Meet Julia Kate

We recently connected with Julia Kate and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Julia, so excited to have you with us today, particularly to get your insight on a topic that comes up constantly in the community – overcoming creativity blocks. Any thoughts you can share with us?

I experience writer’s block a little more than I would like to admit. It’s hard. Something that helps me overcome it is listening to artists who inspire me and examining their approaches to songwriting. I would then sit down at a piano or grab my guitar and start writing. If that doesn’t work, I look at instrumental tracks on YouTube and see if something catches my eye, and I try to write something to it.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am currently studying Professional Music with an emphasis on songwriting and the
Music Business at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. My dream is to become a
successful singer-songwriter after finishing school.
I grew up in Sherman Oaks, CA, a valley suburb of Los Angeles. I was tall since I was
a little girl. Today I stand at 5’10”, but it feels like I’ve been the same height since I was
12 years old. Because of my height I played a lot of sports in elementary and middle
school at Campbell Hall in North Hollywood. But my true love was always music. I
began studying piano in 2 nd grade. And several years later, I also started singing
lessons. In middle school and high school, I sang in the school choir, was a lead
vocalist and played keys for Campbell Hall’s Pop Music Ensemble, performed in all
musical theater productions (and dramas as well) and I participated in the school’s
annual Gospel Choir. The Gospel Choir was very special to me because it exposed me
to a genre of music that I did not know a lot about previously, but also when performing
in front of the large audiences at the annual Gospel Choir concerts, it was at those
concerts that I became aware that I wanted to be a professional performer.
I’ve always enjoyed performing other artist’s song, but I began writing my own original
songs during the pandemic when I was 15 years old. I have been heavily influenced by
artists like Taylor Swift, Lorde, Billie Eilish and Lana Del Rey. In early 2021 I finally had
the nerve to share my songs with my family who thought they had potential. A family
friend connected me with a producer, Johnny What, who also liked the music, took me
under his wing, and we spent a week in the studio recording my first EP, “just a kid”
when I was 16 years-old. Even though I had never been in a professional recording
studio before, I felt very comfortable in the studio environment and enjoyed the
experience immensely. We released “just a kid” a year later.
In the summer of 2023 before heading off to college in Boston, I went back into the
studio with Nick Rosen, the music director on “just a kid,” and we created a second EP
called “yearbook.” I’m very proud of the music I’ve released thus far, but I’m really
excited about my new songs that Nick Rosen produced and co-wrote some of the
tracks. The first single came out on October 25 th and it’s called “beverly hills,” which is a
very personal song about my first serious relationship. It’s the story of being from a big
city (Los Angeles) and falling for a boy from a small town in Rhode Island. I have three
more singles set to release in the first half of 2025.
In addition, I still enjoy sports, and much to my Los Angeles family ‘s disappointment,
I’ve embraced the Boston sports teams while at school at Berklee. I’m also a big cat
lover and have a young kitten named Romeo who lives with me in my Boston
apartment.
I just want to make music that people enjoy, entertains them and hopefully makes them
think a little bit about their own lives or their relationships.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Passion and creativity are two very important qualities that have impacted my journey. If I hadn’t been passionate about music and had just based this on talent, I would’ve quit a long time ago and probably would not have been happy. Creativity is important because I use all my creativity while writing my songs. My creativity has opened the world of songwriting, and that is my favorite thing in the whole world. Another quality is courage. It takes a lot of courage to get your voice out there and release your own songs. I was so afraid in high school to release my first songs because I was scared of people talking bad about me or my music. I have realized this is who I want to be and what I want to do, so I need to trust myself and the universe. I advise people early in their journey to trust their gut. If you love a song and want to release it, do it. If you don’t like a line on a song that you made, change it. Never just release something because you feel like you have to. You should be excited and proud of what you are doing.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

My parents have been my rock throughout my whole journey. I am so grateful to have them by my side every step of the way. I always refer to my dad as my manager as he is very good at business. I would not be doing what I am now if it weren’t for him. He has taught me much about what I need to do as an artist to succeed. My mom is always the most supportive. She is constantly posting what I am doing and taking pictures of everything, even if it’s something so small. She also gives great fashion advice; I always take it from her because she has a great style. They sit in on meetings with me and give me the best advice. Having two amazing parents who believe in my dream is amazing. I am so grateful for them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.juliakatemusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliakatexo/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JuliaKateMusic
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@juliakatexo

Image Credits

for the studio photoshoot pictures credit Lissyelle Laricchia