-How old are you and how old were you when you first started liking music?
I’m 29 years old. I remember that I already enjoyed music very much
around the age of 8, but when I was 13 it turned into a real passion when
I discovered my favourite band. These were the years shortly before
everyone had internet, which today draws so much of our attention (too
much on my own part). I think because of that the passion was rooted very
deeply in me. I spent hours, weeks or months listening very closely to the
very same albums, developing a real relationship to them. And I also spent
a lot of time watching musicians very closely, what they do on stage and
how every one of them plays his/her instrument.
-Were you discovered or did you contact recording companies yourself? How?
No, I have not been discovered until now. Russian Winter Records
approached me regarding promotion.
But my music has been discovered and liked by so many people from around
the world, which is still the most amazing thing for me. (As a just
complained about the internet, on this behalf I’m incredibly thankful
that it exists).
-Listening to your album, which I loved by the way, made me think of
summer and long days at the beach. Judging by the photos it looks like the
sea and nature played a part in inspiring you. How come?
Concerning the sea, this is a question that I also have asked myself.
Coming from Austria (where we have no ocean at all ;)) one would rather
think that mountains would be more inspiring for me, which is not really
the case. Maybe it has to do with my zodiac/star sign (Scorpio…one of
the “water signs”) or maybe I had some connection with the ocean in a
former life or so ;)
That I’m inspired by nature in general has something to do with my
personal values, beliefs and thoughts I guess. Many of my thoughts deal
about the role of mankind in our modern world, and for me personally
it’s important not to lose the connection to nature. Being attentive to
this connection is something I draw strength from because nature discloses
beauty in even the tiniest things.
-What music did you grow up listening to?
As a younger child I discovered and decided that the electric guitar is
the coolest instrument for me. My sister had some cassettes lying around
with different pop/rock stuff. I tested them all and got caught on Billy
Idol’s pop-punk-style, being totally fascinated by Steve Stevens’
guitar playing. Later as a teen, the music which is now considered
“Britpop” was the greatest thing for me. This turned into a real
passion as I described already, by discovering Oasis.
-How did you create your initial songs- did you record the instruments
yourself or were they playback?
When I have the idea of a song, I write the structure down on paper. All
of the “main” instruments on my songs were recorded by myself. This
includes all the guitars, bass, percussion instruments and vocals. The
drums could be called an exception because I don’t really “play”
them like a normal drummer (I’m not good enough to reach my own
expectations), but I program them within my audio software. Each drumhit,
and how it should sound, is placed by hand. So you could say that I know
how to play the drums only theoretically and of course a real drummer will
hear that my drums are artificial.
There are also other instruments, for example an occasional organ or
another soundeffect, which is also not played “classically” but
programmed with MIDI in the audio software.
Recently I also started doing the mixing and mastering myself, which is
also a very elaborate and important part of the whole picture.
-Which has been the most difficult point in your career?
Well, I would not consider this as a “career”, since it has (still)
the status of a hobby.
But looking back, reflecting the period since everything started, I cannot
see a point which I would consider as really difficult. From the moment I
wrote my first song, everything worked like a perpetual motion machine
which is extraordinary for me because normally I am a person with lots of
doubts and caution. But with the music I have found one area of my life
where I feel very sure about what I want. And regarding this area, I can
also push away the doubts more easily. It feels very relieving.
-What do you feel was the most limiting factor which you had to
overcome to get where you are today, and how did you overcome it?
One difficulty that I still have is my shyness regarding the live
situation. I find myself in a rather unusual role of a musician because for
most musicians it seems that there’s no greater thing than playing live.
It is in my nature to flee from being the center of attention so I am
still in the process of finding out how much effort I should put into the
goal of playing live, when maybe it’s just not meant to be.
situation. I find myself in a rather unusual role of a musician because for
most musicians it seems that there’s no greater thing than playing live.
It is in my nature to flee from being the center of attention so I am
still in the process of finding out how much effort I should put into the
goal of playing live, when maybe it’s just not meant to be.
-Have you ever been through a negative experience which looking back, you
feel like has molded you into the person you are today?
Yes, definitely, I experienced a whole year which was exceptionally tough.
In retrospect I have matured so much on a spiritual level and regarding
essential views about life that I’m almost thankful for this experience.
And music played a key part in everything.
-And which has been your most cherished experience?
There is no highlight that really stands out. I try to see the little
positive things every day.
If I had to choose something, the first thing that comes to my mind is
seeing Oasis live in Wembley Stadium in London 2009. It was a dream come
true, and just in time, because they split just a few weeks later.
-What advice would you have for teens who want to get into the music
industry?
I can’t say anything about the music “industry” since I don’t feel
to be a part of it. For me, the word industry is connected with business
and making money. In my opinion, the wish for fortune and fame are not
really good reasons for making music.
It’s more authentic when the love of the music itself and the making of
it is the main motivation.
For young people, who feel that they love to do it and get their talent
acknowledged by others, I can only encourage them to go on with it. Talent
is a gift and I almost see this as a personal responsibility for one’s
own life. Maybe also for society. I think the world would be a better
place if we had more people following their dreams. For example, I think
the world can profit more from a fantastic devotional musician/artist than
from a mediocre insurance sales man. Of course, making a living is another
topic, giving room for elaborate discussions, but one is allowed to dream,
right? ;)
You can listen to and download Juleah's album here.
