Who is Just In Stereo?
Just In Stereo is preparing to make its entrance with “Medicine,” the band’s upcoming single arriving September 13. Led by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Justin Karp, the four-piece brings together the melodic immediacy of pop-punk, the emotional weight of alternative rock, and the energy of musicians ready to begin a new chapter together.
The members of Just In Stereo are:
- Justin Karp – Lead vocals and guitar
- Chris Chaput – Guitar and vocals
- Phil Masi – Bass guitar and vocals
- Victor Miranda – Drums
Although Just In Stereo is a new band, its story begins much earlier with Karp’s lifelong relationship with music.
From Long Island to the Stage
Raised in Plainview, New York, Karp grew up in a family where music was always close at hand. His mother and grandmother were piano teachers, while his stepfather played blues guitar. After discovering the distorted guitars and restless energy of Green Day, Karp asked for his first guitar at age thirteen and soon began finding his own place within rock music.
As a teenager, he formed the band 1st Runner Up and gained his earliest experience performing at local venues. Those formative years helped establish the musical foundation that continues to guide his songwriting today.
Karp’s influences span the pop-punk, pop-rock, and alternative-rock scenes, including Simple Plan, Story of the Year, Midtown, Nine Days, the Goo Goo Dolls, Hoobastank, and Blink-182. Their impact can be heard in his preference for memorable melodies, direct lyrics, driving guitars, and songs built around genuine emotion.
One especially meaningful moment came years after Karp attended a concert by Midtown, one of the bands that helped inspire his path. He later recorded and shared a cover of the group’s song “Perfect,” which Midtown noticed and reposted. That acknowledgment offered a welcome reminder that the music that once encouraged him could eventually help connect him with the artists who shaped his ambitions.
Where Music and Medicine Meet
Karp’s life has followed a path unlike that of most emerging bandleaders. Before fully committing himself to medicine, he worked as an accountant. Searching for a career through which he could make a more direct difference in people’s lives, he changed direction and ultimately became a podiatric surgeon.
Music remained an essential part of his life throughout that demanding transition. In fact, Karp wrote and recorded his first original song, “Last Chance,” while preparing for his medical board examinations.
His work in medicine and his music are not competing identities. Both reflect a desire to help people confront difficult experiences and move forward. While his medical career allows him to care for people physically, songwriting offers another kind of connection. His lyrics frequently draw from heartbreak, betrayal, resilience, and personal growth, turning lived experiences into songs that listeners can recognize within their own lives.
That intersection now becomes part of the identity of Just In Stereo—and it makes “Medicine” an especially fitting introduction.
Introducing “Medicine”
Set for release on September 13, “Medicine” introduces Just In Stereo as a full band while preserving the emotionally honest songwriting at the center of Karp’s earlier work. The track channels the band’s pop-punk and alternative-rock influences through guitar-driven instrumentation, a memorable vocal performance, and the kind of direct emotional delivery that invites listeners to sing along.
Its title also carries a natural connection to Karp’s personal journey. “Medicine” brings the two defining sides of his life into the same creative space, reflecting a project shaped by both the discipline of a surgeon and the vulnerability of a songwriter.
With Chris Chaput on guitar and vocals, Phil Masi on bass and vocals, and Victor Miranda on drums, Just In Stereo expands Karp’s songs into a collaborative band sound. The lineup gives the music the weight, movement, and live energy needed to push this next era forward.
Rather than treating Just In Stereo as a simple rebranding of a solo project, “Medicine” signals the beginning of something broader: four musicians developing a shared identity rooted in melodic rock, earnest storytelling, and an appreciation for the music that first inspired them.
For listeners who grew up with the emotional hooks of early-2000s pop-punk and alternative rock—or anyone looking for contemporary guitar music that favors sincerity over distance—Just In Stereo is a band worth watching.
“Medicine” arrives September 13.
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