Interview: Julia-Sophie

We’re excited to present to you an interview with Julia-Sophie, an innovative UK-based electronic music producer. She recently released “Numb;” a lead single from her upcoming debut full-length album, slated for release on July 26th. We spoke about approaches to songwriting and producing, themes, inspiration, themes, etc. Enjoy!

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Your debut solo album ‘forgive too slow’ is described as “aching and ambitious.” Can you share what inspired this project and what themes you explore in the album?

Creating for me lies at the heart of what it means to be human. I don’t consider my music a project, it’s a part of my personhood, another part of who I am where I can access, process, express, and integrate difficult and tender moments. I mostly explore themes of desperation, isolation, feeling unseen, connectedness, sadness, emotional realities, intense love, romance, and passion.

The single ‘Numb’ is haunting and pulsing. Can you delve into the emotions and experiences that shaped this track?

I would rather not go into the details but needless to say, it was written at a time when I was at a low, desperately trying to save a relationship and failing to – the song describes that journey. It was important for me to convey the rawness of how broken I was feeling in what felt like a hostile, and unforgiving world.

You’ve had a diverse musical journey, from Little Fish to Candy Says, and now your solo work. How have these experiences influenced your music today?

I think having varied experiences has allowed me to explore different parts of who I am. I think this is the first time I have made music that truly aligns with who I am, where I don’t have to dilute myself as a person or musician for the sake of others.

Touring with artists like Blondie and Courtney Love must have been incredible. How did these experiences shape you as an artist?

I don’t know how to answer this because yes, these times, looking at them through an objective lens, I can describe as incredible. However, life isn’t lived through an objective lens. I guess I always wanted to keep the illusion and rock fantasy alive, so I never really talked about how much I was struggling behind the scenes. The truth is that these times were very difficult for me personally and come with a lot of painful memories. It was a period of my musical career that changed me as a person, one that in many ways I regret living. The music industry wasn’t what it is now and I was too young and naive to truly understand what was happening to me. These experiences did not shape me as an artist, they broke me, both as an artist and a human.

Your music often touches on themes of self-destruction, love, and many more. How do you navigate these intense emotions in your songwriting process?

When I create, I am led by my emotions. I let go of my mind and invite my body to move, sing, do whatever it feels. I try to capture my emotions, always attuning and refining, and when what I feel I feel is expressed accurately, both melodically and lyrically, I know, because it feels right.

’forgive too slow’ addresses the idea of not being able to break out of patterns from the past. Can you elaborate on how personal experiences influenced this narrative?

Grief, loss, mistakes, and pain are unavoidable parts of the human condition. Without mourning these experiences successfully we are left carrying the weight of them in our daily lives. Sometimes, being able to let go of the bad involves forgiveness, the ability to forgive others. I was left waiting for forgiveness, and it beat me down so much until I realised that it’s the person holding on to the bad stuff who is truly trapped. When one forgives too slowly, the result is that you are weighted down by grudges and hurt, and as a consequence lose out on all the good things that daily life has to give. So yeah, without giving too much detail, over the past few years I’ve learned the value of forgiveness and seen what happens to people when they are unable to forgive, or they forgive too slowly. It eats them up from the inside.

The album concludes with a sense of unresolved tension. What message do you hope listeners take away from this ambiguity?

My aim in this record was to give my pain and internal conflicts a voice and record my process, rather than simply recording the resolve or peace experienced by going through it. Engaging with all our pain involves a lot of work and strength, it is a tough, deep dive into the darkest parts of ourselves. I hope that listeners feel inspired to do the same, and not feel they have to hide from these parts of themselves. My hope is that they can gain awareness of the roles they play in their own conflicts and stuck-ness, and realise that they have agency and choice.

How has motherhood impacted your music and creative process?

I believe that we have multiple Identities, of which not all are of equal importance. My identity as a mother will always have a greater influence on me than my identity as an artist. As a result, being a mother means I prioritise the momentum of life that motherhood brings over that of my creative and musical personhood. Maybe one day when my children are fully grown and no longer need me so much, I will have time to explore more of my creative side again.  

Your EPs have received praise from various influential platforms. How does this recognition affect your approach to making music?

 I don’t think it affects my approach to making music. Making music for me is really about giving myself a voice, an expression of how I feel which gives me a sense of catharsis, it’s like an imaginary dark room I can walk into and scream or fall apart in. I don’t make music for anyone but myself. I mean, it’s nice when people take an interest, sure, but it really is not my driving force.

You mentioned not caring enough about being famous to survive the challenges of being a major-label artist with Little Fish. How has this perspective shaped your current career path?

I was young when I was in Little Fish and being in a band and getting signed was me not really knowing how to navigate life any other way. I felt very lost when I was younger, and I lacked confidence, I never thought I was good enough to do anything. It has taken me a long time and a lot of work to now reach a point where I don’t allow my artist self or for the music industry to define who I am, give me confidence, decide whether I am good enough or not, I now know that I am good enough as I am, whether my music is acknowledged or not.

’Numb’ is the lead single from the album. Why did you choose this song to introduce your new work to the world?

I chose to release “numb” because it has an identity, an assertiveness that feels empowering and stands its ground, all whilst being vulnerable, defying prescriptive behaviours, and embodying human complexity.

With singles like ‘telephone’ and ‘wishful thinking’ following ‘numb,’ how do these tracks contribute to the overall story of the album?

These two songs are the lighter two tracks on the album, so maybe I am releasing them to show people that I am capable of release and lightness.

You’ve scored films as part of Candy Says. How does composing for film differ from creating music for your albums?

 When I write for other people or for film, I engage in fantasy, I become all the melodies and lyrics that I do not have to embody and stand for or feel personally. I quite enjoy this escape because when I am writing for myself it is a far more serious affair.

Can you describe the creative process behind ‘forgive too slow’? How did the songs evolve from initial ideas to final recordings?

I always begin songs at home, usually alone with a synth, a simple beat, and maybe my guitar, then I will write a very simple skeleton of a song, a couple of verses, and a chorus. I’ll then record this into my phone so that I don’t forget it, and once I have a few songs I’ll go to my friend B’s studio and play him what I have, and together we’ll start exploring how we might record the song. We’ll start by recording a simple beat, putting down some pads, and a vocal. This will form the basis, from which we’ll spend months exploring all kinds of beats and production. A song will sometimes take on ten different identities before it is considered finished. It really is a collaborative process.

What do you hope listeners experience when they listen to ‘forgive too slow’ from start to finish?

Gosh. I don’t know. My hope is that each and every person who listens to the record will experience it in their own unique way so it’s hard to say. My ultimate hope is that whoever listens realises that they are not alone with how they feel and that it is okay and human nature to feel vulnerable, despair, love, and uncertainty.