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| Interview with Julie Thompson |
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Interview is written and conducted by Dimitri Kechagias “Flux BPM on the move”
Julie says in the official press release about the album: “I wanted to write an album that was lyrically honest and song based. Each track was written at a piano. I was really pleased that Black Hole Recordings wanted to release it and that Andy Duguid agreed to produce it. The whole album was written at a time when lots of changes were taking place in my life and the album depicts my deepest thoughts and feelings of that specific period.” “I chose to call it ‘Feeling For Corners’ as it was a time of letting go and trusting in what will be will be. I believe all we can do is keep putting one foot in front of the other and feeling for the next corner which, when we turn, usually takes our life in a new surprising direction. So as well as the darker moments in the album, there are also many lighter, uplifting ones that hopefully people can relate to.”
This album is the best opportunity to catch up with her and organize the interview so you can read right now! I am sure that you will agree with me, that it is very interesting and engaging, like any good book…..
Thanks to Niels from Capitan for his support in organising this and Mark from Black Hole for the top music always offered for my radio shows.
Julie: I was born in Norwich and I’m a typical Virgo I’m afraid. Here in London we have a free paper so if I’m on the tube I do tend to glance at the horoscope page after I’ve read the news of course, but I try to steer clear of women’s magazines unless I’m really bored. Dimitri: Do you recall the kind of jobs that you aspired to do as a little girl, and was one of them maybe a career as a famous pop singer?
Julie: I got into a band playing keys when I was 10 years old so from that point on my heart was always in music. We would play local pubs and clubs doing covers. I wrote my first song at 11 so from that point on I wanted to write and sing my own songs. I can’t really remember what I wanted to be before that I think it was a hairdresser or a vet!
Dimitri: Do you come from a family that music was part of its everyday life? Did you get encouragement from them, to learn to play any musical instruments or become part of a children’s choir?
Julie: I can always remember my mum singing around the house and my dad trying to learn to play the piano, but neither of them are musicians. Once they saw I had a talent for music they were very supportive and sacrificed a lot so I could have piano lessons. They also took me around the country so I could play song writing clubs and gigs and stuff, but I was never in the school choir, I found it too rigid and at that time I wanted to be Kate Bush! Dimitri: Did you have professional training as a vocalist or did you teach yourself the art of singing? Is it vital or is it a myth that a singer must have a classical music education background in order to have the ability to handle a wide variety of genres of songs?
Julie: When I was a kid I had classical lessons but I think it’s a complete myth that a classical music education makes a good singer. To be honest, when I decided I didn’t want to be an Opera singer I had to forget most of what I had learned anyway. Sometimes knowing a little bit about technique can help protect the voice and extend the range but it’s all about the tone for me, and you can have a great tone without having a lesson in your life. Dimitri: Who are the singers. female or maybe male, that you always wanted to match their vocal abilities, and why?
Julie: I love singers that push their ranges to the absolute max. People like Laura Nyro, Kate Bush, Jef Buckley, Bjork and Joni Mitchell. That’s what I aspire to do too.
Julie: I don’t want to bad mouth any singers as it’s not like any other instrument. You can’t say oh I don’t like the sound of this guitar so I’m gonna get a different one. You sing how you sing. All I will say is I don’t really like listening to artists that over emotionalize songs when they sing. I really like listening to singers who sound like they are being completely honest. That touches me. Dimitri: You took the difficult decision and risk to leave your home town and move to London to pursue your career. Can you remember the feelings and thoughts that you had during your first independent days in London, and what is your best or most memorable experience from those first days?
Julie: I always wanted to move to London but the first year or two here was a lonely experience for me. I was on the dole and was always skint and at times I felt very isolated. I knew I had to be here because at that stage I wasn’t planning to be an artist, I was writing songs for other people and all the writers I wanted to work with lived here, but it was really tough for a while. It took me a couple of years before I got my first publishing deal. I guess it taught me that you have to be prepared to make huge sacrifices to follow your dreams. Dimitri: Do you believe that even in the age of the internet and Myspace, any singer from UK who wants to pursue his/her career should move to London?
Julie: No not at all. I do most of my work over the internet nowadays. If there’s someone you wanna get in the same room with you can always take a trip to where ever they live or they can come visit you. Dimitri: Your first global hit of course was your collaboration with James Holden for the instant classic 'Nothing'. When, and under which circumstances did you met James, and did you ever dream that this track would gain the status that it has now in the EDM music scene?
Julie: His manager at the time was a friend of a friend. He knew I was a writer and asked if I wanted to try working with James. We called each other and set up a co-write. I went to his flat with an acoustic guitar and we wrote ‘Nothing’. I seem to remember it only took half a day. I was the first dance track I’d ever been involved with and I don’t think either of us had any idea that it would have the kind of success it had.
Dimitri: Another very important figure for your entry in the trance music scene was of course Tiesto. It will be interesting for you to tell us, how did he find you? How was your co-operation with him in the studio, for the tracks you did together, and in the live performances in his grand scale Concerts worldwide?
Julie: I got an email from Black Hole one day asking if I would be up for working with Tiesto, I said yes and they sent me a backing track to work on. Still to this day I don’t know how it came about. I should ask one day! I worked on the track in my studio and emailed him my ideas. Then I sent him the vocal files. It was about year after making the initial track (Do You Feel Me?) that I got another email out of the blue asking if I’d like to go on tour with him. Touring with him was an amazing experience. It’s something I will remember for the rest of my life. Dimitri: Do you feel at ease if the press calls you the next Trance Diva? Do you like to be associated with certain styles or you have done collaborations with artists from other genres as well?
Julie: Hahaha Trance diva?? To be honest I don’t like to tie myself to any one genre.. I’m into all styles of music so if I like a track I’ll work on it.
Julie: When I was on the ‘Elements of Life’ tour Arny at Black Hole said don’t you think it’s time you made an album? I thought to myself yeah I think I should. When I got home I started writing it! I feel very settled at Black Hole. The company is like a big family and it’s great that they wanted to release my solo record. Dimitri: How long did it take you to compose the album and how was to work with the talented producer Andy Duguid?
Julie: I guess I spent about 10 months writing it. Andy understood the music straight away and we worked very well together. The only trouble we had was the fact we live so far apart so it took a little longer than initially expected to finish the productions. It was a lot of sending files back and forth and so on, and I went up to Scotland when I could.
Dimitri: The best part of these interviews is to allow some space to the artist to describe in their own words the album track by track. (It can be a comment about the state of mind you were in at the moment, funny or maybe dramatic incidents while you recorded, etc)
Julie:
1 What Will I Do? This is my favourite song on the album. It’s kind of dark but I like the vibe!
2 Something To You I did lots of fiddling around with backwards pianos and stuff on the demo. I was pleased when Andy decided to keep it in for the final production.
3 Shine Sweet song. Quite uplifting. I can imagine it in a film or something.
4 Satellites This is all about people speaking to us from beyond the grave through our TV’s and radios. Kind of like Poltergeist but not as scary!
5 I Am Yours I came up with a weird arpeggio thing that I wrote this song to. It was on a really rubbish Casio sound so I was very relieved when Andy reproduced the track.
6 It Only Hurts This is probably the hardest song to sing that I have ever written. The vocal range is so wide. It will be fun to sing this live!
7 Temptress This is about the music industry eating you up and spitting you out again but still you can’t escape it because you love it so much. I wrote this after a deal for a track fell through at the last minute after months of negotiations and high hopes.
8 Chains Didn’t really like this tune when I first wrote it. The chorus was written over major chords and sounded a bit cheesy so I changed the C’s to A minors at the last minute but now I like it more.
9 How Does It Feel? I wrote this when I went to a song writing camp in Sweden. We were supposed to be writing for a different artist but we just got on this vibe and had to finish it. The original version is kind of a Tori Amos thing. It’s quite funny to listen to how the two tracks sound side by side. They sound like completely different songs.
10 All Is Cold This is another quite dark track. It’s about trying to escape the bad habits of your lifestyle. It has a really high BV in the chorus. When you solo it I sound like a chipmunk!
11 My Home This track is nothing like anything else on the album. I always wanted to make a final track that almost sounded like a secret track. I came up with a basic string arrangement when I was writing it and Andy expanded the arrangement so now it sounds really orchestral and lush.
Julie: Yes absolutely. I want to do a mixture of PA’s for clubs and full band set up’s for festivals. I have this vision of doing ‘My Home’ with a live string section with me at the piano. I don’t wanna be stuck to a piano too much though as I love running around the stage and sometimes it’s difficult to connect with an audience when you’re stuck behind a static instrument. Maybe I’ll do a ‘Fish Bone’ and put a Keyboard on a trolley or get one of those 80’s guitar keyboard things. Dimitri: You not only sing, but you write lyrics too. Are there any lyrics from other songs that you wish had been yours, and maybe you would follow them, structure wise?
Julie: Lyrics tend to write themselves. Each song is different so I never try to follow another songs lyrical structure. You know when or if you need to rhyme just by listening back to what you’ve written. I’m a lyric junkie though. One of my favourite lyrics is in ‘Tank Park Salute’ by Billy Bragg but I think my all time favourite lyric is ‘This Must Be The Place’ by Talking Heads. This song kills me every time I hear it.
Dimitri: In the last few years globally, we have seen an explosion of song contests type of talent shows such as, X-Factor or Pop Stars, where the new stars are discovered and nurtured for the TV audience-music, consumer market. What is your opinion of these shows, and do you think they are a good start for singers, to help them build their career from the publicity they get from them? Would you ever consider taking part in any of them?
Julie: For me being an artist is all about singing my own songs so I would never want to enter a competition like X Factor or Pop Stars. I guess if you’re a singer and you don’t care what kind of music you’re going to end up releasing its okay. I’m not dead against those kind of shows they create work for songwriters too. I wrote a track for one of the participants once. It’s just not my thing though. I don’t enjoy it so I don’t watch it. Dimitri: Many commentators have noted the absence of many women Dj’s in the DJing circuit. As a woman, do you see that women Dj’s have the same opportunities as men, to build a serious and solid career? Do you think that working with a female or male producer will make any difference to the kind of songs that you may produce together?
Julie: I can’t speak for female DJ’s as I don’t DJ myself, but I think in the music industry in general it is harder for women to get on. If you work hard though you can succeed. You just have to make sure you’re on top of your game at all times. I don’t think a person’s sex has anything to do with what kind of songs they make though; it’s their taste in music that influences their style. Dimitri: Do you consider yourself a party animal by going to many clubs and staying up all night? Can you recall the DJ set that was so perfect, that you felt the urge to take a mic in your hands, go in the middle of the dance floor, and start singing?
Julie: I think other people consider me to be a party animal but I rarely go out clubbing these days! The last massive night out I had was in Leeds at Back 2 Basics, which is Dave Beer’s night. He had the 20:20 Vision boys DJing and the music was amazing. I would never be tempted to hijack someone’s set though!
Julie: I work with most people now over the internet. It’s made everything so much easier. As for Myspace/facebook it is useful as a promotional tool as it gives you instant access to people that like your music. I’m not addicted to it though. I check it once a day and that’s it! Dimitri: Finally, tell us your message to our web site visitors.
Julie: If you make music keep going at all costs even when it feels like you’re getting nowhere. Your time will come eventually so hang in there. If you just love to listen to music keep on listening don’t forget you’re the reason we do this. Thanks so much for reading this interview and take care of yourselves.
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Dimitri: Where were you born and what star sign are you? Do you belong to the category of the girls that the first thing that they read in a women’s magazine is the last page with the horoscopes?
Dimitri: Are there any singers that you cannot stand listening to, and why? (If you don’t want to name someone you can maybe tell the kind of music that they sing)
Dimitri: We are now at the point that your first album 'Feel For Corners' is out now at Black hole Recordings. It will be great if you would tell us how the idea of the album came about, and if with Black hole label, you feel at home and settled.
Dimitri: Are there any plans to perform live the tracks from the album and how would you like this would to be? Full live performance with you on the piano, and maybe some more instruments, or with recorded music and you singing over the top of it. 
