Naming artists like Thom Yorke, Lykke Li, FKA Twigs and Lana Del Rey as her main inspirations, Julia Romana, from London, brings us an exciting insight into her up coming EP with her latest single "Blood Be Fluid". Julia thrives on experimenting with the emotions and feelings she’s able to portray through her songwriting. Making music from a young age, Julia has honed her craft into what it is today, which is both innovative and exciting. Having collaborated with artists such as Duckwrth, G.L.A.M and Alex Mali, this has allowed Julia to find her voice in music whilst creating her own distinctive sound and path. We sat down with Julia to talk about her latest single "Blood Be Fluid", the importance of collaboration and her plans for the near future...
Where did your musical journey begin and how did it progress?
I made small demos from a young age but I think I began fully finishing song ideas and bringing structure to them when I bought my first macbook for art school reasons. In school I used programs for graphic design and photography but after school I experimented with GarageBand which was pre-installed on the macbook. That tool enabled me to layer my vocals, which became an addictive practice and I still layer loads of harmonies and bits when I write my demos. Sometimes I tend to go overboard with the vocal tracks though so I just end up weeding through the song and picking out the most important elements. Veronika Hanl (my main partner in crime and producer) has been helping me a with progressing my style a lot in the last few years. It’s good to get a composer’s approach on things. Refreshing to have a second opinion and not be completely on my own.
Describe your sound in 3 words?
Witchy, floaty, dreamy
Tell us about your latest single “Blood Be Fluid” was there anything different in your approach to writing this project compared to your last?
Definitely. This one is the first one that is almost purely a spoken word track when it comes to the vocals. Instrumentally it reminds me a bit of an older song called ‘Heavy Lifting’. We also used purely live instruments for that one, the same happened on Blood Be Fluid. It always feels like such a rich experience to collaborate with people who bring their own zest to the song with the way they play their instruments. I really want to do more jam based writing instead of mostly making demos in my bedroom.
Who or what has been your biggest inspiration in your career so far?
In the last 3 years I’ve been working a lot with Duckwrth. Sometimes he sends me demos for his songs and I create melodies and harmonies for certain sections. In January 2020 we worked on his album SuperGood together in LA. That was definitely an inspiring time. I loved being in a room with so many talented musicians. His style is different to mine so it was both a good challenge and a relief. It feels like less pressure to write for someone else, cause with my own projects I can easily lose myself in perfectionism. I’m working on letting go more and more though.
Having collaborated with artists such as Duckwrth, G.L.A.M and Alex Mali, how important do you think it is to collaborate/work with other artists?
Collaborating feels really refreshing to me. It’s like a break from my own projects. If I can help people elevate their sound a bit, that's a really lovely feeling. There’s a very playful essence to collaborating on music. When you click with another artist it doesn’t feel like work. It becomes a flow of creativity and joy. That’s one of my favourite parts of being an artist.
What is the process like when conveying your sound into a visual, specifically with your latest music video for ‘Blood Be Fluid’?
I get a lot of inspiration from movies, dreams or certain places I’ve been to. When it comes to planning a video I usually send a moodboard to Laura Manners (director & editor). What’s the colour scheme? What’s the overall feeling I want to visualise? What are the ideal make-up and costume ideas? I’m an independent artist so my budget is usually not the biggest. So that’s a main factor in how the main result is going to turn out. Laura and I start with a pool of bigger ideas and then narrow it down to what’s most cost efficient and realistic.
Is there a certain place where you feel the most creative?
I get a lot of inspiration when I’m sitting in the park, observing trees and parakeets, or when I’m swimming in lakes at home in Austria. Lately dancing has been really good for getting out of my head and embracing my body. I also do yoga. Been a bit on and off with my routine but autumn is mostly a good time for me to pick things back up.
Which of your own songs is your favourite to play live?
I don’t really play live at the moment. But I’ve been doing a few small live recordings and my favourite so far is my latest single, Blood Be Fluid. It’s really funny to channel that witch energy.
When writing and creating a song do you always have performing it live in mind?
I’m at a very early stage of performing live. I still have to gain some knowledge around what will feel good in front of an audience and what I want to do less of. Excited to find that out and jump in the cold water. When writing songs I do have a potential live situation in mind. In my head it’s a seated concert, very dimly lit, and the audience is sinking into a cosy meditative state. I like the feeling of being in a safe little trance.
What’s next?
Releasing my full project which will be out this September! I want to start singing lessons as well to prepare my voice for more live performances. Rest is also on my agenda though. I want to take some time to celebrate the finished album and recollect myself before I start on any new projects.
Julia Romana: