Hailing from Edmonton, Alberta, Juliet Ruin is a band that has been rapidly capturing attention over the last half decade for its sound and style. Founded in 2015 by former Fiction of Fate vocalist Jess Fleming and guitarist Kent Geislinger, the band draws its moniker from Fleming’s middle name, Juliet. The duo has completed the package with guitarist Wesley Rand, drummer Jesse Bauman, and bassist Cody Reid. Reid joined Juliet Ruin in time to record the group’s 2017 debut self-titled EP.
In 2019, the quintet unleashed its debut full-length, Old Stardust, Love, and Chaos which gave listeners a solid helping of the band’s evolving alt metalcoresque style. Fleming, née Ruin’s vocal abilities are not to be trifled with. She has gorgeous cleans and can transition from an edgy bite to a lush and beautiful lilt on a dime, and with Old Stardust, she began to flex her harsh vocals a bit too. Ruin’s voice has always been the pulse of the band. Their sound fuses pop sensibility with djenty, metal guitars, and dynamic rhythms. While Juliet Ruin’s initial works created a swell of support from fans in Canada and abroad, the band is still a unit defining its creative signature. Inspired by the likes of Jinjer, Killswitch Engage, and The Agonist, Juliet Ruin is moving in a heavier, but no less melodic direction as demonstrated on 2019’s stand-out single “Spite”.
Stuck in 2020’s Covid lockdown, the band decided to release a new single, “Dark Water,” to showcase its heavier down-tuned style and Ruin’s greater use of harsh vocal moments. The one song eventually turned into a 4-track EP which dropped on March 26, 2021 alongside the EPs fourth video “Might“.
Offers the band of the new EP:
“We have created a listening experience that is definitively hard-edged, but catchy with lyrics you can shout in anger and also it leans positive on message. Overall, the band’s sound has evolved into heavier territory yet again. Completely switching to the lower tuned guitars, this EP does not have any backing vocalists on it as the previous efforts have, thanks to the massive improvements Jess Ruin has made in her harsh vocal techniques.”
Days before the EPs release, Metal Nation caught up with Jess and Kent via Zoom to chat about Dark Water, the band’s developing sound, surviving the pandemic, learning the harsh vocal techniques, and even what pop song they might put through the Juliet Ruin shredder.
Check out the full interview here or below, as well as videos for all four of the EPs amazing new tracks.