Julia, Julia—the solo project of Julia Kugel Montoya from the thundering legendary punk band The Coathangers—is back with her sophomore album Sugaring a Strawberry, out September 9 from Suicide Squeeze Records and Happy Sundays Records. The new record was recorded at COMA, Kugel’s home studio, and designed to have a raw sound and a warmth that’s been lost in today’s world of heavily digital recording.
“I made Sugaring A Strawberry in an effort to reconnect to something human,” Kugel explains. “AI, streaming, and the digital experience of music have left me feeling a bit empty. I wanted to re-evaluate and reset. I would love for people to experience the record on vinyl—with all the cracks and imperfections. Along with the legendary Suicide Squeeze Records, Sugaring A Strawberry is proudly co-released on Happy Sundays Records—an extension of the festival we put on every year. This will be the first record released on Happy Sundays Records.”
Today, Julia, Julia is debuting the video for the latest single off the album called “I Know.” With a delicate guitar and haunting vocals, “I Know” finds the beauty in simplicity and definitely reflects the realism and warmth that Kugel is looking for in this record. With a video filmed with a handheld camcorder, full of all the little imperfections that come with that technology, the video perfectly reflects the spirit of the song. “We shot the video in hauntingly beautiful San Pedro, CA,” Kugel explains. “It’s bleak but intriguing and romantic. Shot in VHS by Your Intimate Noise, the video is me exploring the landscape in ‘No Trespassing’ areas.”
Check out the video below.
Sugaring a Strawberry is out September 9 and you can preorder it from Suicide Squeeze Records. Follow the artist on Facebook and Instagram for future updates.
Photo Credit: Valerie J Bower
Video Credit: Directed by Julia Kugel
Shot by Your Intimate Noise
Edited by Scott Montoya
