Interview with Juliet Callahan
Discover more from Volatile Weekly
What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?
When I am not making music I love to paint, draw, journal, graphic design, box, and hike. Sometimes taking a step back from my projects and doing other activities can be exactly what I need to finish my musical idea. All of my hobbies keep me grounded mentally, physically and creativley. When I am creating art there is a story or feeling behind it which can inspire my writing through my inner thoughts while I am painting, drawing, or working on a graphic design. Staying active through my boxing and hiking is also key for me to keep my mind clear while keeping me on focus. I can workout a lot of inner turmoil and sort out my emotions through other forms of art and keeping a consistent workout regimen.
How long have you been making music?
I have been making music for 3 years. I resparked my interest in music at age 18 when I started recording melodies on my iphone voice memos and writing down lyrics in a notepad.
Where are you based and how has that influenced your music?
I am originally from NYC but now I am based in LA. LA has had a very positive influence on my music as there are so many creatives to collab with and resources available for musicians. I went to a 6 month school for engineering music and then another music school in Hollywood from Septermber 2021 to June 2022 where I learned music production, songwriting, piano, and mixing music as well. I delved into the other components that go into recording a record and ir definitely helped me become a much more rounded musician. I learned so much from collaborating with musicians at my school and from the classes I took. I can now produce, write, and engineer a full song by myself which gave me a whole new perspective of how to go about creating a record. I am now well versed in 3 DAWS: Logic Pro X, Ableton Live, and Protools so I am very grateful I decided to move to LA and go to music school here. My writing has also transcended because of all the practice I have done.
Tell me about your most memorable shows.
I have only done one show so far and it was through a performance class at my school. At the end of the quarter for that class I performed at the concert hall at my school and it really helped me prepare for the future when I am going to perform at local venues. I am waiting until I have 2 more releases so that I have the amount of material out to have a solid show. I am really looking forward to performing and cannot wait to show my fans this new side of me!
What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?
I would love to have my first shows at the Viper Room, The Whiskey, and The Mint. After this release I am going to start looking more into venues to set dates for my performance.
If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the line up?
My biggest fantasy would be to play at a show where the lineup would be Lil Peep, Limp Bizkit, Evanescence, Deaftones, Linkin Park
However, a more realistic lineup for the current music scene would be: Bring Me The Horizon, Mothica, Maggie Lindemann, Billie Elish, Lana Del Rey, and Lady Gaga
As you can see my musical influences are widespread.
What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into making music and some advice that you would give to your younger self?
My biggest piece of advice would be to delve into everything it takes to launch yourself as an independent artist. Do your research. Learn about the marketing side, the business side, the recording process and really dive into the music industry into a whole. Set goals for yourself and then learn everything that it takes to accomplish them. Research the teams that are behind the artists that you look up to the most. Never give up or doubt yourself. Put in consistent work and give your all to your music and you will start to see it pay off. Create a plan for the message you are trying to spread to your listeners and figure out your artist identity. Make sure that you are well versed with the entire music industry including the business and marketing side so that you can advocate for yourself.
If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?
I would tell myself to stop being so hard on myself when facing milestones as it has all been a part of my growth as an artist. I would tell myself that I am capable of learning anything on my own and that it is ultimately up to me how much I will accomplish. I would also say to never lose my drive, to keep learning everyday, and to keep up the consistent hard work I’ve been putting in.
Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?
My last single release “Burning” means the most to me because it represents a turning point in my writing and sound as an artist. Once that song was finished I really discovered the sound I wanted to go for as an artist and message I wanted to give to my listeners. It was one of my more vulnerable songs where I was really able to open up to myself and my listeners. I was able to express the lingering feeling inside myself of wanting to find an authentic and meaningful connection with somebody. I was able to put into words a feeling that can be hard to admit, which is what I think creating music is about.
What is your creative process for writing your music and what inspires you to write your music?
I have many different creative processes for writing my music depending on my moods. One process I will do is just create a bunch of beats on Ableton or Logic and then freestyle over them. After that I decide which ones sticks the most with me and then I start to structure it out and find the overall theme of the song. I also book sessions with my producer/engineer where either we’ll make a beat together or I’ll pick one of his beats and then I start recording melodies over it, then build the song structure from that. I originally produced the beat for Venom and then brought it to the studio to work on with my producer. Then I wrote the song with another songwriter. I really enjoyed that creative process.
What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?
My songs represent the most vulnerable parts of me. I am all about raw emotion when I write. I want my listeners to be able to express themselves through listening to my work, which is what all my favorite artists have given me. I like to speak on topics that can even be hard to even admit to myself. My overally message is to be completely yourself and let yourself feel every emotion in order to heal or tap into the version of your highest self.
What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?
I have two more singles after Venom ready to be released so I am definitely going to keep the momentum going. I also have other songs I am working on at my home studio so soon I will have material to release that is done solely by me which has been a long time goal of mine.
Follow Juliet Callahan
https://www.facebook.com/julietcallahanmusic
https://www.instagram.com/juliet.callahan/