By DJ Dave Hoffenberg
Julia Rose has just released her first album. Unfortunately you won’t be able to hear her play it live because she just moved out West but you should definitely buy it. She’ll be in Colorado for a few seasons but is also embarking on her first national tour that will take her to Arkansas and Texas. The whole album has this doo-wop, old school, jazzy feel to me. It’s an eclectic mix of songs. The instruments are blended in perfectly. Rose is a multi-instrumentalist that loops those in well. In this album, you can hear her wide vocal range. She has this mellow, smooth voice and can hit the high notes great. You need to take a listen to hear her sweet voice.
Julia Rose perched precariously with her violin.
The album is titled, “Time is Now” and has 11 tracks. You can order it on her website, juliarosestudios.com and on Aug. 31 the songs will be available on all streaming platforms. She also has a Facebook page by the same name. I really enjoyed the whole thing but picked out a few favorites. Track 1, “Be Found,” starts out as a cool instrumental and then Rose’s voice comes in melodic and jazzy. Other instruments soon fill in the sound. Halfway through, her singing starts; it’s a very cool song.
Track 3, “Dressed to Impress,” I was impressed with. It’s a perfect blend of singing and instruments. There are great drum tracks in this song.
Track 4, “Ground Cloud,”starts with piano and birds chirping then goes into an instrumental jam. When Rose’s voice comes in, the song picks up the beat. It’s cool.
Track 5, “Every Different Day,”is my favorite. It goes back to that doo-wop jazzy sound.
Track 9, “Cards Dealt,” Rose gives us her jazzy voice with melodic runs.
The album ends with track 11, “Finale.” This seems like the perfect meditation song that would be good for yoga or just listening with your eyes closed. It’s a cool feel, a sweet mellow song with harmonies. It’s a great way to end.
The album features Rose on viola, keyboard, synthesizer and vocals. Joining her are Jason LaPierre on guitar, keyboard and synthesizer; Adam Hockenhull on drums; Will Verine on trumpet; and Alex Budney on bass. You can hear all these instruments quite well on the album. She recorded the album herself in her apartment and then sent it to Vincent Freeman at The Underground in Randolph for mixing and editing. Mastering was done by Ben Collette at Tank Recording Studio in Burlington, and Molly Hornbeck created the album cover art.
Writing music is new to Rose, and she said, “This was a big push for me. I wrote the lyrics first and then after I have those, I put it into context sonically.”
She had some challenges while making the album, like recording during a pandemic. For example, she recorded Budney’s bass while sitting in her car outside his house and running the wires through her sunroof. You have to check out the video on her Facebook page. She said, “It’s a cool set-up.”
It’s a concept album, of which Rose said, “I was very intentional about the placement of songs and the flow of the album. It takes the listener on an reflective journey, given where this album’s writing process has fallen with my timeline. I’ve been working on this for four years, which is where I’ve been developing my personal, ethical compass as an adult. The flow of the songs takes the listener on that journey of processing the various obstacles of life and strategizing intentional ways through all the curve balls that can be thrown our way. The album has taken on much more of a concept than just being some songs thrown together. The big theme that’s accomplished in the songs are the things I find most important like human connection, effective and honest communication, balancing self-care with ambition and navigating mental challenges.”
Rose has “The Sauntering Studio Series” coming in September with one video per week. It’s sure to bring adventure to your living room. I’ve seen some already which are very cool. There’s one on her website of her skiing through the woods while spinning fire on each hand. I saw another of her playing the violin while skiing. Some I haven’t seen but look forward to are her adventures with rock climbing, white water rafting and climbing 100 feet in a tree.
Rose said, “Everything I’ve been putting together is designed to inspire integrating more self-care into the life of the listener. I’m definitely putting together more of an experience than just the songs.
“It’s part of my purpose on this planet to have this compiled artwork to leave behind. To finally have something tangible to share has been something special. It captures the essence of my being. This is the biggest project I’ve ever done in my lifetime. I had the motivation because it was something I felt really passionate about seeing through.”
There’s more to Julia Rose than just her music. She’s also an artist and has many things for sale on her website, but really she just aims to inspire people. Killington has lost a great soul but our loss is Colorado’s gain, so be on the lookout for her.
