Julia Johnson

FOLK SONGSTRESS JULIA JOHNSON VENTURES INTO SENSUAL SYNTHS ON NEW SINGLE 'COLLARBONE' + DEBUTS NEW LIVE BAND

Julia Johnson has always been the careful crafter of her own musical universe. Her new single 'Collarbone', launching here at The Street, is both the product of several years of dramatic change and growth in the artist’s life, and a bold statement of intent by a songwriter who refuses to be defined by the successes of the past. After years as bandleader/producer for Julia and The Deep Sea Sirens, Johnson made the choice to stop touring and for the last few years has refocused on the pure pursuit of song craft and mastery of the studio process.

'Collarbone' is a synth-drenched psych-folk anthem, celebrating closeness and human comfort. Johnson has crafted a sonic world where voices and synths blend around antique folk instruments with the help of acclaimed producer, Sarah Belkner.

"This is the largest song I have created sonically, and lyrically as well. It feels like I spent part of my recent life throwing my heart against a wall, unwilling to be alone. It's about feeling f*cked up as well as defiantly ok with being a bit f*cked up sometimes. I've never written a song so direct, so cruel and so forgiving all at once."

Beloved by the various Canberra band scenes that she grew up in, Johnson’s narratively rich, huge-hearted songs have always set her apart. Those familiar with Johnson’s finely-wrought 2013 record Family Pets will be excited to know that 'Collarbone' represents a new height of openness and sheer quality in her song writing. Exploding the traditional live-band arrangements of her early releases, this is the sound of a master creative patiently assembling the exact sonic tools to communicate a nakedly personal story clearly and directly. In short, it fulfils the promise that has always been inherent in Johnson’s work.

Creating this new music has involved years of walking the earth and now Julia Johnson is excited to come home and share it with her beloved hometown.

"Bat For Lashes reimagined as the soundtrack to the next party you throw in an opulent baroque chateau." - Dom Alessio, Triple J

“[Johnson is]… someone it will pay to follow closely” – Sydney Morning Herald

Julia Johnson's latest single 'Melissa'