SPOTLIGHT: JULIA ADRIAN

Photo By Lene Wessels

Meet Julia Adrian and tune into her EP “an EP with potential”

"Almost Like / Never Even Met You" reads like a personal reckoning. Was there a specific moment or realization that pushed you to write that track, or was it more of a slow emotional unraveling?

I’d say it was more of a reflective moment that came over time after the dust settled.  Kind of a resolution between questioning if you ever really knew this person, but being happy with where you are now.

Title, an EP with potential, is both clever and self-aware. What made you choose a title that could be interpreted as both modest and confident?
As all good ideas do, it started as a joke I made to a friend. But honestly having a title that’s a pun is very on brand for me.  There is opportunity and excitement in potential, and for better or for worse, I tend to fall in love with that.

The EP moves through a range of emotion and tone—from tongue-in-cheek to completely exposed. How intentional was that emotional pacing?
It was intentional, but it was also just what came out.  I wanted the EP to feel unapologetic for its contradictions because that’s what logic vs. emotions are full of.  Processing situations can feel like whiplash, but sometimes it’s chaotic, and that’s just what it is.

"Elephant in the Room" suggests unspoken tension and avoidance. Can you talk about how that track came together lyrically and what you were trying to capture in that silence?
That song was one of those subconscious writes where I realized what it was about later.  It came out of a real situation where we were both saying everything except what actually needed to be said. I wanted the lyrics to reflect the tension and suspense when two people are pretending there isn’t something deeper going on, and neither one wants to initiate that inevitable conversation.

In "Second Chances," you co-wrote with Kory Shore. What was different about writing collaboratively on that track versus the others, and how did that influence the final sound?
I love working with Kory and bouncing production ideas off each other to make sure the songs are authentic to my sound.  With ‘Second Chances,’ I actually came in with a different song I had written a while ago, but realized that it didn’t feel like my current writing / voice.  Through our conversations, Kory helped ask me questions that forced me to be honest with myself.  I often have conflicting emotions and try to capture all of them in one song, but the reality is that one song doesn’t have to encompass an entire friendship, relationship, etc.  It’s not a misrepresentation - it’s a valid emotion I felt in a moment in time, even if I feel differently now.

Your lyrics often include clever wordplay and double meanings. How do you balance wit with raw emotional honesty in your songwriting?
I think wit is a form of emotional honesty.  To understand irony, dry humor, sarcasm, etc., it requires a certain level of intensity and a baseline understanding.  Jokes are rarely taken as awkward or offensive between two people who love and respect each other.  That’s the kind of energy I try to bring people in on when listening to my music. Humor is an easier way for people to admit to themselves that they can relate to a deeper emotion.

From corporate law in NYC to the music scene in Nashville, how has that transition shaped your creative process or informed your writing style?
Coming from law, where every punctuation mark matters and writing is very precise, I love the flow that creative writing affords me, but in both legal reasoning and songwriting, I crave nuance.  Nashville gave me the tools to be the best writer I can be; New York gave me the grit to make them matter.

"Potential," the closing track and namesake of the EP, feels like a thesis statement. What's the relationship between that song and the rest of the project?
‘Potential’ makes fun of my own tendency of wanting to see the best in people, which can be an asset or a liability.  It’s a playful take on something that could be a little more serious if you think too hard about it.  ‘Potential’ is the fine line between hope and denial, and an admission that I hold onto what could be instead of accepting what is.

You've described your sound as living under the pop umbrella, but were there any genre influences that snuck into this EP?
Absolutely. It really depends on who you ask and their interpretation, but people have told me they hear pop, rnb, country, soul, etc. influences.  I personally just think it’s whatever my subconscious pops out.  I gravitate towards swung melodies, rhythmic phrasing, etc., so it’s really just however that manifests itself.

With tracks like "almost but not quite," you play in the space between resolution and uncertainty. Why is that emotional gray area such a recurring theme in your work?
The more life I experience, the less sure I am of so many things.  I think part of that has to do with being in my 20s, but part of it is that humans are so multifaceted.  It’s hard to decipher what’s in your control and what isn’t, but I try my best to think of uncertainty as opportunity.

Your storytelling is vivid and visual. If this EP were a short film, what would its aesthetic or visual language look like?
OOOO I love this question because I regularly think of visuals and mini music videos in my head when I’m writing.  I think this EP has a range of emotions, but I think the aesthetic would be warm tones and grainy vintage vibes, shot on film not digital. Lots of early evening light, half-packed suitcases, empty glasses on coffee tables, and text messages that never got sent. Emotionally charged minimalism with a witty edge.

Your EP title hints at the idea of something unfinished or still forming. As an artist sharing your work more widely, how do you define potential for yourself right now?
Throughout my life, ‘potential’ has meant what other people see in me, but in this EP and going forward, it feels more like the potential to be the best version of myself, and I am so excited to continue to grow!

Your background in the industry is expansive. You've been in writing camps, worked with multiple A&Rs, and had cuts with other artists. How did working on your own solo EP feel different?
I love both writing for other artists and writing for myself, and I think each one helps the other.  When I’m writing for someone else, I get to experiment with genres I might not release for my own project, but they get to be an outlet for different kinds of ideas without worrying about perception.  The final call is from the artist.  When it’s my own project, it’s freeing but it also means there’s no one to hide behind, which makes both the lows and the highs more personal.

The emotional arc of the EP goes from being "sucked in" to confronting "potential." Was that intentional, and if so, what story were you trying to tell from start to finish?
The tracklist order was definitely intentional.  The EP starts with ‘sucked in’ which is drawing you into my sonic dream world.  It continues to a more tension-filled upbeat track with “Elephant in the Room” which is all about suspense, not knowing what comes next, and a lighthearted commentary about the difficulty in vulnerable conversations. By contrast, ‘Second Chances’ is the most vulnerable and raw track on the EP.  It actually opens up to something that is hard to put into words, which is the feeling of being wary, and changed by past relationships, but not resorting to complete cynicism.  ‘Almost Like I Never Even Met You’ is told as more of a narrative with a looking-back / letting-go energy.  Another ‘almost’ song, ‘almost but not quite’ teasingly shows the temptation of cutting corners at your own expense, but ultimately lands on the importance of self-integrity.  The EP ends on the title track ‘Potential’ which feels like a cliffhanger.  It’s the end of season 1.

With a new single on the horizon, what can fans expect from the new material? Are we leaning deeper into introspection, experimentation, or both?

A little of both.  Now that I have a more established discography, I want to continue to push myself out of my comfort zone with melody, production, song structure, and of course lyrics.  There’s more sonic risk and more lyrical edge. I can’t wait to share this next era of music!

Stream “an EP with potential” here.