Junior Boys

Junior Boys

Junior Boys are a Canadian electronic pop group from Hamilton, Ontario. They begin in 1999 and remain active. The group’s line-up includes Jeremy Greenspan, Johnny Dark and Matt Didemus.

Formation and early recordings

Junior Boys start as a duo built around Jeremy Greenspan and Johnny Dark. Their early sound draws on arty synthpop, minimal techno, UK garage and contemporary hip-hop. They record a demo that does not lead to any immediate success. Dark later leaves the project, and engineer Matt Didemus joins Greenspan.

After former Warp employee Nick Kilroy hears the songs, he becomes interested enough to launch KIN, with Junior Boys as the label’s first artist. Greenspan and Didemus then record enough material for a full-length album.

Albums and releases

Their debut album, Last Exit, appears in 2004. Before the album’s release, two 12-inch singles come out, one with a remix by Fennesz and another with a remix by Manitoba, now known as Caribou. The Domino release in the United States adds a bonus disc made up of B-sides and remixes from those singles.

The group follow with So This Is Goodbye in 2006. The single “In The Morning” is used in an iTunes commercial in 2007.

Their third album, Begone Dull Care, comes out in 2009 on Domino. It takes its name from a short film by Norman McLaren, and its artwork and liner notes present the title and song details bilingually in English and French, including the French title of the film, Caprice en Couleurs.

In 2011, Junior Boys release It’s All True, their fourth studio album.

Collaborations and recognition

In 2008, Morgan Geist releases Double Night Time, which includes five songs performed by Jeremy Greenspan. Junior Boys’ second album is shortlisted for the 2007 Polaris Music Prize, though they do not win.