Flowers for Juno continue to carve out their own shadow-soaked corner of the underground with the release of their compelling new single “Message to Lana,” out on January 14 via Bad Baboon. Blending the brooding weight of gothic metal with the dreamy haze of shoegaze, the track stands as a striking new chapter for a project that has never been interested in taking the obvious path.
Fronted by vocalist, producer, and sonic architect Benjó James, Flowers for Juno thrive in the space where beauty and abrasion coexist. While much of today’s alternative scene leans toward polished aesthetics and predictable hooks, Flowers for Juno bury their melodies beneath layers of fuzz, tape hiss, reverb, and emotional ambiguity.
The result is a sound that feels both intimate and overwhelming—somewhere between the narcotic blur of My Bloody Valentine and the dark sensuality of Type O Negative. Since their debut single “Physical Culture” in December 2023, followed by many brilliant episodes like the Ep “Nocturntables” and the single “My Bloody Kisses,” which precedes the latest release “Message to Lana,” the project has steadily built a reputation for gothic anthems that feel raw, romantic, and unapologetically underground.
Ad
“Message to Lana” arrives with its own sense of urgency and mystique. As Benjó James explains, the song came together surprisingly close to its release date, emerging from material originally intended for an EP that, for now, remains unreleased. That sense of displacement and unresolved tension bleeds into the music itself. Even the artwork—featuring a photograph taken during a night of excess in Kazakhstan—adds to the song’s disorienting emotional backdrop, reinforcing the feeling of memories half-buried beneath noise and longing.
The track opens with a female voice declaring, “Hey, this is Lana,” before a powerful snare hit launches the song into motion. Hammering rhythms, crushing guitar riffs, and swirling synths immediately establish a dreamlike yet forceful atmosphere. When Benjó James’ vocals enter, delivered in his signature vampyric slur, they command attention—equal parts seductive and distant. The song maintains an unstoppable forward momentum, flowing seamlessly through its verses and choruses with a hypnotic intensity.
Ad
A particularly captivating element is the fuzzy, radio-like noise woven throughout the track, where interpolated samples from “Ugly Bitch” by The Mags surface like fragmented transmissions. This adds a narrative and textural depth, making the listening experience feel layered and cinematic. As the song progresses, the final choruses envelop the listener in waves of synths and driving rhythm, before stripping everything back for a closing moment defined by a solitary synth melody. That ending underscores the meticulous attention to detail in both songwriting and arrangement, ensuring the track remains dynamic and engaging from start to finish.
Instrumentally, Flowers for Juno is largely a solo vision. Benjó James handles lead and backing vocals, guitars, fuzz bass synthesizer, keyboards, programming, drum programming, mellotron, and samples, showcasing remarkable versatility and control over the project’s sonic identity. The addition of Freja Crozier on Northumbrian harp brings an unexpected and evocative texture, further enriching the track’s gothic atmosphere. Music and lyrics are written by Benjó James, with production, engineering, mixing, and mastering all handled in-house by Flowers for Juno—an approach that preserves the project’s raw, uncompromising character. “Message to Lana” is a true gem of modern gothic shoegaze: immersive, emotionally charged, and unapologetically rough around the edges. It reinforces Flowers for Juno’s position as one of the underground’s most vital and distinctive voices—an artistic entity unafraid to embrace excess, imperfection, and beauty in equal measure.
Check the links below, discover more about Flowers for Juno and their music, and remember to add their songs to your favorite playlists!
Spotify: Flowers For Juno
YouTube: Flowers For Juno
Facebook: Flowers For Juno
Instagram: Flowers For Juno
Ad
