SPOTLIGHT: Julia Church
IF YOU WERE TO LISTEN to any current Top 10 single you are more than likely to hear cookie-cutter clones that rely on Auto-Tune, reverb, and lush orchestration. Listen to “Tremble” and you will be treated to the sensual grooves and uncomplicated production that are the hallmark of the song’s creator, Julia Church.
The London-based singer songwriter has already charted twice in her nascent career in her home, South Africa, as a featured artist in “Something New” by Crazy White Boy and “Heart Shaped Box” by Goldfish, but that was only a jumping-off point for Julia, who is reaching further success as a solo artist.
Her latest single, “Tremble,” which Church describes as “passionate,” is an honest glimpse of an intimate moment between a new couple, a soulful and sultry sound as gentle as inexperienced fingers. Light instrumentals are present but subdued, and it’s really her voice built up in multiple layers of tight harmonies that give this track its groove. “I am always reminding myself that a great song needs very little more than a piano and vocal to really shine.” Church says, and that attitude pays off. The simplicity of the seductive song reflects the vulnerability that a person displays when “completely losing yourself with someone who makes you feel something totally new and exciting.”
Church typically begins her creative process at the piano, with an idea for a hook or chord progression, and then records it onto her computer. “As for the lyrics, I really just wanted to try and create some bold romantic imagery!”
Despite the success of “Tremble,” Church feels the best song she has ever written is “Threads,” “which I always play in my live shows and will be out next year. I think it’s my best because it’s a sad one about really missing someone and after I wrote it, I felt a genuine sense of relief like a weight had been lifted. It’s also the one that people are humming after the live shows, haha!”
She has performed in venues across London, even once earning a spot at the iconic jazz club, Ronnie Scott’s. Standing on the same stage where some of the most famous British jazz artists once played was not her first brush with the greats, however, as she once worked on a one-on-one songwriting session with Sir Paul McCartney at her alma mater, the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.
When she needs time away from music, Church loves to paint and draw. “It’s really hard making your passion into your job because sometimes it feels like all the love you pour into it becomes mechanical.” she laments. “Make sure this is really what you want to do because it is definitely not something you can do half-heartedly.” she advises aspiring musicians.
And half-heartedly is not her style. Her next single, “Crawl” is set to release on September 10th, and two days later on September 12th, Julia will perform live at The Slaughtered Lamb in London. Julia Church has made an original sound and name for herself, and it won’t be long before we see it in flashing lights.
