Julia Romana
14th September 2022
Interview: Amelia Kang
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.
Julia has always been fascinated by sounds and art from a very young age. At the age of 8, she started using the voice memo function on her phone to create ‘beats’ by recording claps and household objects. In art school, she got her first MacBook pro where GarageBand was pre-installed, and she started experimenting with making music there. Her first album ‘Opening’ was made purely in GarageBand.
We chat to Julia about her latest single 'See Her' and creating the outstanding music video.
The choreography is so incredibly captivating and intimate. It really does serve as a perfect visual extension of the song. I’ve noticed that the choreography places an emphasis on the dancers’ hands; does this hold any deeper meaning or symbolism to you?
Hands are such sensual body parts to me. They can be fragile and delicate, forceful and strong. I feel like Weronika Szczerek (the choreographer), Laura Manners (director) and I all intuitively wanted to bring an emphasis to the hands. The song is about female empowerment and hands hold so much power, they’re storytellers. It just made sense.
What do you find the most challenging about the creative process of making music?
The industry is the biggest problem. I love making music. I love writing songs, finding melodies, making demos, and collaborating with musicians. I also got more into singing live with friends lately. But it’s also soothing to me that I have a normal job. I work as a digital designer and I don’t know if I’d enjoy making this art so much if people expected me to always deliver new songs or to be the perfect audience pleaser. I don’t have to become a big artist in order for my music to be “worth making”. It already is.
Art really seems to be a central aspect of how you express yourself to others. From painting and drawing to singing and songwriting, and now… dance. What does art mean to you?
I love creating things and connecting with people through music and drawings. Art is like a form of healing. I love to express myself in different ways and go through phases of inspiration. Sometimes I paint for a whole day and don’t touch a paintbrush again for the following 3 weeks. Sometimes I record demos for a week and that’s the material I’ll work with for months to come. Dance classes give me structure and I feel like my body and mind function better after that kind of movement.
Each of these artistic practices seems to bring a different form of peace and acceptance into my life. I hope some of my creations can bring that kind of peace to others.
Who would you like to collaborate with for your next release?
I’d love to create something together with my friend Katherine Pethers, who’s one of the most captivating people I came across on social media. She’s such a kind and beautiful soul and we share a love for art, nature, cats, linen clothes, and PJ Harvey.
What would you say is next on your journey? Can we anticipate an upcoming tour?
I’m currently looking for a vocal coach in order to train my voice for any potential gigs that might come up. Other than that, my album will be out this September. Autumn is one of my favorite times to make new songs so I’ll meet up with some friends to make music and enjoy the cooler months.