Your music combines many of the features of chart-topping pop and electronic songs but maintains lyrical realness. What is your creative process like when you're putting together a song like "Siren"?

First of all, thanks so much. That is a wonderful compliment.  More often than not, the lyrical idea for a song comes first.  It'll be something I'm struggling with or otherwise is on my heart.  So for Sirens I had been feeling like I was "faking it" for too long and started to write the words.  They always come really fast. I then plucked out a melody on piano, this takes much longer.  Once I had the solid shell of a song finished, I got MNYS on the track and he really listened to where my inspiration was coming from and killed it on production.  

Who are some of your biggest inspirations musically?

When I heard "Gasoline" by Halsey I knew that was the kind of music I wanted to be writing.  Lana Del Ray is another big one. Basically any lady boss out there in the industry who manages to write about something substantial (: 

What drives you to use music as an outlet?

I suffer from anxiety and sleep issues. Whether I'm agonizing about a conversation I had at a party three weeks ago or am worried Ill never amount to anything and everyone think I'm a failure, writing about it makes me feel some sort of emotional release.  

What things have you accomplished so far this year that you're proud of?

When my band broke up there were several months that I thought, "you cant do this on your own." So I would say anything and everything that has happened since has been a huge accomplishment. I cant imagine how regretful Id feel if I had given up.  Releasing Sirens has been a huge blessing. I've gotten so much good feedback  on it. Also notably, my song Mountain Lion with MKJ is going viral on Spotify in Poland (Its #3 on Poland Viral 50) That's pretty awesome.  

What do you still hope to achieve?

Honestly, I just want to be able to quit my day job and make music my full time career. What I'm doing now is exhausting. I can't remember the last time I got a good nights sleep. It'll all be worth it soon, I hope.  

What's one thing that might surprise fans about you?

I had this very intense and intricate imaginary world with an villain who was basically a personified, evil black hole and my sidekick was a horse named Sunbran.  I played this game well through 6th grade. People thought I was really strange. A lot of people tell me now, "When I met you I thought you were too cool to want to be my friend and then I got to know you." If only they all knew the scope of the weirdness haha

Anything else you'd like to add?
Nope these were great qs!! 

Check out Julie's single "Sirens" below!