Julience is back again with a brand new song, “Yellow Eyes” as he continuous his emerge to become a widely recognized, international rock star. You can feel his care towards the people and the world, his fans and sympathizers throughout his online presence and especially when you listen to the subtly crafted, energetic, ear-friendly rock songs he writes. We took the time to discuss the world, music and what it means actually to make it. Be brave and read on!
And while you are at it, listen to “Yellow Eyes” by Julience, it’s a good one:
Music Authentic: Welcome to Music Authentic! Let’s begin with our site-traditional question: How did you sleep last night?
Julience: Thank you for having me. And of course, to answer your question, like a log! I have a day off work today, so I managed to sneak in a few cheeky pints in my local boozer last night, which always seems to do the trick!
Music Authentic: It’s been a great summer, free at last, and even the traditional British weather has upped its game, so it was no need to travel to southern holiday islands to actually feel the Sun… ☺ Have you had the chance to truly enjoy the day-offs and freedom?
Julience: It has been an exceptionally warm summer! To be completely honest with you, that kind of heat is absolutely not for me! Luckily I had two weeks off work when the warmest days hit us (when it hit 38 degrees at one point!), so I did not have to endure it at work; on top of that, I am a massive cycling fan, and the Tour de France was on, so I could just stay at home and really enjoy it.
Music Authentic: You’ve just released “Yellow Eyes”, a vivid, full-of-life, energetic actual rock song with great delivery and production. Can we say this is the largest distance from your previous hard times, and this is where you are heading more?
Julience: It’s the 21st century, hard times never seem to be too far around the corner! But as they say, ‘hard times create strong men, and strong men create good times’!
I am definitely optimistic as to where my future is heading in a musical sense, there’s always so much more to take inspiration from, and I am very excited about what the future holds!
Music Authentic: The other day, here at the headquarters, we were talking about your latest release and what it takes to go fully solo, and how band experience is necessary to have the right attitude. As someone who does not need software to boost songwriter skills and performance – like the majority of the “armchair heroes” of today – how has your artistic process changed?
Julience: When I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming the best guitar player in the world. Needless to say, I was never going to be! Way back when in Holland with my first band, the idea we always had was to just go on stage, bang out a few cool riffs, and basically walk off again. When I was 16, I seemed to be more than happy just doing that. But when I got to about 18, maybe 19, my songwriting especially definitely matured. Writing songs, for me, is about painting a picture, both lyrically and musically. There’s always room to fill with little details and sounds, for example. The most difficult thing for me always is to decide when to consider a tune ‘finished’, because I always seem to be coming up with little ideas!
Music Authentic: When you write songs, is it in your mind to be able to play them live at a riverbank as well as in Wembley Stadium?
Julience: For me, there is definitely a big difference in approach as to recording at home or in a studio as opposed to playing live. The Beatles were the perfect example of this. They decided to stop playing live gigs in order to fully focus on exploring new recording techniques and incorporating various styles into their music. On the flip side to that, they did not have to worry about being able to actually play their new material as a four-piece on stage. I love adding little textures and layers to my tunes when I record at home. I can do everything in my own time and exactly how I want it to sound. But when it comes to my approach to playing live, I would definitely say less is more! There’s nothing quite like getting a live audience pumped up, alive and kicking. By extension, I see live gigs as a way of experimenting and introducing new tunes in their own right too. A lot of bands these days seem to go on a tour and just grind out the same set of tunes to a predetermined light and visual show. That just doesn’t really sound like me. I’d love for people who’d come to see me live to walk away with a different experience each time. That’s what I’d always try to strife for!
Music Authentic: Now here is a debated issue: what is the real role of an artist, or musician in this era? Being a court jester or being a prophet and leading the people since the so-called elite has just doomed this planet?
Julience: It seems to me that every other minor celebrity feels the need to come out and say a bunch of stuff that we all hear when we turn on the television every day, especially considering the fact that most of them just parrot everything the establishment kind of tells us all to believe anyway. I don’t really think people care too much about hearing about climate change from someone who flies a private jet to an awards ceremony, or to hear about how we should ‘build bridges and not walls’ from someone who lives within a gated community.
Unless maybe you’re Johnny Rotten, if you can’t let your art or music keep you relevant enough, maybe you should consider finding a different job. I think most of us get a little tired of all this constant unwanted soap-boxing from people who just happen to be good at singing, playing guitar, or reading a few lines from a script on camera.
Music Authentic: Speaking of: if Elon Musk called you tomorrow, would you say yes to a residency in the first Mars mission? I mean, on the one hand, it’s at least a 2 years contract with regular gigs and a sure crowd but a bit less chance to go clubbing after each one…
Julience: Absolutely not, haha. I am more than happy here on Earth! I just couldn’t imagine being so far away from being able to have a nice cold pint really!
Pleasing. Why do artists please and behave as if they were characters? I mean, think David Bowie’s alter ego Ziggy Stardust, the posturing of Mick Jagger, and so on. By now, it pretty much looks like just for a glimpse of momentarily fake attention, everyone has gone into either slavery or parodying everything music should stand for. Wouldn’t it be better just to be a true original?
Julience: Maybe some artists do this to create a healthy distance between the public persona that they aspire to be, and the personal self that they want to keep private. Maybe they want to reach a larger audience, and make a name for themselves, and don’t really care how it makes them look. Tossing and gimmicking about might be a way of grabbing the public’s attention and making it stick, even if only for a short while. If you write a great tune that nobody bothers to listen to, then your career might stall. I personally don’t care too much about appearance or doing and saying silly things. What you see is what you get! I try to stay true to myself. I don’t have to dance to someone else’s tune, I’m more than capable of writing my own.
Music Authentic: Who are your heroes?
Julience: There are so many! Whether it’s the people who have had such a massive impact on the way I approach playing guitar, like your Tony Iommis, Angus Youngs, and Rory Gallaghers, or the ones who have influenced me the most in my approach to writing songs, like Oasis’ Noel Gallagher. Or there are those who just seem to have it all, like my absolute hero Neil Young! Big shout-out to my old man as well, without whom I might never have been inspired to pick up a guitar and pursue a dream in music!
Music Authentic: Lately, it seems Greece, Sweden, and Finland have the best rock, hard rock, and metal scene. Do you have any contemporary favourites?
Julience: Yes definitely! If you are into heavy music, there always seems to just be an endless stream of new and exciting talent to come out of our European north especially. A good friend of mine at work always sends me links on Spotify telling me to ‘check out this insane riff’ or something like that haha! I was born in 1993, so pretty much 90% of anything I ever listen to comes from way ‘before my time’. Luckily, there are a few of them doing the rounds to this day! For example, I went to see the Chili Peppers live in town a few months back. To say to what extent that could be considered ‘contemporary’, I am not quite sure. But for me, as someone who listens to mostly stuff from the late 60s to mid-80s, I told myself I’d better enjoy and make the most of it while at least some of them are still around now!
Music Authentic: You have your story as we all. You use it to grow from and find a new light from everything you’ve been through. Your previous song, “Flood” is a testament to it. How much do you think people are ready for openness and reality instead of the mainstream and social media gimmicks?
Julience: We all know that most of us nowadays would rather believe in a comfortable lie (even if we know it is a lie!) than in an uncomfortable truth. I guess that is something that will never change. At the end of the day, the herd mentality in people will always prevail, and most of us will just happily blow along in any direction the weatherman tells us the wind blows in. ‘’For wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’’ – Matthew 7:13-14
Music Authentic: Paul McCartney is 80 and has an amazing, powerful presence in everything he is doing – it’s a joy to watch and experience. What is your dream as you go on; will it ever end or just grow abundantly?
Julience: With a back catalogue like Paul McCartney’s, you just command respect! I mean, we’re basically talking about a musical Don Vito here. It really is unbelievable what he still does to this day. People like Paul McCartney, or Keith Richards, I really don’t know how they still do it at their age. I walk to the fridge to get a can of lager, and I am out of breath, haha (figure of speech, obviously!!) I do not know if I could ever have either the stamina or even the raw talent to go about that long. I don’t consider myself to be the most natural songwriter, especially when it comes to lyrics. I tend to write tunes few and far between, but I do feel that if I am having a good streak. I manage to get plenty of material to expand upon. But somebody like Neil Young still just releases albums for fun! I mean, there are only so many words in the English language to choose from! But of course, if I knew now I could still be playing rock n roll and releasing tunes at that age, I would not have to think twice about it!
Music Authentic: Are there still real fans that’d do all the good crazy for an artist? If yes, what is your special message to them and your sympathizers before we go?
Julience: I’m not sure about “all the good crazy”, but there are indeed real fans who would do anything to support the artist. I’m only just starting my journey as an artist, and I already consider myself lucky to have a few loyal listeners who push me to go on. But at the end of the day, I am just an ordinary person. I work as hard as any regular person to make a living. I take nothing for granted, and I am very happy with all the love I get. I appreciate every one of you. More than you might realize! So, keep in touch, please keep streaming my music, and hopefully, one day, we’ll be able to meet at a gig near you!
Music Authentic: Until the next time, keep us posted and we are looking forward to your new album!
Julience: Will do, and cheers a million!
Follow and listen to Julience on his
website: https://julience.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julienceuk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JulienceUK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtSVmNQcfe55HVI0nYxaj3g