Bluejuice
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Defunct | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
Bluejuice was a Sydney-based Australian band that operated from 2000 until 2014. The group’s final roster included co-lead singers Jake Stone and Stavros Yiannoukas, bassist Jamie Cibej, and drummer James Hauptmann. Over their career, they produced three studio albums: Problems, Head of the Hawk, and Company, along with a greatest hits compilation released in 2014.
2000–2006: Formation and Early Releases
Bluejuice debuted with their first EP, Zebraaazz, in 2003, which earned them the Musicoz Australian Independent Music Award recognizing emerging independent talent. Their follow-up EP, The Good Luck Pig, was issued in 2005.
2007–2008: Release of Problems
In August 2007, Bluejuice unveiled their first full-length album, Problems, receiving favorable critiques including a four-star review from Australia's edition of Rolling Stone. The track "Vitriol" achieved widespread airplay on Triple J radio and secured the No. 11 spot in the Triple J Hottest 100, 2007. Additionally, it was ranked No. 67 on Rolling Stone Australias list of the top 100 songs for that year and won Best Clip at the Sunscreen Video Awards.
2009–2010: Head of the Hawk Era
After signing with Australian label Dew Process in 2009, Bluejuice recorded their sophomore album at Sydney’s Big Jesus Burger studio with producer Chris Shaw, noted for collaborations with Bob Dylan and Weezer. The lead single "Broken Leg" entered the Australian Singles Chart at No. 47 on 23 August 2009, eventually rising to No. 27 and achieving gold status. Released on 18 September 2009, Head of the Hawk debuted at No. 37 on the Australian Albums Chart. The single "Broken Leg" was ranked No. 5 in the Triple J Hottest 100, 2009. To promote the album, Bluejuice appeared on Channel Seven's Sunrise and Channel Nine's Wide World of Sports programs.
At the ARIA Music Awards of 2009, "Broken Leg" received nominations in the categories of Breakthrough Artist – Release and Best Video.
The album’s follow-up singles included "(Ain't) Telling the Truth" released in February 2010, followed by "Head of the Hawk" later that same year. In September 2010, members of the Hawthorn Football Club recreated the "Broken Leg" music video during a segment on the AFL Footy Show’s Player Review.
2011–2012: Release of Company
October 2011 saw Bluejuice drop "Act Yr Age", serving as the lead single from their third studio album. The full album, Company, arrived in November 2011 and yielded two more singles in 2012: "On My Own" and "The Recession".
2013–2014: Disbandment and Retrospectable
In March 2013, Jerry Craib—who contributed keyboards, bass, guitar, and drums—departed from Bluejuice as announced via their official Facebook page. The band praised Craib’s exceptional musical skills and expressed optimism regarding his potential return.
August 2013 featured Australian hip hop group Bliss N Eso releasing "Act Your Age", which sampled Bluejuice’s original track "Act Yr Age" from 2011. This song earned Urban Work of the Year at the APRA Music Awards of 2014.
On 3 August 2014, Jake Stone revealed Bluejuice’s breakup during an interview on Triple J. Following this announcement, they issued "I'll Go Crazy" as part of a greatest hits collection titled Retrospectable in September. Alongside this release, Bluejuice conducted a farewell tour across Australia during September and October, performing in major cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, North Queensland, as well as regional locations. The tour included multiple sold-out performances, notably both nights at Sydney’s Metro Theatre.
2015–present: Individual pursuits
On 28 November 2016, Stone unveiled his debut solo single titled "Trick of the Light" via the Australian music platform Happy Mag. This track was co-written and produced alongside his longtime partner Alex Gooden. The song includes guitar contributions from Dan Farrugia, who tours with Bluejuice, and features additional vocals and production by Dan Williams from Art vs. Science. Following this, the former band members have ventured into fields beyond performing: Stone has taken on roles producing various music industry events, while Yiannoukas has established a career as a voiceover professional.
2022: Reunion and release of Jelly
In October 2022, Bluejuice revealed plans for two November releases: an EP called Jelly, containing previously unreleased material, and a vinyl reissue of their 2011 album Company.
Musical style
Bluejuice's sound has been characterized as "punk-hop", blending elements of "downtempo hip hop, ska-infused pop, and driving disco", and described as "too straightforward for funk, too rhythmic for indie rock, and too energetic for pop".
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Highest chart positions | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| Problems |
|
— | |
| Head of the Hawk |
|
37 |
|
| Company |
|
23 |
Compilation albums
| Title | Details | Highest chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Retrospectable |
|
27 |
Extended plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Zebraaazz |
|
| The Good Luck Pig |
|
| Jelly |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Highest chart positions | Certifications | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||||
| "Get Me Down" | 2007 | - | Problems | |
| "Vitriol" | - |
| ||
| "The Reductionist" | - | |||
| "Broken Leg" | 2009 | 27 |
|
Head of the Hawk |
| "(Ain't) Telling the Truth" | 2010 | 64 | ||
| "Head of the Hawk" | - | |||
| "Act Yr Age" | 2011 | 68 |
|
Company |
| "On My Own" | 2012 | - | ||
| "The Recession (Winter of Our Discotheque)" | - | |||
| "SOS" | 2013 | - | Retrospectable | |
| "I'll Go Crazy" | 2014 | - | ||
| "Movies" | 2022 | - | Jelly |
APRA Awards
Since 1982, the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) has annually celebrated exceptional composers and songwriters through the APRA Awards.
! |- | 2010 | "Broken Leg" (Jeremy Craib, Jamie Cibej, James Hauptmann, Edmund Molesworth, Jacob Stone, Stavros Yiannoukas) | Song of the Year | | |- | 2012 | "Act Your Age" – Bliss n Eso featuring Bluejuice (Alexander Burnett, Jeremy Craib, James Cibej, Jacob Stone, Stavros Yiannoukas, James Hauptmann) | Song of the Year | | |- | 2014 | "Act Your Age" – Bliss n Eso featuring Bluejuice | Urban Work of the Year | | |-
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards acknowledge outstanding achievements and creativity within Australian music. Bluejuice received a total of six nominations over the years.
|- | rowspan="2"| 2009 ||rowspan="2"| "Broken Leg" || Best Video || |- | Breakthrough Artist || |- | rowspan="2"| 2010 ||rowspan="2"| Head of the Hawk|| Best Pop Release || |- | Best Cover Art || |- || 2012 || Sam Bennetts for Bluejuice "Act Yr Age" || Best Video || |- || 2014 || Christian J Henrich & Nicholas Rabone for Bluejuice "SOS" || Best Video || |-
Australian Music Prize
Awarded annually with a $30,000 prize, the Australian Music Prize honors an Australian band or solo artist for an album released during that year based on artistic merit.
|- | 2007 || Problems || Australian Music Prize || |-
J Award
Initiated in 2005 by the youth-focused radio station Triple J, part of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the J Awards celebrate excellence in Australian music each year.
|- | 2011 || "Act Yr Age" || Australian Video of the Year || |- | 2013 || "SOS" || Australian Video of the Year ||