Feb 4, 2022

Julia Zivic – “deep identities can’t hide forever”

“I grew up in Connecticut in a humble house in the woods. My father is a musician, and my mom a writer. They both worked for Nickelodeon and other kid’s networks. My mom wrote jingles for big toy companies, my dad produced them in his studio, and I’d usually be the little girl singing them. It was an interesting upbringing, because at a young age I had to really master getting the perfect studio take, especially around Nickelodeon executives who were and probably still are extremely nit-picky and particular with their feedback. I think it has a lot to do with how much I enjoy the recording process today. I am a sucker for a fat vocal pad, a complex harmony, and the perfect take that reveals every bit of emotion needed to get my point across.

I started playing guitar in middle school, and it was like I finally found the outlet for all of my teen angst, all my feelings, my rebellion, my miniscule heartbreaks that I laugh at now. But looking back at my little self pouring all of her anxiety into an instrument, singing words that had to be whispered in my room; it’s just always been the biggest blessing in my life.”

It’s been almost two months since your release of “Queen Bed”, it just hit 10k on YouTube. How are you celebrating?

“Yeah! That was a big surprise for me. I didn’t know it would get the attention it got, especially because it’s been years since I’ve released any solo music. I really didn’t celebrate with anything in particular. I just acknowledged it and went “wow cool!” and probably told all my close friends so I can hear “I’m proud of you!!!” and moved on, ha!”

“Queen Bed” was directed by Benjamin Lieber, how was it working with him?

“Ben is a very good friend of mine. I actually met him through my partner, Paulie. Paulie is in a very cool band called The Bluechips, and Ben has done several music videos for them. Once I saw the work he was doing with Paulie’s band, I couldn’t resist giving him a call for my own projects. I was utterly impressed by his professionalism, organization, and vision. I can’t wait to work with him more in the future.”

(Benjamin Lieber)Did he match or overcome your artistic vision?

“Ben and I met at my favorite coffee shop in Beacon, NY just to get an idea of what we wanted to do for Queen Bed. We had discussed general ideas over email before, and on a pinterest board. Nothing specific. But, boy, did we get specific when we sat down with each other. It was like an overflowing well of ideas when we got together. We both fed off of each other’s creative visions and out came the storyline that you see in the video today. I knew from that day that Ben was someone I’d be interested in working with on many levels, and it felt kind of euphoric to have another person on my team that sees eye to eye with me. That’s so important as a musician.”

Your song “Queen Bed” was mixed by Carrtoons, how did that collaboration go about?

“So, it’s funny because I seem to be growing a team of Bens. Carrtoons is Ben Carr, a total genius producer and musician. He also happens to be one of my greatest friends, so I’ve been writing, collaborating, and co-producing my own projects with him for a very long time. He has a big hand in all my songs, and he’s known me since I was in high school. Our collaborations are always extremely validating, and we have a very similar level of passion for building a song from scratch and nurturing it at every level. I started singing on his projects back in college, and he jumped on the opportunity to work with me on my own personal projects, so I’m eternally grateful to have such a special musical companion.”

From the first thought of your song popping in your head to its initial release, how long did it take to make?

“This is the hardest kind of question for me. I have no idea what time is, but I do remember I wrote this during quarantine in February 2020. I originally titled it “The Wind That Sends Me Flying” but Ben (Carrtoons) and I thought Queen Bed might be more symbolic of the song as a whole. Ben and I created our little covid bubble and started recording this one pretty quickly. It usually happens very quickly with us, we get so excited and just record a nice fat demo in a day or so depending on how energetic we feel. This one was recorded pretty soon in the process I believe but, shit, I really don’t remember. It took a year to finally get it out into the world!”

What’s the music scene like in New York?

“Pretty cool! I think the word I’d use to describe the musicians I know in New York is raw. The music definitely mirrors the day to day buzz you feel in New York, where you’re surrounded by people who wear their hearts on their sleeves most of the time. It’s inspiring as a musician to be here, and I think it’s a good place to push your boundaries, and experiment with different ideas day to day according to your surroundings. I’d say New York is pretty thick with content and experiences to draw inspiration from.”

By being off stage for so long how did you find your stage presence again?

“It’s kind of crazy, really. As a solo artist it’s a totally different feeling, and I don’t think I actually know how It’ll be quite yet since I haven’t played a solo show yet since 2020. My band Vinegar Mother recently decided to call it quits, and with them I was pretty used to having a very dense backing band behind me, with a lot of energy, and sweat and dancing. It was almost easy to perform with VM, because there was a lot to work with. My music is a bit more stripped down, and definitely puts me in the forefront a bit more, especially since I write everything and the songs are extremely personal from the lyrics to why I chose a certain melody. With past solo shows, I just let the vulnerability rock, and that has always worked best for me. If I’m nervous, I say it into the microphone. I laugh at myself, I’m clumsy, I just want the performance to feel as real as watching me in my own living room.”

What would be an example of amazing stage presence?

“I think my favorite shows are those that make me feel connected without forceful crowd participation. I go to shows to observe, and especially to listen to their stories. I think I enjoy a show most when I get to hear some background on a few songs, like why they wrote them, when they wrote them, what they feel when they perform it. I think each person has a certain manner in which they make their shows special. I sometimes have to keep in mind that there isn’t a definition for an amazing stage presence, just simply that one experience at a show will never be like another. They’re doing it their way – take it or leave it.”

New York is a pretty crazy place, seeing some of your posts about NYC, it only hardens the fact. What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen in New York?

“Too many experiences to count, honestly. I lived in NYC for years, now I’m a bit more upstate but whenever I go back it’s like nothing has changed. I feel like maybe it only gets crazier. I would spend a lot of time in Union Square because I went to audio engineering school around there, but during my lunch breaks I’d just go observe the characters that populated the area. One time a guy came up to me and asked me where I got my jacket from, I said I didn’t know, and he told me he was going to get a sniper to hunt me down so he can take my jacket. Then in the same hour, a very well-known person named Wendell in Union Square came up to me. He’s the guy who runs around with gigantic dresses and headpieces made out of what seems to be recycled cloth that he finds around the city. He asked if he could borrow my phone to listen to Michael Jackson, so I gave it to him and he danced around Union Square for a few minutes, gave me my phone back, and then walked over to a trash can, hiked his dress up, and sat on the trash can, just staring at everyone. I just shook my head and laughed, like, what is my life?”

What was the main influence for your new song “Queen Bed”?

“Queen bed was influenced solely by my relationship with Paulie, honestly. It’s a deeper look into what goes into a committed relationship. The darker sides of getting to know someone. Our real, deep identities can’t hide forever and sometimes you’re forced to see parts of yourself you wish you could hide forever. But revealing yourself to a lover is the only way you can really make it through in a genuine way. We’re both writers, so we’re constantly challenging and analyzing our feelings and experiences. I feel pretty blessed to have such an honest person by my side, and I know we’ll continue to welcome our complexities to the table.”

Random Question: First memory you ever had?

“It’s kind of silly, but I think the first memory I have is one that I told myself to remember at a young age. I used to lay on my dad’s chest while we watched TV (when I was small enough to) and I remember putting my head to his heart, and hearing it beating. I told myself “never forget this moment.” and to this day it’s my most vivid memory as a child.”