Juls – Summer Thing

By starrymag | September 13, 2022

By: Alejandra Gil M.

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) I think that my music is most inspired by the ocean. I feel like life is a lot like swimming in the ocean: scary, exhilarating, dangerous, beautiful, and breathtaking at the same time. I often found myself driving to the water to write in high school; I always found that the water felt electrically, creatively charged somehow. The highs and lows of the ocean always reminded me of the highs and lows of the human experience, and nothing has ever inspired me more creatively. I believe that my sound reflects the feeling of the ocean, and a shared thread of ambiguity and ethereality runs through both.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) I would describe myself as a mix of Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey. I get inspiration from Taylor’s melodies because they are so damn catchy and timeless. However, Lana is my inspiration for everything; she is the reason why I wanted to be an artist in the first place, and I quite simply think she’s one of the greatest songwriters and poets of all time. My lyrics are heavily inspired by her art.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Summer Thing.”

 

A) “Summer Thing” was written on my living room couch. I distinctly remember watching The Notebook and thinking about my own experiences with summer love and navigating the changes associated with young adulthood. I remember looking out the window and hearing the words “told you this was just a summer thing, summer fling.” From there, the rest of the song was done in about thirty minutes.

 

Q) “Summer Thing” out now. What was your song writing process like, Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) Writing summer thing was a very quick and easy process. In my opinion, the best songs come naturally and are quite easy to write. I almost always hear melodies before writing the lyrics, but sometimes I think of a cool line and mold the rest of the song around those lyrics.

 

Q) This song was also released with an official lyric video Produced and Animated by Angie Canonizado. How involved were you in developing the concept art for it?

 

A) Angie and I spoke about the lyric video and put our brains together to create a concept that would best suit a song like “Summer Thing.” To me, “Summer Thing” has always had a blue, faded youth feel. Angie is a brilliant photographer and videographer so we both agreed we would love for the visuals to encompass this feeling with pictures of the ocean and summer scenery. I hand wrote the lyrics, giving the lyric video an intimate and personal feel that felt indicative of the song’s overall meaning.

 

Q) The track touches on themes of young love, summer blues and faded youth, speaking from your own experiences of love and navigating the changes associated with young adulthood. What do you hope people take away from it?

 

A) I hope that my music inspires people to believe in the magic and beauty imbued in everyday life; too often, we get bogged down with day-to-day to do’s and can forget the little things that make life so special – the smell of fresh coffee in the morning, the embrace of a lover, the feel of the sun’s kisses when you first walk out of the shadows. I hope my music reminds people of the magical little things and inspires them to believe that dreams can come true if you believe.

  

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) LANA DEL REY. Lana Del Rey. I would cry. And likely never stop.

 

Q) How did those performances as a child with your sister Jacqs influence your stage performances these days?

 

A) Well, sometimes I see Jacqs in the crowd and that’s really fun for me because it reminds me a lot of when we were younger, and it was just the two of us. [laughs] I think it feels very full circle for both of us and I’m very grateful to have her by my side; she has truly been there every step of the way, and the bond we share as sisters undoubtedly makes this whole journey feel more gratifying and fulfilling.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes them so significant for you?

 

A) I’m really excited to be playing live at the Mint on September 20^th!! Since I’m just starting to perform live, I don’t have a favorite venue yet but hopefully I’ll have a better answer for you in the future. [winks]

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) I love social media because it allows me to connect with people from all over. I think that any true artist creates because he or she hopes that people will resonate with their music or thoughts/ feelings. Thus, I view social media as an important extension of artistry because it allows people to connect with me and my music more easily.

 

Q) What would you like to say to fans and supporters of you and your music?

 

A) Hi guys! Thank you so much for your support <3 I promise this is just the beginning. My music feels like the truest expression of who I am, and I can’t wait for you guys to get to know me better as more is revealed. I also can’t wait to get to meet more and more of you in person and hopefully get to know you guys a little bit better as well!