Since starting their sophomore year in high school four years ago, Elliot Phillips, Chris Rogge, Juan Bonamigo and Alex Rodriguez have played shows and released an album as the band Human Juicebox.
Born in Maumee, the psychedelic and alternative funk band got its name from Rogge’s younger brother and is currently unsigned, while the members manage everything for the band themselves.
Rogge, guitarist and vocalist, said the band usually plays shows in the Toledo and Bowling Green area and doesn’t like to write lyrics about political or major things in life.
“We write a lot about ourselves and personal relationships with people,” Rogge said. “A lot of it is about our feelings and our emotions. We just write about how we feel.”
When the band comes up with a song idea, it usually consists of a single member creating a guitar riff and the band will get together and jam on it to see where it goes from there, he said.
“Sometimes it will be one of us that takes charge of the song being created, but mostly everything comes from all of us,” Rogge said. “It mainly just becomes from whatever inspiration it is that we have.”
Elliot Phillips, bassist and vocalist, said he enjoys collaborating with other musical artists because unique ideas can be made and brought to the table.
Some of the artists Human Juicebox has worked with include rappers such as EZ Rick, Dmac, Travis Geiman and Michael Barlos from the local band The Lonely Friends, and from members of another local band called Free Range. These artists have contributed and helped write some of the songs off of the band’s debut album, “100% Juice.”
“We feel when you work with other artists, new opportunities are born,” Phillips said. “It’s like exchanging musical wisdom.”
Chris Knopp, a solo musician from Toledo, became familiarized with Human Juicebox after watching the band perform at the open mic night in the past and remaining in contact with them ever since.
“I immediately liked them,” Knopp said. “They’re young and they have really good energy. They’re everything good about a garage band.”
The band is also expecting a release of its second album in the summer.
“We like meeting new people and new musicians,” Rogge said. “We like to share our music with people who enjoy it.”
For more information about Human Juicebox, visit their Facebook page, Twitter page, and on reverbnation.com.
