Actress and singer/songwriter Julia Culbert is releasing her first single on April 7th. The single entitled “You Don’t” will be the first of many for this talented young starlet. I was able to interview Julia about her upcoming single as well as the other projects she has coming up in 2023.
Thank you for taking the time to interview! You are an actress and now you are starting a music career. Tell us how that came about.
I’ve always loved music. I grew up Irish dancing and playing the violin, so exploring new rhythms and melodies has always been such a fun thing for me. Doing musical theater in elementary school definitely tied my love of acting and singing together. Once I wrote my new single, I knew I wanted to record it and share it with the world, so I reached out to the right people, and I was able to make that dream a reality.
Has music always been a part of your life?
Music has always been a huge part of my life. Starting at seven years old, I played the piano, but once I tried the violin, I knew that was the instrument for me, and so I switched. I took percussion and guitar lessons, and although I have a love for all string instruments, violin is definitely still my favorite. I began singing in school theater, and then progressed to private lessons and local competitions when I turned fourteen. I even tried out for “The Voice” when I was seventeen, but I didn’t make the show. This didn’t detract from my love of singing, and I continued to progress into songwriting. Once I wrote a song that I knew I really loved, I reached out to my producer, Justin Tinucci, and was able to record it.
Tell us about your new single “You Don’t”. What was the inspiration behind the song?
My song is about a girl who knows she’s just being used as a placeholder in her relationship. She realizes her significant other is selfish enough to keep her around for their own entertainment, all while they are actively pursuing something else. She still loves that person deeply, but she begins to realize that it’s not worth it to sacrifice her wellbeing for someone who is completely indifferent to her pain. So, she asks that they let her go.
What is your songwriting process?
The melody actually originated from something I was humming to myself while out on the ski slope. I recorded it on my phone, and once I was back home, I was able to use my violin to find the correct notes and write it down. Once I’d finished writing out the lyrics, I sent my ideas to Justin Tinucci, my co-writer and producer, and he was able to add the incredible instrumentals. When we got in the studio, we had so much fun picking harmonies and layering vocals until we ended up with the piece we have now.
How does it feel to be in a recording studio?
Being in a recording studio was such a surreal experience. It was such an honor to be able to record at The Nest by Chapters, where such incredibly talented people work, and so many amazing projects have been completed. Recording was a lot of work, but I loved every minute of it.
Fun question– If you could do a duet with anyone alive or dead who would that be and why?
Lewis Capaldi, I absolutely adore him, and his music is incredible. I think he’s just such a lovely down to earth person and working with him would be so fun.
Do you have plans to release more music in 2023?
I will be releasing four more songs this year to complete my EP by the end of 2023!
Would you ever like to perform live?
I would absolutely love to perform live. I love performing covers, so it would be a pretty amazing step to be able to perform my own song. I’d love to have my producer Justin be there to add the electric guitar live; I think that would be such a fun and powerful performance.
Tell us about any upcoming projects you have in the works.
I’m currently working with Rishabh Trivedi on the music video for “You Don’t.” I’ve worked with Rishabh previously and his directing is truly incredible. We’re putting together a crew of amazingly talented individuals, so there will definitely be no limits to what we can produce. I’m really looking forward to sharing the video with everyone later this year.
Along with this, I’m working on my documentary, Monarch. Monarch brings to light the abuse that is legal in this country through the “Troubled Teen Industry.” Specifically, it highlights abuse that my peers and I endured while attending the program, “The Monarch School,” in Heron, Montana. Originally, this project was shot in the fall of 2021, with plans to release by spring of 2022. Thanks to an expanded budget, I’m reopening production to include more survivors and more proof of the abuse. I plan to release the completed documentary in December of 2023.
Where can your fans find your music?
My first single will be streaming on all platforms on April 7th! I’ll include the pre-save link below.
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/juliaculbert/you-dont
