Julius' "jerry! jerry!" Explores the Aftermath of Heartbreak [Q&A]
Julius is an artist equally inspired by the euphoric highs and seemingly cataclysmic lows that define life. It is a project that carries with it a soul marked by resilience, balancing wistful sonics with an unrelenting optimism. All this and more comes to life in his latest enthralling single, "jerry! jerry!."
Released as two versions, complements that draw upon the ominous groundwork laid by Julius, "jerry! jerry!" speaks to the ensuing aftermath of heartbreak. The fear and reservation unique to a fractured heart; the difficult road of learning to trust again. Joined by fellow enviable up-and-comer Litany on one rendition, Julius presents this journey as one you necessarily don't have to take alone.
We had the chance to speak with Julius about "jerry! jerry!" and who and what is inspiring him.
Ones to Watch: Who is Julius?
Julius: I guess Julius is just me - my project is a representation of myself in the rawest form.
How is your artist self different from you the individual, if at all?
Other than the fact that I don't go by the name my mom gave me, not much (which still makes her mad). The Julius project is centered around my experiences and just exploring my own emotions, putting it all out there. For that to be authentic and honest, the two kind have to be synonymous.
What's "jerry! jerry!" all about?
Hmmm. Getting out of a long-term partnership and what happens in the aftermath, I guess the introspection, growth and the exploration of new relationships. With that, came this fear that these new people I was bringing into my life wouldn't embrace me for who I am, that I wouldn't be deserving of their love. I think the song tries to unravel all of that.
Why did you decide to write two different versions?
Off the record - first thing my manager said it is that it would be better for streaming, based on the argument that it was a hard to market a six min song to people. But I didn't care if people listened or not - I was, and am, so proud of the original version, I got to explore so many parts of myself through my writing and in processing that period of my life, and work with such amazing producers like Marinelli, MyKey and Johan Lenox to complement that in the production.
But we continued the conversation and the idea came up of collaborating with another vocalist, to add another perspective and also create an abbreviated version (in length). When that happened, I realized I wasn't taking anything away, we were adding something really, really, special. I couldn't have imagined what Litany was going to bring, and she really blew me away. I owe her such a special thanks for honoring the song but bringing it to a new level.
What made Litany the choice for one of them? How did you two link?
At first it was some real music industry shit - our managers connected us. Litany has such an incredible voice and unique sound that sonically there couldn't have been a better fit. I'm a big fan of hers. Now. We FaceTime all the time, and I consider her a really close friend, which is a cool thing and byproduct of collaborating.
Can we expect more of this sound in the future, more collabs with Litany?
My sound is constantly changing and evolving. The more I change, the more my music changes. And I would absolutely love to work with Litany again; she's amazing and it was such a great time.
What else should we be on the lookout for?
There's shit coming.
What's inspiring you right now outside of music?
The people closest to me, seeing their resilience and ability to keep pushing through, during all of the highs and lows of life. It gives me a lot of perspective within my own life/self, which ultimately translates to how I write and what infuses itself into my music.
Who are your Ones to Watch?
Terry Presume, SEB, Wet, WizTheMc. All of them are putting out such cool shit right now and I have a lot of respect for them and their craft.
