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 Having spent years appearing on other artist's albums providing the vocal highlight for the likes of Tiesto and James Holder the incredible gifted Julie Thompson has thrown together an album of her own. We felt the need to find out more...
If you've been following your dance music over the past decade then you will have heard the vocal talents of Julie Thompsom at some point. She is one of the UK's most gifted singer / songwriters and has put her vocals chords to good use in tracks like 'Nothing' with James Holden back in 2003 and more recently with Tiesto for his 'Elements of Life' artist album. She joined Testo throughout the whole of his 'Elements of Life' tour as she produced the vocals for 'Do You Feel Me' that featured on the album. She joined with Tiesto once again after then to write and produced the vocals for a track under his 'Allure' guise called 'Somewhere Inside'.
Her relationship with Black Hole Recordings has brought about a number of engrossing collaborations over the years but her work with Scottish producer Andy Duguid for his album 'Believe' may well have been her best work to date. His album was a Black Hole release and as a label that is iconic to the scene (especially for trance fans); to be able to work with them gave Julie the opportunity to put together a solo album. It is the Black Hole label that gave her the opportunity to put together an album of her own with the production skills of Andy Duguid providing the music. 'Feeling For corners' is the result of the past year's hard work writing perfecting each song to get the vocal element spot on. With the skills and delicate music touch of Andy Duguid the debut album from Julie marks a new chapter in her musical career.
We though we'd ask the lady herself more about her debut album release.
i:Vibes: Julie thanks for taking time to talk to i:Vibes and congrats on the release of your debut album. You had written tracks with Tiesto in the past with “Do you feel me” and “Somewhere Inside”. You produced Feeling for corners with Andy Duguid. How much freedom did you get from label Black Hole in making this album?
Julie: All the freedom in the world! It was great as they trusted me to get on with it. They had already heard the very rough piano vocal versions of the tracks, and once they had given me the go ahead they pretty much left us to out own devices.
i:Vibes: It is rare that female vocalists in edm get the chance to produce albums. How difficult was the whole process with making something that you liked, was credible and would be liked the listeners?
Julie: I’m not sure if it’s rare but I found the whole process pretty relaxed. I know what I like and I tried not to think about making a credible album for other people. I think in music you have to just do what you do. Things never turn out very well if you start worrying about what other people will like. You can never please everybody so all you can do is try to please yourself!
i:Vibes: What was the complete time period in the making of this album and what was your goal with the making of Feeling For corners?
Julie: I suppose all in all, it took around a year to make the album. Black Hole didn’t rush me with a formal deadline. I wanted to make sure I was happy with all the songs on the album before we began the production side. I guess my goal was to make an electronic album in which the songs were the most important thing. I also wanted to vent a few feelings and making this album allowed me to do that!
i:Vibes: You chose to call your debut album “Feeling For Corners” because behind each corner, it took you in a surprising new direction. On the album cover, you are walking down a long tunnel. Does that tunnel have a destination or what can we understand by the cover?
Julie: That’s pretty spot on. Apart from the reason I am walking down a tunnel on the cover is that it doesn’t have any corners. I guess it’s kind of depressing! You’re feeling for corners but there aren’t any.
i:Vibes: You produced the album with Andy Duguid. What is it like working with one of the hottest producers at the moment. How strong is the trust with each other in the studio?
Julie: Andy and I work really well together. We got on straight away. We’d worked on some tracks together before Feeling For Corners, (Falling, White Sands and My Number), so we already knew each others tastes straight away which helped. On my first visit we spent the whole time listening to songs. We both have a wide taste in music and he’s a real song guy so I know I can trust him to always do the best for the song.
i:Vibes: What is his biggest quality as a producer in the studio in getting the album perfect?
Julie: I think the most important thing is that the producer shares your vision. You both have to be on the same page. If not neither of you will be happy with the result. Also patience is very important. One particular day I called him around 10 times to talk about the album!
i:Vibes: How can one imagine the work between you and him in the studio? Is it the usual procedure of writing the music and putting together the sounds or were there other features present in the making of the album?
Julie: The songs were written so it was a matter of choosing the sounds and putting together the tracks, as well as plenty of late night boozy discussions of where we should stylistically go with it as a whole.
i:Vibes: You made each track with the help of a piano. How exactly did the working process look like when starting each track like that?
Julie: What I usually do is get some chords I like and then record them on Logic. Then I plug in my SM58 and record some melody ideas. When I’m happy I write the lyrics, then record the proper vocals.
i:Vibes: The album starts off with a laid back track What will I do? Here one can really sit back and enjoy your vocals. I also rather like the music in this track. What was the inspiration behind this track?
Julie: Can’t really say to be honest. It’s much too personal. All I’ll say is that I wasn’t feeling very good at the time. If you listen to the lyrics you can probably tell!
i:Vibes: Something to you is another down tempo number with a nice melody. How do you usually go about writing songs? For example on this track, how easy or difficult was it from beginning to end with getting the words right?
Julie: This track was really quick to write actually. It was strange in the way it came about as I actually started with a few backwards piano riffs. If you listen carefully you can hear them in the final production as Andy kept them in. Then the melody and the lyric came instantly. I really like the vibe of the finished track it’s really dark and suits the song.
i:Vibes: “Shine” is a very beautiful track and I especially like the part where you sing “Hold on reach out, you can do it if you try see it feel it etc. This seems to be a very powerful track. Everything seems to be perfect. Is this a track that could be a single?
Julie: Thanks! Yeah it’s going to be a single early next year with a video and some remixes. I’m so glad you like it!
i:Vibes: “Satellites” goes in a different direction to the first three tracks with a funky beat. You are not known only as a trance singer, but have dabbled in many different styles. How much fun was it making satellites and how important is it experimenting with your voice in general?
Julie: It’s really strange because when I wrote satellites I was a bit nervous to put it on the album because it is so poppy, but everyone I played it to said I had to! I love experimenting with my voice. Changing the tone and stretching the range as much as possible and using it as an instrument.
i:Vibes: “I am yours” seems very radio friendly. When making tracks, does one think about how it could work on radio, or is that not creep into the heads of Andy and you?
Julie: When making the album I didn’t think too much about how radio friendly each track should be. It’s great as nowadays if you want a song to be a single you can just do a new radio mix. I only thought about making a well balanced album really.
i:Vibes: “It only hurts” seems like a very personal song. Does writing and singing about pain get any easier with experience or does it always remain difficult?
Julie: Singing about painful experiences for me is very cathartic. It feels safe to sing about personal stuff it feels scarier to me to actually speak about it. It’s like a song is a safe place to let out emotions and say things you can’t say to someone face to face.
i:Vibes: The music to “It only hurts” is very nice. How difficult was it getting the music perfect on this track to fit your words?
Julie: Actually this is the only song on the album where the track was written first. That’s maybe why the lyrics and melody fit so well. Andy had had this track for a while and sent it to me when I was in the middle of writing the album. Originally it wasn’t necessarily for the album, but when we finished it we found it fitted perfectly with the other songs.
i:Vibes: “Temptress” is a very club orientated track. How important was it to you that your debut album would be as diverse as possible?
Julie: Really important. I have such wide tastes in music and I wanted to make an album that reflected that. I also wanted to make an album where people could still listen to the clubbier tracks not just in a club but at home too.
i:Vibes: “Chains” is a gloomy track. What do you prefer making and singing more the sadder ones or the upbeat club tracks?
Julie: Is chains gloomy? I don’t think of it that way at all. I think it’s a reflective song but not gloomy I like to make songs that mean something to me. When I’m sad, I write sad songs, when I’m happy I write happy ones and everything in between! I have no preference really!
i:Vibes: You have a few tracks asking questions as with “How does it feel”? That is not as usual in edm. I guess you are describing a very tight bond to the meaning of the track or is their some other reason?
Julie: That whole track is a one way conversation from me to the person I wrote it about. It asks questions I was too afraid to ask in real life and says things I couldn’t say at the time.
i:Vibes: “All is cold” is another gloomy track. What was the production time on this and what was the most difficult thing that you had to get right to get this track perfect?
Julie: Yeah I agree this one is pretty gloomy! This took a little time to perfect as originally there were different chords in the middle 8 and it just didn’t work for me. Finally we found some new chords and that made the whole thing sit right. I think I was trying to be a bit too ‘muso’ and it took me a little while to realize that sometimes simple ideas work best.
i:Vibes: “My Home” is a nice ending track with a beautiful intro. What is the nicest thing about being home?
Julie: Home isn’t necessarily a particular place so the nicest thing about being home to me is being around the people I love.
i:Vibes: Will you be going on tour to support your album?
Julie: Definitely! I love touring. I’m just doing a few warm up shows at the moment while we are working on a tour to promote the album for next year.
i:Vibes: Will you be working with Tiesto again in the future?
Julie: There are no plans at the moment but who knows!
i:Vibes: If you had the choice to spend 24 hours with any musician to make a track, who would it be?
Julie: Oh my god that’s such a hard question to answer. There are so many people I would love to work with and learn from. I would like to write a song with Jimmy Webb, because I think he’s the best songwriter ever. Producer wise I would love to work with lots of people, too many to mention I can’t pick one.
i:Vibes: What is your favorite track on your album?
Julie: That’s so difficult! How do you choose between your children?! Every track deserves it’s place but I guess some mean more to me than others because of my emotional connection to them. I will always have a soft spot for ‘What Will I Do?’ as I remember the hard time I was going through when I wrote it, and how writing it helped me to feel better about things!
i:Vibes: Thanks Julie for the chat! Good luck with the album!
Julie: My pleasure. Thanks so much!!
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