Meet Julius Bowditch

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Julius Bowditch a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Julius, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Not everyone likes everything! For me, overcoming imposter syndrome was all about coming to terms with creating what I like rather than trying to appeal to someone else’s sensibilities. I have friends who hate music that I love dearly, and I don’t like music that friends of mine love. That’s just how it is when it comes to art. Once I accepted this, I felt like I wasn’t an imposter and I was just someone doing my thing.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am a Baltimore-based musician who releases music as Jupie. My music is homegrown and intimate, and my last record is my most ambitious project to date. With roots in the Brooklyn and Chicago music scenes, I am now based in Baltimore, where I have honed my skills as a producer and continue to write and record my music independently. I have continued to play shows in NY this past year in addition to finding my footing in the music scene here in Baltimore. I have also spent time as a bassist for multiple Brooklyn-based artists including Sipper, Lazylazy, Active Bird Community, and Marinara.

I am currently working on a new record while performing and supporting my record “Brick Hill,” which was released earlier this year.

On “Brick Hill” I navigate memories and emotions spurred through an unexpected homecoming.
The relationship between myself and home is at the core of this record. What makes home
‘home’? After finishing graduate school in Chicago in summer 2020, I moved back to my
childhood home, the titular ‘Brick Hill’ in Baltimore, to live with my sister as the pandemic
upended all my plans to tour and record new music. We hadn’t lived there together since I was 11. This time of confusion and forced introspection informed much of the writing and
recording that ultimately became “Brick Hill”.

In the coming months, I will be performing on 9/21 the Ottobar in Baltimore, MD supporting Roxy 2’s album release show, performing the Abell Street Fair on 9/22, and performing at Riser’s Fest in WV October 10-12.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Understanding the relationship between the artist and the listener: I have always been interested in music’s ability to capture and express emotion in ways that words alone can’t. You can listen to Bach and feel the sadness without a word being said. I also love when a lyricist can write something personal and intimate but do it in a way that so many other people can relate to and make their own. The relationship between artist and listener is so fascinating.

2. Making art that I enjoy: I began producing my own music the year after I graduated college. I was playing bass in a band as my main thing and when it disbanded I started demoing out all these songs and sent them to the producer that band had worked with. I ended up recording an EP with him and through that process realized that I didn’t want crisp studio sound that builds on the exclusion of sounds around the music — I wanted what I was making in my bedroom.

3. Understanding that there is no right way to do things: I’m sure plenty of good producers would roll their eyes at the setup I had (and frankly still have). But I felt like the rawness of the bedroom sound and the inclusion of external sounds was the best format for the songs I was writing. Ever since, I’ve been figuring out production as I go and working with talented mixers and masterers like Gabe Goodman, Tommy Ordway, Allen Tate, and Justin Pizzerferato to get my songs where I want them to be.

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?

Accepting support! I would never be able to accomplish and create without the support of my community. Knowing when to ask for support and accept support is an invaluable skill.

For me, this comes in many forms. Often times support comes in the form of some generous ears, friends, and family listening to what I’m working on and providing feedback. Sometimes I need support writing or connecting with people. Sometimes I need someone to vent to about the struggles I’m facing creatively. All that support makes the process easier and more enjoyable.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

All pics by Peter Hoblitzell

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