After spending three years living in Europe, Natasha Jane Julian returns to Los Angeles, California, to create touchy pop songs from the cornerstones of Art-rock, Film-scores, and Trip-hop. With her return comes the attached after-glow of a musically invigorates spirit that's absorbed a variety of the World's cultures, and it all settles in over the quaint and sultry moments of Natasha's latest single, "West Coast Girl."
This young budding chanteuse has been known to festoon her haunting sonic renderings with thought-provoking lyrics and a chimeric tonality. But in "West Coast Girl," her empyreal silhouettes take on a more carbonated adumbration. Her creamlike texturized swoon is still present in her intoning, but when she mentions her semblance to Marilyn Monroe, it's immediately clear that Natasha Julian is sporting a new blithe sprit from her travels. She focuses in on her roots as a West-coast raised girl here, while the enthusiastic break-beat behind her keeps the mid-tempo measure lively. There's an ambient pressure surrounding Natasha—mostly from the prismatic pads and kaleidoscopic guitars that jam pack this mix's expenses, and as Golden State songstress resounds with an anti-tumultuous aesthetic over her chorus, it's easy to lose track of time and space.
When we think back, Natasha's trajectory only seems to keep going upwards from one Pop Single to the next, and with no end in sight to her uprise, it has as asking one last question: what will she do next?
How did it feel releasing "West Coast Girl," as the first single to land after your time away from home, and what sorts of emotions did it bring out in you?
West Coast Girl felt amazing to write as it felt so authentic to who I was, yet maybe I had forgotten a little. The title came right away, but even there were so many songs with the name West Coast out there already, I knew this would be different. I knew this was going to be dreamy and a bit magical bringing me back to my youth. My mom used to say I would walk around skipping and singing all day like I was in La la Land. What sorts of stimuli did you channel into regarding Aesthetics and Musical Influencers for this track, and do you think this was a significant factor behind why "West Coast Girl" rendered up so vividly? I knew shooting at the beach was going channel that feeling I wanted for the cover because when I’m there I never know why, but I’m usually giggly and just have a feel-good sort of attitude. I was thinking about Baywatch and the lifeguard towers and how that would really give that authentic California Vibe I had in my head. But in the end, there was a certain confidence and dreamy look on my face in that cover picture, which is why it suited it perfectly. Then I told graphics I just want it to have a dreamy feeling and they nailed it with the colors and vibrance! Musically, I really was channeling Lana Del Rey from the beginning, but after it was finished it didn’t sound like anyone to me, just me. Which I love. How have you been fuelling your creative juices these days? Have there been any rituals that you swear by to manufacture inspiration? I’ve been in a really creative zone for the last few weeks! Almost too fast that I can keep up with actually. They’ve probably been fuelled by a lot of time spent at home, revisiting artists I used to listen to, to remember what I liked about their music, and maybe me learning to be more spiritually connected. I mean the ideas are pouring out faster than I can get them down. Also, now more than ever, I have to be free from any toxicity around me, because it blocks the creativity from flowing. Being in a safe, positive environment is crucial in my world to let the creative juices have enough room to play.
What's the next steps for you, artistically now that you're back home and in your element? Can we expect to see you in a Music Video feature, or maybe the announcement of an upcoming Album?
I have a couple more releases lined up for 2020 which I’m really excited about! and... I will be going back in the studio this fall to record new material for 2021. A full-length album is something I’d like to accomplish soon as I have only put out EP’s thus far. But we’ll see how the next year plays out. I am so lucky to have my band still with me even though we haven’t been gigging. We’ve been doing online collaborations though and when the time comes I can’t wait to get on the road with them:-)
What has been keeping you inspired in 2020?
Everyone coming together through this pandemic and seeing that we are all in it together helps to ease the days that are challenging. Also, my fans and friends online that have been listening to my music and sharing their messages with me have been lifting my spirits as well and reminding me why I do this, other than I love it and there’s nothing else I’d rather do.