CATCHING UP WITH… MIAMI INDIE POP SINGER/SONGWRITER JULIA BHATT

Last time I talked with singer-songwriter Julia Bhatt she had just released her debut single. The track ‘Tall’ was indicative of the Miami based artist. A fun, catchy, and quirky debut single. Fast forward a few years, the nineteen Julia has now graduated high school and was set to open on her first tour. That was until the pandemic hit. Now as Bhatt sits in the state of the unknown and suspension. Julia’s newest single ‘1:30’ has her exploring a new sound as she grasps with the social media age in the music industry, and all those feelings and fears in between. You can catch my full update interview with Julia below.


THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Hi, Julia! Thanks for letting me chat with you again. How have you been doing since we last spoke? :)

JULIA BHATT: Doing okay! Things are hectic but that’s how it is nowadays.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: You were scheduled for your first-ever headline tour after graduating high school in 2020 but ultimately had to cancel it. How has it been having to re-adjust creatively? How has your creative process evolved just within the past year?

JULIA BHATT: I was just the support, but it sucked the same. I was excited to travel and meet new people and stuff. Hopefully there will be more chances to come.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: How has your creative process evolved just within the past year?

JULIA BHATT: I’ve had to work by myself a lot, since I can’t go up to New York to record with Elliot [Jacobson], my producer. So I’ve had to figure out Ableton Live and other music software that makes me want to rip my hair out as opposed to just me fucking around on a guitar.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Let's talk about your current single ‘1:30’. The new song features a noticeably new sound. What is the inspiration behind ‘1:30’? How did the new track come together?

JULIA BHATT: Since I’ve been fucking around on Ableton, I was playing with some guitar and some synths and I sent it to Elliot, who sent it back with stuff he had added, and then I sent it back with stuff I added, and etc. It kept going until we felt we’d finished it.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: So you’ve released your debut EP ‘2 Steps Back’ back in October 2020. What was the writing and recording process like for your debut EP?

JULIA BHATT: It was “normal” compared to now. I busted out some songs on my guitar, recreated them with Elliot using his mad producer skills, and then we would record vocals together and he would fuck around with them until we were both satisfied. Then it gets mixed and mastered.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: You also released a stand-alone single ‘Bird Girl’ which was accompanied with an animated video? How did the animated video come together?

JULIA BHATT: My sister’s roommate is a really talented artist, and I am absolutely not, but I love visual art. She was willing to do a video, we talked about some inspiration, and boom! Her name is Madyn Garretson, and she nailed it for sure.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Who has been the biggest influence on you as a musician and singer?

JULIA BHATT: I get this question a lot, and I have a lot of influences. I usually say something like The Strokes and America or something, but for the sake of new material, I’ve always loved Two Door Cinema Club (particularly their early self-titled album) and as basic as this is, I grew up with The Beatles. I know a lot of random shit about them, and they will always hold a spot in my heart.

Julia Bhatt // Photo Credit: Tanya Bhatt Editing: Shervin Lainez

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What lyric have you’ve written do you feel most emotionally connected to in life currently?

JULIA BHATT: “I don’t always wanna be the one to say it. I don’t always wanna be the one to care.” - lyrics from "Marco"

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Switching gears... What’s the single piece of pop culture that’s made the most impact on your life?

JULIA BHATT: TikTok has definitely affected me, but not in a great way. It seems like everything only blows up if it starts on TikTok. You don’t need to be the best or have the most talent. You just need to blow up, and record labels will approach you and turn you into a star essentially. It scares me a lot, and it makes me feel like I’m never going to make it. That’s depressing, but it’s definitely affected me.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: If you could write a song about any fictional character or universe who or what would you choose and why?

JULIA BHATT: This is lame but probably Rick and Morty because it has so many dimensions to it, both literally and metaphorically. Plus it’s my absolute comfort show for sure. I’ve seen each episode over 20 times for sure.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: To end, Is anything else you would like to add, Julia?

JULIA BHATT: Thanks for chatting with me!! Always a pleasure.

The same, Julia! :) I’ve added links to her socials and latest music so you can stay updated on her journey below.

LISTEN TO "1:30" HERE
LISTEN TO THE “2 STEPS BACK” EP HERE


JULIA BHATT

INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK / TWITTER

Photo credit: Anna Bhatt (Julia’s Sister)

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INTERVIEW WITH… POP SINGER & SONGWRITER JULIANA