Macy’s Gingerbread Cookies?
A: Yummy.
Shoegaze-noise rock trio julie is: Alex Brady (bass/vox), Dillon Lee (drums), & Keyan Zand (guitar/vox).
D: Keyan & I used to hang out in high school over Smash Bros; I’d always set my username as ‘julie.’ When we started the band, he proposed we use that as our name.
D: In the beginning, it was this rockabilly-indie-punk thing. Then we met Alex at a show & bonded over MBV; that band kickstarted our current taste of shoegaze, noise pop, twee pop… Things of that nature. We started honing in on our influences & understanding what we really like to make.
K: Songs usually start with Alex or I bringing in a riff with a melody attached. Then we’ll craft the song as a group. We envision the final product as close as possible before hitting the studio.
D: Sometimes Keyan’s chords come from tuning experiments. He’ll latch onto a progression that fits aesthetically to what we think the band is.
A: None of us are 21 yet. Thursday we were booked at Alex’s Bar & the bouncer didn’t let us in; had to wait in the parking lot until our set. We sold merch out of our Prius.
On the topic of live shows, I noticed you placed your drum kit forward-stage.
D: I’ve had contention with the perception of rock drummers. It’s a supporting role, but in jazz, drummers are as appreciated as the other musicians. I’m especially inspired by Greg Saunier from Deerhoof & Morgan Simpson from black midi. I noticed they set up their drum kits side-stage, thought I’d try it out. I liked it.
Dillon also handles the band’s illustrative work.
D: There’s this character I created that’s been the emblem of the band… They’re on all our record covers. Our overall design is a collective effort; we agreed to keep pushing daisies merch simplistic & doodle the imagery we’ve been portraying.
What’s next for julie?
K: We’re headlining our first show at Junior High on December 11th. (Now sold out)
D: New material’s on the back burner. We’re writing between shows.
& lastly, why do you play music?
K: I started playing mostly for stress relief. It sort of accidentally slipped into a band because it was fun. Now it’s an artistic endeavor.
A: I grew up singing… I was one of those talent show kids (haha). My dad fronted bands in the 80’s & 90’s; growing up we’d sing together. I loved it. As I got older, I started songwriting as a creative pursuit.
D: In high school, I’d go to local shows & have admiration for the look & sound of bands. I’ve always thought music was perfect. This band’s been artistically fulfilling.
Read our Momma interview from the show: Momma on Kissing Fans, Moving Coast-to-Coast, & their New Record; HoB Anaheim 11/6
More julie at https://linktr.ee/julieband.
