Watch: JULA – ‘Leave’
SoundCloud: JULA – ‘Leave’
Emerging voice, JULA, will be sharing the music video for ‘Leave’, her debut single via Tall Mountain Records released on May 31, 2019. The song was written by JULA and co-produced alongside Jan Schröder (known for his work with Causes, DO, Mainstreet and Martin Garrix), while the mix and master was handled by Ian Grimble (Daughter, Sinead O’Connor, Mumford & Sons, and Radiohead) and Frans Hendriks respectively. JULA is set to release her debut EP, PHOENIX, in 2019.
PHOENIX was deeply influenced by the obstacles JULA faced as an emerging female artist who struggled to reconcile the image of “beauty” as portrayed in the media with that of her own body, succumbing to the pressure and allowing her art to be swallowed by feelings of inadequacy.
A vital change in perspective took place when JULA became a mother for the first time, one which allowed her to step outside of the media circus around image and address more pressing concerns relating to the well-being of her son and herself. The result is an artist that is totally in charge of who they are, and PHOENIX sees her utilizing sophisticated indie-pop with a dark undercurrent to communicate the personal growth and perspective shift.
Now feeling free as a singer, songwriter, woman, mother, and a friend, JULA dares to take risks both on and off stage. She is a tall tree that catches a lot of wind, but she is deeply rooted and will remain standing.
JULA always knew she wanted to be a musician, from the age of four she was singing and dancing to Madonna, making her own shows in her bedroom and performing for her family. As she grew older, she continued to pursue this passion for performance, singing in several bands, choirs, and taking singing and ballet lessons. After high school, she auditioned for The Conservatory of Amsterdam and began her studies in jazz vocals. During her Bachelor, she travelled to New York for 3 months to study and write music. After that, during her Masters, she studied in Copenhagen at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory for a semester. She never doubted her career choice, it was very clear to her that this was going to be her life.
JULA’s sound is influenced by her appreciation and studies of Jazz music, as well as the music of Björk, Muse and Destiny’s Child. Imagine a mix of Daughter and Roisin Murphy with the downcast pop-hues of Lykke Li, this would be one way to describe the sound of JULA.
‘Leave’ features an unpretentious, minimal instrumental that allows JULA’s warm, controlled voice to shine through and creating a cool, open and musing ambience. The video presents the selfsame atmosphere, a stark landscape with the artist performing slow and contemplative movements.
JULA is made-up with bold pink eye-shadow, a colour symbolic of affection, harmony and inner peace, wearing a silver gown, in turn symbolising a modern glamour, grace and sophistication. As the track draws to an end, we watch JULA depart, plunging deeper into the striking environment. It is a wonderfully simple performance of ‘Leave’ and one which is conceptually well considered.
When asked about the theme of her debut single JULA says: “I remember when I first had the idea for this song; I was at home with my loop station just improvising, making soundscapes. It was a cold day and as I sat there, this song just came to me. It’s about a feeling I sometimes have, a weight that I carry with me. A feeling that overwhelms me, which I can not escape. I wallow in it for a while, cover myself in it and then, all of a sudden, it’s gone. It’s a very lonely feeling, very dark, but it’s not necessarily negative, it’s a part of me I have learned to accept and even appreciate sometimes; without the low, I can’t experience the high. That is what ‘Leave’ is about.”