Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Julesy comes from a musical pedigree; her father was a film composer and her mother was a voice teacher. Growing up in a house full of instruments where creativity flowed freely, it’s no surprise that Julesy grew up to make music herself. Growing a reputation for powerhouse vocal performances and stark lyrical honesty, Julesy announced her debut album, Flip the Bed, earlier this summer, and it’s due out on October 17 via Strong Place Music. The album is said to follow the unraveling of a six-year relationship, having been written in the final two years of the relationship and the resulting aftermath.
Today, Julesy is debuting the single “Never Never” off Flip the Bed featuring guest vocals from eat. fantasy of a broken heart. With a slick pop styling and a deep vulnerability, “Never Never” is a melancholy track with a deep soul. “
‘Never Never’ is an ode to losing yourself to self-criticism. I’m prone to making songs that feel heavy to me and sound really fun, I realize. This song started out as a full-fledged demo with a drum machine and lots of vocoders. Taylor Wallace made this song what it is by transforming a machine sound onto the kit, which is a huge feat. The other thing that makes the song so special is Bailey from Fantasy of a Broken Heart on background vocals. When they sent me the take, it brought the whole song together. Given that the lyrics are a sort of conversation between me and my brain, it’s fitting to have another voice on the track.”
How did your collaboration with Bailey Wollowitz of Fantasy of a Broken Heart come about, and what did their contribution bring to ‘Never Never’?
“Never Never” is so busy melodically that it was hard to figure out what to do in production without overdoing it. When I suggested we add another voice to it, Sahil and I were both like, “That’s it.” We started out using my brother’s voice (he appears on different songs throughout the album), but it was too subtle.
I’ve been a huge fan of Bailey and Fantasy for a while (they played drums for me briefly a few years back), and their debut album is phenomenal. Margaux (another artist Sahil works with; she’s amazing) used Bailey for background vocals on a song of hers, and when I heard that, I was dead-set on having Bailey sing on “Never Never.” Their voice is pretty iconic but also gentle, and it fits so perfectly into this song for me. Once we added their vocals in, the song felt a lot more complete and true.
Flip the Bed marks your debut full-length album. As the October release approaches, what emotions are coming up for you? How does it feel to be sharing such a personal project with the world?
It’s a bit nerve-wracking since it’s been a long time coming, but it’s obviously so much more exciting. I love this record; I got to work with my best friends and amazing artists on this, and I think that joy and fun comes through in the songs. I’m always writing, and I know there’s more to come, so I’m excited to celebrate this first release and go from there.
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Photo Credit: Charlie Hyman
