Sometimes Julie
Sometimes Julie, one of San Diego’s most engaging and original rock bands, emerged from a chance collaboration between singer-songwriters Monica Sorenson and Rick Walker in 2012. Anchored by Bruce Paul Allen (bass), Alberto Moreno (lead guitar), Anthony Sarain (sax/flute/keys), and Dave Fuller (drums), Sometimes Julie performs hard-driving rock with deep-seated blues and Americana influences.
For fans who have never heard your music, can you pick three words to describe it?! If three words just aren't enough then tell us more!!
Hard-driving, passionate, soulful.
Our music is a trip that clearly travels in the rock n’ roll “lane”, but we also make the occasional stop in pop, jazz, country, and blues territory.
What is your favorite part about being an artist? Is it songwriting, performing, recording, something else?) Tell us why.
I love songwriting, because the songs are just there waiting to come out and be fully formed. It is exhilarating when we are creating something new. I love the artistic aspect of recording, creating the colors and textures that bring the song to life and make it shine. Nothing beats the rush, the connection, and the immediate gratification of performing live, though. But it's always over too quickly!
Can you tell us what being in the recording studio is like for you?
I love the collaborative aspect of recording. I might write a song with an idea of what the feel, mood, and groove will be, but when the guys come in and add their own colors and textures, we end up with something more beautiful and magical than I could have ever imagined at the start. They take it all the way home. It is really like getting a present every time!
Okay, this a fun question. When you are not doing music, what else do you enjoy doing?
I enjoy playing with my dog, spending time outdoors, hiking, and going to the beach. I am fortunate to live in San Diego, where the weather is near perfect year-round, and we have access to so many different types of terrain and climates. I live near the beach and hiking trails along the coast, but with just a short drive I can be in the mountains or in the desert.
Who do you admire most in the music scene today and why?
I admire any artist who has shown staying power in the music industry while remaining authentic and true to themselves. It's not an easy task. A few that come to mind are Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, and Susan Tedeschi as well as some that unfortunately are no longer with us, like Prince and Stevie Ray Vaughan. There are also a few that are just on the cusp of greatness, like Lukas Nelson, and emerging indie bands like Black Pumas, Lake Street Dive, and Bailen.
Can you tell us what song you've written that is the most emotional and describe the meaning behind it?
All of my songs are emotional on some level, because they are usually very personal. I hope that my willingness to make myself vulnerable with my lyrics and music helps the listener to connect.
As an example, there's a song called "As Good a Day as Any" on our latest album, which is about my severing my relationship with a toxic person in my life. As difficult as it was to give myself permission to end that relationship, it was clearly the healthy choice for me. But it required a lot of strength and courage - and a lot of tears.
I know I'm not the only person in the world who has had, or currently has, someone in their life who they are better off without, It's my wish that this song might help other people find their own strength and courage to do what they need to do in order to protect themselves.
Are you working on any new material right now or what's in the works for the upcoming year?
I am always working on new material! We have a couple of songs right now that we have worked up as demos and will start performing live as soon as the pandemic allows. At any given time, I have 20-30 songs in the queue, ready to develop into a Sometimes Julie tune! I know we just released an album a couple of weeks ago, but I can’t wait to get back to the studio to collaborate on album number 5!
Tell us where fans can access your music.
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