New York City has always produced great artists and Julia Klot is one of them in the music industry. Here’s a rising star who is currently on the uptrend with this kind of music; pop, rock, jazz and funk. Attaining voice phenotype has been with Julia for as long she was six years old, and little has changed over the time.
It sounds like someone who you could compare to Sara Bareilles and Elton John but Julia certainly has it own sound. Her songs feel real an significant, resonating with people of all ages.
Julia has even played some big name places in New York City including The Bitter End and Rockwood Music Hall.
Her recent song, ‘Lie,’ was more of a deviation from her norm, sort of. It’s lively, groovy, and quite energised throughout. The words to this song are rather wisely chosen and it s easy to find oneself in such kind of a situation – it is about changing frustration to confident. I promise, you will be nodding your head to this one.
Without a doubt, Julia Klot is fantastic figure to watch out for in the pop world. Her music falls in this ageless category of songs that are both real and strong at the same time. In our recent interview with her, Julia was asked about her creative process, sources of inspiration, and the creation of “Lie.” Watch this space as this young artist has some interesting stuff to share!
Listen to Lie
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What is your stage name?
My stage name is my full name – Julia Klot!
Is there a story behind your stage name?
I have always been a solo artist first and foremost, so my stage name has been my name ever since I started releasing music and performing. It feels most authentic to my music and the personal stories I’m writing about to use my name.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration in the music I listen to, and the things that happen in my life and those that are close to me.
What was the role of music in the early years of your life?
I started taking piano lessons when I was 6, and I loved learning classical music. When I was 10, I became interested in songwriting and wrote my first little kid song about nature. I performed my original music for the first time at my 5th grade graduation when I wrote a song for my classmates and teachers about how much I was going to miss everyone. After that, I recorded my music for the first time when I was 11 with an independent record label and released my first album with them at 14.
Are you from a musical or artistic family?
My grandfather on my dad’s side played the oboe and the piano growing up, and my grandfather on my mom’s side is an author. My dad is a big music lover and introduced me to the music he liked when I was younger. My mom is a Latin teacher and has a wide vocabulary. I have to think my love for music and lyricism stems from my family’s interest and history with both.
Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry?
When I first started writing songs in elementary school, I was listening to a lot of Taylor Swift. I would watch all her behind the scenes, tour videos, and music videos. I thought it was so awesome that she made a career for herself at such a young age with music that she wrote about her own life, and it really inspired me. My dad was also very supportive when I started writing music. He encouraged me to keep writing, and helped me find opportunities to perform and record my music.
How did you learn to sing/write/to play?
I started taking piano lessons when I was 6 (shoutout to my first ever piano teacher Amy!). I learned classical music, but I also learned how to play chords of songs. When I was ten, I started singing by myself and making up melodies/song lyrics. After that, my dad set me up with a voice teacher so I could grow both my piano and singing technique.
What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform?
The first concert I ever went to was a Taylor Swift concert in 2010. It was her Speak Now World Tour, and my dad got us tickets for my 5th grade graduation. It was (at the time) the best night of my life.
How could you describe your music?
My music mixes a few different genres- mainly pop with elements of rock, jazz, funk, and soul. Some of my songs take on the form of ballads, and some take on a more upbeat, funky vibe. I love to perform with a live band (drums, guitar, bass, keys, sax), and I love to include lots of different instruments on my recordings (strings, horns, experimental keys).
Describe your creative process.
Coming up with melodies and chord progressions on the piano is a huge part of my creative process. I often start my songwriting process by messing around on the piano, and the melody and lyrics follow naturally.
What is your main inspiration?
My main inspiration behind songwriting is getting to tell a story with my music that other people can relate to. I think it’s so cool that I can write something about my personal life, and other people tell me that they feel the same exact way, or that they felt really touched by my lyrics.
What musician do you admire most and why?
Sara Bareilles is an artist that I’ve always deeply admired. Her songwriting is powerful, and her music creates a genre that is so timeless and unique. I’ve always felt very inspired by her because she is a great pianist, and writes most of her music at the piano. She creates beautiful melodies, and is an amazing vocalist/lyricist. She’s definitely heavily influenced my writing style over the years.
Did your style evolve since the beginning of your career?
Definitely! My early songwriting was very ballad-based, and instrumentation on my recorded songs was less thorough. It took a while for me to find my sound, but when I started arranging my songs, that really helped me take my music to the next level. Now, I think my music is a lot more versatile.
I still have ballads, but I can tell what kind of production I want on a song right off the bat. Some songs feel like a full band vibe, some feel like piano and strings, some feel like pop-rock ballads, and some feel like pop with a jazzy twist. I love being able to experiment with different genres and combine them to make something that feels unique to my style.
Who do you see as your main competitor?
Probably myself! I get very in my head about my artistry, and whether or not I am a good enough musician for other people to like me and want to listen to me.
What are your interests outside of music?
Teaching, baking, watching reality TV, hanging out with friends, going for walks, and hanging out at my favorite neighborhood coffee place where you can get a cup of joe, sit, and pet some dogs 🙂
If it wasn’t a music career, what would you be doing?
I am a full time elementary school music teacher while I am also pursuing my music career, so I feel like I would probably still be doing that if I weren’t doing my own music. But if music were completely out of the equation, I would probably still be an elementary school teacher, or maybe in the journalism field since I’ve always loved writing.
What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music?
Honestly, social media and the music industry. As a small artist, it’s really hard to get my voice heard. In the past few years, I’ve realized that’s something I actually really want. I love songwriting, recording my music, and playing it live for an audience.
I would love to grow my audience, but sometimes it feels like the methods that are successful for other people are not working for me. I hear all the time that the only way to make it big in music is to get signed to a label.
However, the label won’t sign you unless you have a huge social media following. But the social media algorithm doesn’t always push small artists’ content to larger audiences, so the whole thing feels like an impossible machine sometimes.
If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be?
I would definitely want to change the way that streaming platforms pay artists. The big platforms like Spotify & Apple Music pay small artists a tiny cut, and I would love to see that change considering all the effort, passion, money, and time goes into releasing a musical project.
Why did you choose this as the title of this project?
‘Lie’ is the title of my new single! The song is about that one guy at the bar who can’t take no for an answer. The whole song plays with the concept of a lie vs. the truth- the guy is lying about his “well-mannered intentions”, and I’m being brutally honest about my disinterest.
What are your plans for the coming months?
Lie is the second single off an upcoming project! The first single was my song Boxing Gloves. I haven’t announced the project yet, but am very excited to be putting out new music, and can confidently say there is more coming soon.
Do you have any artistic collaboration plans?
My younger brother Max is also a songwriter. We recently wrote a song together and were excited at the prospect of putting out some music together 🙂 I would also love to collaborate with some of the musicians I studied alongside in college.
What message would you like to give to your fans?
I would like to give a message that is very similar to the one in my song- Don’t be afraid to call it like you see it! If something feels wrong, it probably feels wrong for a reason. I’ve had to learn that it’s ok to trust my gut and make decisions that are in my best interest sometimes, even if it may not seem like the right decision to someone else.
