevin Borich.

Juice supported the likes of Hoodoo Gurus and INXS and issued its debut, self-titled CD EP `Movin' on' (April 1993), which stayed on the alternative chart for 15 weeks. The band issued its full-length album Wine of Life in May 1994. Wine of Life yielded the CD singles `Skyhigh'/`One Thing' (April 1994) and `Paper World' (November). David Kyle left before the album's release, to be replaced by Ben Rosen. Likewise, Borich left in early 1995 to form heavy progressive blues band The Hanging Tree. The line-up comprised Borich, Emmy Walters (vocals), Flynn Gower (guitar), Rohan Mellick (guitar) and Daniel Parkinson (bass). The band fused crunching, down-tuned, blues-derived guitar riffs with a rhythmic swing to arrive at a sound reminiscent of retro-metal masters Monster Magnet and Kyuss.

The Hanging Tree issued a self-financed, self-titled album on the Scratch 'M label (August 1996) and toured with The Screaming Jets. Paul Ermer replaced Mellick at the end of 1996; Dave Romeo then replaced Ermer. Meanwhile, Chris Simms had replaced Borich in Juice, and the band supported overseas visitors Radiohead and The Tea Party on their Australian tours. Juice issued the CD single `Never Enough' in June 1995, followed by the CD EP `Fractured' in September. Simon Cox replaced Simms on drums, but by early 1996 Juice had split.

In 1999, Krishna and Amarnath Jones re-emerged with their new band, Juggernaut. The line-up also included Emlyn Walters (vocals), Simon Horn (bass) and Scott Campbell (drums). The band issued the 4-track CD EP ‘Million Miles from Home’, on the Phantom label (November 1999). Produced by Tim Farriss, the EP featured textured, acoustic blues-rock.