Breaking Barriers and letting go of an accounting job to become the singer you know today. Read all about Julie and more here...

Thank you for your time, Julie. 
1. Your last song “Fighter” did well on Spotify with over 35.000 Streams. 
You got onto a few playlists. The song got on the Top 10 List of Music Enough. Over 8K views on YouTube and got some radio airplay. Features on a few sites. How did that make you feel?
I was thrilled by the response and it was so amazing to receive comments from people saying how much “Fighter” resonated with them and helped them with the struggles they’re going through. 

2. You grew up with little music at home and only later when a co-worker suggested to audition for a theatrical company you took interest in music. Do you remember the moment when it clicked? 
I think I’ve always loved singing as I started singing in my school choir as a child with a performance at the Albert Hall, so even though I wasn’t surrounded by music growing up when a co-worker mentioned about auditioning for the theatrical company I just knew I had to give it a go. That then led me to want to front bands and then later down the line obtain a passion for songwriting.

3. What would you have become if not for your music career? 
Although my previous job was in accounts, I think I would have always edged towards a creative avenue whether that’s art or dance.

4. The song ‘Fighter’ was about being bullied and insecurities, written out of personal experience. Was it a relieve to get this powerful song out and gathering so much attention along the way? 
Yes, it was great to be able to put my thoughts and feelings down that built up inside and channel them in a positive way. It’s certainly been amazing how many messages I’ve had from people saying how they can relate to my song whether it’s from bullying, addiction, heartbreak or another struggle.

5. Are you working on any new songs? On what journey are they taking us? 
Definitely, I’m writing new material at the moment so I’ll keep working on new songs so that I can share a lot more music this year. I continue to write empowering songs but also write about other topics such as love and heartbreak.

6. What do you find most enjoyable in the music industry? 
With the new digital music industry the ability to connect with so many people around the world with my music and help them based on my own experiences.

7. You also did a Songwriting Competition and reached the finals with your song ‘Fighter’. Will you do this again? 
I’m truly grateful to have reached the finals in a number of songwriting competitions. Yes, I will look to submit music to songwriting competitions again, as I like to have a marker to know which songs resonate the most and to keep honing my songwriting craft.

8. What is your creative process when writing songs? When or how do you get your song ideas? 
I don’t have a set way of writing, sometimes a melody will come into my head and other times I’ll come up with some lyric ideas or start playing chords on the piano and ideas start flowing from that. I do tend to start from the top down though i.e starting with the chorus/hook.

9. Do you experience writer’s block? What do you do to overcome it?
I’m most creative at night so I’m trying to get into more of a routine where I don’t leave it just down to when creativity strikes and instead plan to write, which I think helps with writer’s block.  I do have a lot of half-finished songs though that I need to re-visit, where I started writing in the middle of the night and felt like I should get some sleep instead of finishing the song at that time.

10. Not every song can be a hit apparently. Do you sometimes write a song and it makes you laugh as the lyrics are just crazy funny and then what? Do you keep the song or do you throw it out? 
I have one that I’ve just started writing called “Screw it” which is about having a rubbish day and giving in to the chocolate calling. I’m also trying to improve with my diet and fitness which is tough so I definitely feel this way at times with it. I’ll see how the song turns out when I’ve finished writing it as to whether I’ll get it produced or not.

11. Do you have any tips for other songwriters?
Never give up and keep learning. 

12. Your last debut album ‘Breaking Barriers’ was produced by Studio Pros in LA, California. How did you come across them, living in the UK? 
It was purely by doing a search on the internet and listening to music they had produced. I liked the idea of being able to get professional session players on recordings without having to hire a big studio. Production can also be very expensive so that was a factor too.

13. You love your dog, Casper a Golden Labrador, since when do you have him? 
Yes Casper is very lovable, he’s now 5 years old and we’ve had him since a puppy…. I’m sure he still thinks he’s a puppy though. 

14. We have a suburb on the Gold Coast called Labrador, would you consider moving there, if in Australia? 
The Gold Coast certainly looks very beautiful  and I would love to visit, although I think I would always like to live close to my family. 

15. You play the piano, what made you choose this instrument?
I think because the piano is so versatile and you can create such beautiful harmonics with it. One day I’d love to own a grand or mini grand piano.

16. Do you play any other instruments? 
I can strum a few chords on a guitar or Ukulele but no I don’t play any other instruments yet….maybe one day I’ll put more time into learning guitar.

17. You worked with producer Stuart Epps (Elton John, Led Zepplin, Oasis)? How was that for you? 
It was an amazing experience meeting Stuart at Rak Studios in London and being able to work on my song with him and find out more about who he had worked with and his experiences.

18. What was the one thing you took with you from the work experience with Stuart Epps?
I guess how important it is to get feedback on your songs from music industry professionals and be open to different ideas. I’m certainly very grateful to have had the opportunity to work directly with someone who’s had as much experience as he has in the music industry working with legends like Elton John, Led Zeppelin etc., and being able to play/sing through my song live with him.

19. What do you find most challenging in the music industry? 
As an independent singer/songwriter you need to learn a lot of different areas of the business that you may not need to learn so much as a signed artist, so it can certainly feel overwhelming and a lot of fear does come into play.

20. What is the weirdest or funniest thing that happened to you?
Someone lifted me up mid song at a gig once and I just carried on singing horizontally in the air for the rest of the song. This spontaneous act was certainly appreciated by the audience.

21. Which movie describes your life best?  
Probably Forrest Gump because he learned to “break his barriers” and achieve amazing things, plus the chocolate analogy is very fitting with my love of sweet things.

22. Have you planned any tours? Where will you be in 2020? What are your plans for the near future? 
I’m focusing at the moment on building my online presence so that I can reach more people anywhere in the world easier, but playing my own music live is definitely something I plan to do.  I am writing new material at the moment so will look forward to sharing more music this year.

23. Looking further into the future. Where will you be in 5 years from now? 
Connecting with people on a much larger scale and writing a lot more music that resonates and can help people with the things that are happening in their lives. I think it would be amazing to be playing my own music live and be able to connect with fans that way too. Plus, I would also love to have music in TV/Film as I love movies so it would be amazing to see how my music could fit into a certain scene.

24. Do you have a message for your fans?
Yes, a huge thank you for being amazing and supporting my music, I truly appreciate it and am looking forward to sharing a lot more with you.