Homegrown Journal

Julie: What was the first experience you had where you thought, “I have to write a song about this?” How does songwriting help you process situations or emotions?

Julia: I remember writing a little poem when I was maybe seven about a bird I was watching fly from tree to tree as I lay in the grass. I loved to pet my cats, and I was frustrated I couldn’t pet the bird too, haha! I thought the bird was beautiful, but I also felt I would never really be able to appreciate it fully until I could hold it and touch it, which would never happen.

There was some type of longing, yearning emotion I felt was important enough to find words to put on paper, because maybe then I wouldn’t have to keep dwelling on that emotion. To this day, my songwriting serves much of the same purpose. I’ve learned letting emotions lead your words or actions is rarely a good idea, so putting the words down on paper and the feelings to music is like a safe place where those emotions can live.

I know a lot of people who like to make lists of things they have to do or buy because otherwise the thoughts just keep swirling around in their head and it’s hard to push them aside because you don’t want to forget anything. Writing a song about an emotion or situation for me is kind of the same thing, where I’m feeling this thing and I just can’t move on until it’s resolved. When I take the time to craft it into a song, it’s like, OK, that feeling is now processed and it lives in the song. I don’t have to keep feeling it all the time because any time I want to feel it again, I can play the song, and it will come back to me.

Julie: What has been your most personal song to write or sing? How does being vulnerable help connect you to others? What actions can people take to choose vulnerability?

Julia: I actually have a few songs I’ve never released because I felt like they were too personal and/or people would misunderstand their meaning. They are my time capsule to put those emotions in, but I’m not sure if they would be helpful to other people or not. I struggle with that because I don’t want to hide the ugly parts of my life, and sometimes I think it could be helpful to other people to know they aren’t alone in feeling those things. But at the same time, I don’t want to be guilty of glorifying unhealthy emotions. I do my best to bring my songs to a redemptive conclusion, but sometimes when I’m writing, the song just doesn’t want to go that way. It wants to sit in the feelings a bit longer and a 3-minute song just doesn’t give enough time to wrap it all up.

As far as songs I have chosen to release, I would probably go with “Window Seat” or “Love Me Back”. I have song descriptions on all of my songs on my website, so if you want to know the stories behind those, you can check out NachtigalMusic.com.

I think being vulnerable can help us connect just because when we choose to open up about hard things or struggles, it gives others the chance to know they aren’t alone in their own struggles. It is tempting to conceal the things that don’t seem “highlight reel” worthy in our lives because those make us feel less worthy of love, when really we as humans all struggle with the same root sins and the same stressful events, albeit maybe at different times in our lives.

When choosing vulnerability, it is important to be someone who is trustworthy. I say that because we attract friends who share our own values, so if you want friends who are trustworthy to give empathy and good advice when you are vulnerable, work on being that person yourself. Because being vulnerable doesn’t always mean wearing your heart on your sleeve; it just means opening up to the people who really care about you.

Julie: How has failure or rejection helped you become a better singer/songwriter? Will you share a story of a time when your resilience was tested? What did you learn during that time?

Julia: I’m a person who likes to feel like they are always right (who’s with me??) so failure and rejection bring me back down to earth. It’s important to ask questions, but we won’t ask if we think we already have the answer. Having the humility to listen to other people and acknowledge they might know more than you is so important if we are to grow in any area of life.

When I fail or experience rejection, it helps me to be humble enough to evaluate where my songwriting or singing might be able to improve. My resilience has been tested many times when I compare myself to other musicians whom I feel are so much more talented than me. I have wanted to give up songwriting many times when I have met others who just seemed to have it made. It made me feel puny and worthless.

There was one artist in particular I met while interning at Studio 2100 (editor’s note: a local, professionally designed studio) that was signed and went on some international tours. While we were working on my own songs, my producer would show me some of her songs as examples of great singing and songwriting. He meant to use it to help me grow, but it hurt my pride a lot, for which I am very thankful now, and I didn’t know how to deal with it.

What I slowly learned through that process of intense jealousy was that her gift did not take away from mine. I could learn from her gift, but I had my own unique place and purpose in life. That situation sparked both my songs “Mercury” and “Love Me Back.”

Julie: What does a pause or white space look like for you? How do you rest so you can re-energize your creativity?

Julia: Usually, it looks like disconnecting from digital media: social media, movies or TV shows, online shopping, music, anything that puts me in the place of a consumer. There is a time to consume because we can be inspired by the art of others, but in our digital world especially, it’s important to know when to shut off all the noise so the whispers of the soul can be heard.

And a lot of times, I need to spend time in the quiet without an agenda. What I mean is, I don’t shut off the noise purely so I can sit down and pound out the next song. I shut off the noise to truly let my eyes, ears, and brain breathe.

This might sound cheesy, but I feel like when my senses take the backseat, my heart can start to wake up. That’s when creativity is re-energized. I go for a walk, take a nap, and maybe read a few chapters of a book. I don’t feel like books put me as much in the role of a consumer because my imagination still has to work and interpret what the author is describing or explaining. Also, changing your scenery can be really helpful. Whether it’s going on a day trip, weeklong vacation, or just listening to a different kind of music than I usually do, shaking things up almost always leads to new inspiration.

Julie: Favorite songs by three artists and why?

Julia: Oh man, these definitely fluctuate from day to day and three songs in no way can encapsulate my entire library of music, but here goes:

“Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac. When I discovered this song, I was entranced by the emotion in the lyrics and the way Stevie Nicks delivers them. The song is literally only two chords the whole time, except for one little turnaround, which showed me a song doesn’t have to be complex to captivate. When I started writing, I felt like I had to make everything complex and use as many chords and crazy melodies as possible to make the song stand out. So, I learned a lot from this song about the importance of expressing rather than impressing. 

“I’m Still Standing” by Elton John. I love a lot of Elton John songs, but this one I’ve been listening to a lot lately. I just like the attitude in it and it makes me feel ready to take on the world, haha.

“Take on Me” by a-ha. The most brilliant synth line ever. Captivating and memorable vocal melody. Still not sure exactly what the lyrics are, something about being gone in a day, or two. But, whether I’m interpreting the lyrics correctly or not, the song seems to speak for itself. It’s just beautiful and an all-time favorite.