Gabe Kanae Steps Into a Brighter Era with New Album ‘Juno & Solina’
- Lauren Juillerat
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
By Lauren Juillerat
Edited by Malory Shaw
For Reno artist Gabe Kanae, “Juno & Solina” isn’t just another release in his ever-growing discography; it’s something he’s been quietly working on for over a year.
Dropping May 1st, the album marks a noticeable shift in Kanae’s sound and mindset. His past releases have made him known for an emotional pop sound, but this project leans into something brighter and more upbeat. Getting there, however, was not an easy, fast-paced process but rather a gradual one that he kept entirely to himself.
“I didn’t show anyone,” Kanae shared, “Not my friends, not my family. No one hears the album until it’s officially out.”
Gabe Kanae first started writing poetry in 2023 when he found himself wanting to create a more lyrical form of expression. Music production in general was an interest Kanae had developed, and seeing Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour catapulted him into the making of his first album, Identity Fusion (2024).
Kanae began working on his new album, Juno & Solina, in November 2023, around the same time he released his debut album Kanachrome. While that release explored more emotional themes, June & Solina reflects a shift. Kanae still acknowledges past relationships and experiences he wrote about in Kanachrome, but chooses to approach them from a more hopeful place.
Before Kanae begins a project, he visualizes his entire aesthetic, everything from a theme to the imagery. This project was no exception, taking him nearly four hours away from his hometown to a “beachy, fun vibe” in San Francisco.
What was intended to be a bright, sunny shoot quickly turned into something unpredictable. It felt as if the weather mirrored Kanae’s artistic evolution, shifting from a dreary rainy day in January, reminiscent of Kanachrome, to a brief break in the clouds where sunlight finally broke through for the final shot. The result was a cover image that felt “even more authentic than originally planned”, says Kanae.
That same attention to detail carried into Kanae’s technical side of the project. The album cover was shot on film and developed locally at Action Camera. After development, the photos were sent to a New York-based team, Lightside, for scanning.
Kanae wanted to work with an established team, Lightside, whose credits include projects with artists like Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus, and he couldn't have been happier with the results.
The title Juno & Solina itself is a reference to the album's sound. Kanae enjoys experimenting, and whilst creating new music, he fell upon the Juno synthesizer and the Solina string machine. He ended up loving the sound as well as the double meaning it lent itself to, which reflected the project's synth pop, disco-influenced production.
“I kept changing it,” Kanae said. “Adding, subtracting, tweaking. I couldn't even send it in for mastering because I wasn't done with it yet.”
Kanae’s attention to detail and perfectionism is apparent. The album is very carefully shaped, moving through different experiences and emotions. Tracks such as "Velvet Love" are among one of the only songs to keep their original 2023 vocal take. This decision was intentional as Kanae blended his past with his present, growing as a person and as an artist.
The project opens with “Never The Muse,” which is a later addition that ultimately became the perfect introduction. The track itself is more experimental with a bold sound that directly references the opening Kanae explored on Kanachrome while hinting at something new. This new chapter explores diverse sounds and experiences while still connecting to his past work, serving as a continuation of the theme in “Echo’s End” of his Identity Fusion project, where he explored growing up and learning to let go.
Juno & Solina isn't about completely reinventing himself, but about transitioning. Change is evident, but Kanae shares his experiences in a new upbeat way that contrasts with his past projects. Ironically, while the entire project was a secret, Kanae didn't want fans to feel that the new tone was too stark a difference from prior sounds. He hopes that with “easy shifts” from previous songs to new ones, the listener will be fully immersed in the theme of Juno & Solina.
If you resonate with disco pop-synth sounds for the start of summer, Juno & Solina is your go-to, exploring growth in an upbeat way while still tackling deeper topics. Juno & Solina is available now on all listening platforms and available on vinyl and CD.
