NYC’s own genre-bending artist, Julia Wolf, has been out on tour to kick off 2023 and rocking all of these shows. She recently released her album, Good Thing We Stayed, and is getting some well-deserved praise on the release. BareBones Ent got the chance to hang out and talk with Julia. Check out what all we had to talk about below!
BBE: How would you best describe your music to new listeners?
JW: Lyrics are always the most important to me. It’s meant to be relatable and written by someone who’s shy but knows what she wants. I’m super into rap so sonically I take a lot of influence from that for the beats and flow, then mix in my voice which is on the indie side.
BBE: You have a great sound and style. Was this always the type of music you wanted to make or did this develop over time?
JW: Thank you! This was definitely always the music I wanted to make but for years I couldn’t find the right person to bring it to life. I started self-producing which definitely got me closer, but it wasn’t until I met Jackson that the music finally reflected what was in my head.
BBE: Last year, you went out on a sold-out tour with Fletcher. What was that experience like for you?
JW: It was unbelievable. The audiences were so warm and welcoming, I couldn’t have asked for a better tour to be a part of. I was shocked by how many people wanted to say hi at the merch booth or asked me to sign their boobs after the show [laughs]! And Fletcher was so kind and cool about helping me with my nerves and showing love throughout the tour.
BBE: With your upcoming headlining tour being about sold out as well. How do you think that previous tour has prepared you for this one?
JW: It’s allowed me to learn what feels most important to me during a set. Crowd interaction and creating moments you can’t get when just listening to the record are always at the top of my list now. I’m always so apprehensive about speaking in between songs for fear of being boring but I’ve learned that those fears are pointless! Anything to make the audience feel seen is my goal so talking face to face is going to be a crucial part.
BBE: You will be hot off the release of your new album, Good Thing We Stayed. Can you share if your set will feature a lot of these new songs?
JW: They will feature all of them [laughs]. Hoping everyone is learning the words so I can pass the mic off to the crowd!
BBE: How did the album come together for you?
JW: It was super organic. We’d finish certain songs in the studio and have a gut feeling to hold them off for a bigger body of work like they were meant to tell my story in a larger way. Eventually, as more songs were written I finally reached a point where I felt the story of this journey from where I started to where I am now had been told. That’s when we wrapped it.
BBE: How has the fan reaction been to the release?
JW: Oh my gosh, I couldn’t be happier. Their love is getting me all the more excited to play it live and see their reactions in real-time. They’ve been so good to me, I feel like we’re all on this journey together really.
BBE: What is the feeling like for you right before the album drops waiting to see those first responses start trickling in?
JW: There’s certainly some anxiety! I’ve been holding on to some of these songs for a while and getting to see them play out and finally live in the universe is exciting but also scary! You always hope that it was worth waiting and being a little precious with some tracks versus others. Seeing good responses kind of confirms that we did the right thing, it means the world.
BBE: What song are you most excited to play live on this tour?
JW: “Sad Too Young” We extended the ending, it honestly makes me emotional! [Check it out below, and then continue on!]
BBE: What is the best way for fans to interact with you and stay up to date with your music?
JW: My favorite way is every week on Instagram I do this thing called Sunday Confessions. You guys write in anything that’s on your mind that you need some advice with and I always try and give my two cents to help out. The answers get posted anonymously so it’s also just a great way to relate to people and know you’re not the only one going through it right now.
BBE: Anything else you’d like to add?
JW: This whole album is about betting on yourself. I know what it feels like to watch people “blow up” in whatever passion it is they’re going after and wonder why you’re still stuck in the same place you were two years ago. I know how impossible dreams feel. But this album is hopefully the motivation to keep pushing forward because everyone works on a different timeline. We just need to remember not to give up.
