Emily Kresky, otherwise known as the lead singer of Dropping Julia is a New Jersey band who carries the nostalgia of her home in both the East and West coast. Emily's stories travel with her around the world in her journal where they then transform into enchanting music. Dropping Julia recently released their funky new tune "In the Clear" and it is full of modern vintage vibes.
"In the Clear" opens with an iconic guitar riff before exploding when the whole band kicks in with grooving tight drums and an incredibly dancey saxophone. When Emily's enchanting vocals come in at the verse, it suddenly gets a spice of attitude from her perfectly bluesy and almost care-free singing style. Towards the end of the "In the Clear" is an incredibly musical guitar solo and then a grooving bass solo that completely brings the funk. This blend of soul, funk, and dance creates a vivid painting that is full of character and personality. This is only matched by Emily's beautiful voice with her deep personal storytelling that many of us will be able to relate to. "In the Clear" is a fun upbeat experience, with emotional lyrics that we just can't get enough of.
Listen to "In the Clear" here.
Welcome to BuzzMusic Dropping Julia! Wow, what a dynamic of a song! How did you come to the lyrics within "In the Clear"?
Thank you so much! I actually woke up with the very beginnings of this song in my head! That has actually never happened before. My subconscious was writing this song in my dream and I woke up with the melody from the verses in my head as well as the lyrics “I don’t like to watch TV by myself”, which ended up changing to the opening lyric of the song, “I don’t like to fall asleep by myself”. I played around with the melody and lyrics as I found the key and chords on the guitar. The song ended up being about the long and agonizing wait before moving past the pain and confusion of an ended relationship and everything that comes with that: the sleepless nights, the internal dialogue where I replay situations in my head with what I wished I had said or done differently, and the struggle I’ve had dealing with the trauma I experienced. The main message of the song is the triumph that I felt once I realized I am ‘in the clear’ of that internal storm, and that I am coming out on the other side.
Wow, it must really have been exciting to have traveled all over already and be able to write songs in different cities. How do different places inspire the music you create? Did you ever have a favorite spot that you loved to write in?
So many of my songs are inspired by different places I have traveled to or lived in. I feel like I really do get most of my inspiration from being in and experiencing new places, new people and new situations, and reflecting on those things days, months or even years down the road. I don’t have a specific favorite spot I like to write in, but I have found that sometimes when I am the busiest, that is when the most inspiration comes to me, which is funny because it is somewhat inconvenient, but also thrilling and exciting.
The sonic texture of your music is quite unique, it's got some jazz, some funk, some soul, and some pop. What had inspired the artistic direction that the band went in? Were there any idols that the band looked up to?
I was born in the ’90s into the bustling, diverse, gritty state of New Jersey, and so much of my music is shaped from that. I am influenced by so many genres specifically from the ’90s including R&B, rock, and hip-hop. What’s amazing is that every member of the band is into those genres and that decade of music too and they each add elements of jazz, pop, soul, fun’90sk, and R&B into our songs. My songs would truly not be the same without them. I am also really influenced by and have always been fascinated by the ’60s and ’70s including fashion, lifestyles, music, and more. Some of the genres that I am especially fond of from those decades are soul, funk, surf rock and rockabilly. A few bands and artists who I look up to from all time are Billie Eilish, Amy Winehouse, Jamiroquai, Vulfpeck, and of course The Beatles.
We're loving the chemistry within Dropping Julia! Every part just works with each other perfectly. How did the members of the group come to meet? What does a writing session look like with all of the members?
Our band really has become a family over the past year and a half and I feel it in our writing sessions/rehearsals and performances more than ever now. I seriously have never had more fun on stage than with these 4 guys! Each member came into the band at the right time. It started with drummer Sean Bracken. I was playing with various people in the spring and summer of 2018 and exploring the dynamics of having a backing band for my songs for the first time. Nothing was truly clicking and it felt forced with some of the people I was playing with. Sean and I had recently met and he just happened to be rekindling his love for the drums at the same time that I was in need of a drummer for a few gigs when I let go of another drummer. Sean stepped in and never left. Then came guitarist Alex Bragg. Our band was hired for a private party and they wanted someone to sing harmonies with me. I had played with Alex a few times before and already knew we meshed well musically. I also knew that he sang really sweet harmonies so I hired him for that gig, and shortly after that he was a member of the band. Guitarist Sam Passe was next. Sam filled in for Alex on guitar a few times when Alex had gigs with other bands. It became apparent that Sam brought something unique to the group. Together, Alex and Sam form a dynamic duo of soothing, soulful and harmonizing parts for the songs. This also gave me a chance to focus on JUST singing and not playing rhythm guitar - which has been a challenge but also so much fun and has changed the dynamic of the band in a really cool way. Bassist Sebastian Nikischer was the last member to join. He is friends with Sam and was moving to town at the very same time that I had to let go of our previous bassist. Sebastian fit in immediately, learning all of the songs quickly while adding his own funky flare.
I am amazed and humbled by how the four of these guys play together and play off of each other. They really do make the space for each other to shine, while supporting the song as w whole. I usually write my songs on my acoustic guitar and then bring them to the group for producing and rehearsal. Sean and Sebastian work out their rhythm section parts, while Alex and Sam work out their lead guitar parts. I usually have a million ideas in my head and I enter rehearsal being stressed and worried that I won’t be able to effectively communicate them, but by the end of the rehearsal, I always realize that they all “get” me and my writing, as corny as that may sound, and they are here to support me and make the songs sound better than I could have imagined. They all bring their ideas to the table too and we work out the kinks in the song until it’s finished. The sessions are easy going and fun, with lots of ridiculous jokes and laughter in between songs, and with lots of silly interruptions by my cats. I find myself more excited about every song that is completed. I am grateful to work with a team of guys who so genuinely respect me, especially in an industry where I don’t always feel respected as a woman. I’m thankful that together we’ve created this band that’s also a family and that I get the privilege to work with four bandmates who are so considerate and easy to work with, yet also so talented and creative.