Music Makers

Three Music Thingz with Julia-Sophie

feature image photo credit: Siobhan Cox

Holy mackerel, it's another rendition of Three Music Thingz, the blogseries where I ask musicians for three thingz that are essential to their music-making.

Today we have Julia-Sophie! Julia-Sophie is an Anglo-French artist—she's based in Oxford and grew up between there and Lyon—whose career has arced from the major label grind (with the garage rock band Little Fish) to a more independent existence as a experimental electronic songwriter. Following a couple of EPs over the past few years, forgive too slow is her debut solo record, and it's an austere and subtly intense grapevine across the dance floor of introspection.

The best quality of forgive to slow is the balance between Julia-Sophie's intimate vocal delivery and the electric tension of the compositions, which often start super-minimalist, then build in intensity until they burst. The beats have a chilly friction, but Julia-Sophie's voice is always full of warmth.

Even the darker songs feel like they're propelling themselves somewhere productive. "numb," my favorite track, chronicles a relationship at the end of its rope over an icy, mechanical synth; by the end, hope and delusion are inextricably blurred by the track's unrelenting trance: "We might be dead by tomorrow / Don't hate me by then...maybe we could make it new again?" And by closer "telephone," Julia-Sophie is in full '80s romantic mode, putting her own unique shimmer on a John Hughes movie closer synth ballad.

The blog has been blessed with Julia-Sophie's three thingz...read them now!

Sacred Time.
As a musician, putting time aside to to sit and create is paramount. It allows me to immerse myself deeply into an uninterrupted flow of ideas and emotions necessary to craft music, enabling me to attune to a deeper level of emotions and explore new sounds. It is in these moments of focused solitude that I have experienced my most profound and authentic musical expressions. Without setting time aside for creation, the essence of my music, I believe would remain unrealised.
Gut Instinct.
For me, focusing on staying true to who I am and trusting my gut is crucial because it ensures the authenticity and integrity of my music. When you trust your instincts and create from a place of genuine self-expression, I believe that the music will resonate more deeply to you, and most likely with listeners. For me, staying true to yourself is far more important than conforming to external pressures or trends—to me, this simply dilutes the expression of ourselves, of our art. Ultimately, trusting my gut I believe empowers me to produce music that is true to my soul, which for me, is the most important part of making music. I don’t want to be someone else, I want to be ‘me’ as much as I possibly can be.
Collaborate with people you believe in and trust.
As a musician, collaborating with people you like and trust, I believe is essential because it fosters a creative environment where ideas can flow freely and without judgment. When you work with people that you feel safe with, who are supportive and understanding, it allows you to share your thoughts, experiment with new concepts, and take creative risks. This mutual respect and camaraderie enhances the creative process, allowing for a synergy that often leads to innovative and inspired musical outcomes.