Juliet Hawkins – soul, RnB, folk and psychedelic all rolled up into some swanky tunes
Interview conducted on November 25, 2020
By Dan Locke
Juliet Hawkins- “rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.”
What is your upbringing? How did you discover music? How did you start to write music?
I grew up in Rockport, Massachusetts, a tiny seaside town north of Boston, the youngest of three girls, with two loving, open-minded parents that luckily really influenced and encouraged self-exploration and even though I didn’t want to pursue any sort of conventional, traditional education, they really sort of hung on there while I figured it out. They both were “music people”, my mom was always singing and my dad was big into jazz and blues. I can vividly remember him blasting trumpet solos that would ultimately drive my mom nuts, she’d be making dinner and echoing through the house he’d sometimes play these booming, dramatic, “jarring” as my mom would say, but powerful none the less, scores and albums and concertos. Anything from Yoyo Ma to Django Reinhart. They enrolled me in piano for 10 years but It wasn’t until I found my mom’s guitar in the attic that I quit lessons and decided to continue my music education on my own terms. Lessons were rigid for me and I wasn’t a great student in general unless it was something that excited me, then I could do it. Everything else, math, science, social studies—I just sort of tuned out and drifted, which was why I almost failed out of high school. But I always mainly gravitated to music. I also never really felt like I fit in or belonged, even at times even in my own family, but music gave me a sense of belonging on this planet, it ended up saving my life in a lot of ways, so I focused my entire existence around it. Much like my dog Bernie did after a pretty difficult breakup, music gave me a reason to go on, a purpose, and a way to feel and connect on a different plane. I began writing a lot in high school, not even really songs, just poems and short stories and when I moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming at 24, I linked up with a few other musicians and began getting more serious about writing full songs or at least attempting to finish them. I learned about bridges and how to expand a melody or how to say less with words; I’m always fine-tuning that still, even now, I can over talk anything but music is that one area I’m probably most conscious about not wanting to overdress or clutter with too many words.
Describe your music
One thing that drives me nuts is labels. From sexual orientation to genres, it feels like pigeon-hole ourselves, but I’ve also never really been good at finding a specific genre for my sound. I’d probably call it blues hop or maybe soul-folk, sort of a blend of soul, blues, and R&B with a vintage twist.
How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
The first guitar I ever played was my mom’s Yamaha. I found it in the attic at our house, I was probably 11 or 12 years old and it only had two strings. I played “Yay Ho Little Fishes” on that two-string guitar by ear, just the melody line, this random song from a super old move my dad showed me, Captains Courageous. I ended up getting it restrung and started watching other people, my uncle Doug showed me how to fingerpick and that’s sort of where it started. The Yamaha is still at my parent’s house. My own first guitar I actually got made for me by this local guy in South America when I worked there after high school. I did a volunteer/homestay thing and my Peruvian “mom” had a brother who built guitars. It was nylon string and this really beautiful pine and I can actually still smell the wood and glue through the soundhole. I still have that guitar.
Did I see that right you own a 1961 Silvertone guitar?
I did have a 1961 Silvertone guitar as well for a period of time, it was actually the same uncle who taught me finger picking, but I gave it back to him when I left San Diego.
What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make and model? And does it have a name?
Lately, I’ve been playing an Ibanez acoustic-electric with a blue sunburst. I liked it because it was affordable honestly and it can plugin or stay acoustic and blues my favorite color. I didn’t name her yet, but it’s a she for sure. I also have a Telecaster named Jimmy and I’d really love to get better at playing it.
You just got your first acoustic electric guitar. How do you like it?
The electric guitar is super cool to me, the endless capabilities with the sound and how you can really play a lot less and focus on specific notes. To be honest, I wouldn’t really consider myself a guitar player, I can manage and I’ll use it a lot of times to strip down the sound or to assist in writing songs, but my instrument is really my voice and my strength is my writing. Jackson Price, my guitar player, does a phenomenal job at taking my rinky dink self-taught chords and expanding them to something more fluid.
What was your first performance like?
My first performance, I guess technically would have been when I did piano recitals as a kid. I also was heavily involved in theater and dance, when my parents would have friends over my sisters and I would always put on weird little shows, I’ve basically been performing my whole life. My first original show, however, back in October at Bowies, was something else. I felt pretty manic actually, high off the crowd being into my original work. I’d never had people singing my shit or woo-ing for my original music. That was a very special moment for me.
Did I see you that hosted an All 90s Dance Party on Diners Tube. Some 10 years ago?
I had been gigging almost since I got here in Nashville, but mainly covers, lots of throw backs and anything not country- Blackstreet, Destiny’s Child, even some Ace of Base, which I’ve always loved to find a unique way to transpose a classic jam or a song everyone say’s “wait I know this”, but playing my original music with my band for a crowd that was there to hear my original music, was a dream come true.
What makes a good songwriter?
I think what makes a good songwriter is the ability to let your words mirror the melody, to say just enough that you can let the space of the sound and how it’s said, speak for itself if that makes sense. A good songwriter lets you feel, without telling you to or saying too much. There is a lot to be said in saying less is the moral of the story here I suppose, and whether it’s with an instrument or with lyrics, allowing space for dynamics, for the breath, for the afterthought, is crucial in good songwriting to me.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association?
I’m not a part of any International songwriter singer group or union.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
The title of my first song was called “Breath me in”. I never recorded it but I’ll never forget it. It was like three or four chords the entire song, which honestly isn’t far from what I’m doing now, just a different message with better production.
You are a fan of Cage the Elephant. Have they heard your version of “Trouble?”
I do love Cage the Elephant and I have no idea if they’re heard my version of “Trouble” but I’d like to think they will one day, or maybe I’ll open for them someday and play it then, this is me manifesting.
Tell me about your new EP “Lead with Love”?
My new EP dropped last month, produced by Peter Eddins and featuring my drummer Tank and guitarist Jackson Price. Three of the four, I wrote up in the woods of New Hampshire and put my version of the Cage the Elephant song, “Trouble” on there as well. It was the first time I’d ever been intentional with title order and I think the EP kind of shows the variation in my style.
You have just released a new single. “I’ll Play Daddy” Tell me about?
I’m super excited to be putting out a music video for it on December 11th shot by Misfit Studios in this old mansion in the woods out in Gallitan, Tennessee. It’s all about embracing the “Daddy” within, regardless of gender, that you can call the shots, you can make the moves, you can be whatever you want, Daddy in this case, and you don’t need to be a man to do it. I think it’s a fun, groovy tune that’s easy to move to and I’m really excited to see how the video turns out. We had fire dancers, a hip-hop choreography by Kelcee Woods from Memphis, a whole bunch of magic tricks. It’s probably my favorite song I’ve got out besides “Slow Down”, and it’s also the first song co-produced with Peter Eddins and my guitar player Jackson Price.
What is your favorite track on the album?
I don’t have an “album” out per say. I have my first four-track EP I recorded in San Diego two years ago called IV, then upon moving out here I was putting out singles almost monthly, until my recent EP Lead with Love, but if I had to choose a favorite, again I’d have to say “Slow Down” or “I’ll Play Daddy”.
How do you stay healthy while touring?
It’s been tricky. Although quarantine was likely the best thing that could have happened to me and gifted me the time to write so much, it’s weighed heavy on my psyche, like many others. I’ve always struggled with depression so the uncertainty of the future on top of the reality I feel I’m finally putting out quality music, after years of being somewhat of a degenerate, is just a lot to fathom. I’ve been working on a lot of meditation, yoga, and rollerblading to keep the endorphins flowing and trying to just present and fluid with the process. I’m a big fan of herbal remedies as well- psilocybin, CBD, and THC, have personally been mind-expanding for me and also helpful for introspective healing. I’m not touring yet, but I plan on it when that’s feasible again, and until then I’m happy to continue writing and diving into myself. My dog Bernie Mac helps ease that anxiety of the unknown as well.
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
Streaming music is at least for now, the best way for musicians to get their stuff out there, but I do miss playing packed out bars and having a live crowd to reciprocate the energy is everything to me. I’ve been learning how to navigate the streaming world, pitching to playlists etc.
Digital vs. vinyl?
The digital world is strange and somewhat disconnected for me, it’s just “out” in the inter webs, but again it seems to be the “way” to get music out to the world. One day I plan to put all of my music on vinyl. I actually already know what picture I’d use for the front and back of the sleeve, Mitzi Rose has taken some pretty epic photos of me so there are a few I’ve kept in the vault for the day I move my stuff to vinyl.
How can people forget about the origin hashtag # Sharp in a musical score?
I’ll never forget the original hashtag. I luckily can still read music and that symbol is something different for me. I grew up with tapes and Walkmans and didn’t watch TV, so I have a soft spot for what was, before technology overrode empathy and when kids were still playing outside, not just zoned out on a screen and gauging what’s cool by likes and followers. One day I’ll return to something simpler, off-grid, typewriter, a message carrying dove, maybe a wax letterpress. The goal would be making a couple of hits and revert back to a simpler life, maybe in the woods in a tiny home with my dog, where that hashtag is just a music theory symbol again.
You recovered from a drug addiction. What is plant-based medicinal?
I did recover from opioid addiction- roughly seven years ago I got out of a toxic relationship and a heroin addiction back east, packed my car and drove to Wyoming from Massachusetts, and ended up working on the ski resort, falling in love with the mountains, rivers, snow, bluegrass music, and found a sense of healing in nature I hadn’t had before. I don’t do pills or powders anymore, and although I enjoy a Miller High Life and a shot of tequila here and there, I’m much more of a weed smoker, and I do love mushrooms. I think that mushrooms are honestly the answer to a very over-medicated world. Big pharma has kept people asleep, quiet, they found out they can make more money if people stay sick, and I understand it’s definitely situational, and that some people really do need medication, but that herbal remedies or “plant-based medicine” can assist in real healing if taken appropriately. Mushrooms helped me connect the dots in a very deep way internally, I feel and hear and experience things a little differently now. I’m not encouraging drug use by any means, I just think there’s something to these little extraterrestrial plants, that can really help connect the world. My appreciation for even a blade of grass to a stranger on the street has shifted entirely, because of plant-based medicinals. I’m a huge supporter of the progressive psilocybin movement in Colorado and I think it’s awesome doctors are now involved in creating a safe, monitored way of treating mental issues like depression, anxiety, postpartum, PTSD, holistically.
What is the mental health situation of the United State? How can the public help the doctors and nurses on the front line?
I think the way our country addresses mental health, in general, is pathetic. The fact that most of these health care plans don’t cover depression or anxiety or mental health in general, shows just how whacked out we see things. You wouldn’t tell a diabetic it’s weak to take their insulin, so why is it so shunned or not addressed to admit you might be struggling emotionally? I don’t get it, and I think the sooner we can talk openly about these kinds of struggles, bring light to something that feels shamed, that we all struggle, and if we don’t, someone we love does, the sooner we could drastically drop suicide rates.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
A song from the past in my mind right now, well “Rainbow Connection” has actually been in my head for a while, and would love to cover it eventually. I watched something about Jim Henson recently and remember they made it sort of a joke with Kermit singing it, but the message is so deep and so real if you actually look at the lyrics. “What’s so amazing that keeps us stargazing, and what do we think we might see…someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers the dreamers and me”, I mean really? That is good songwriting. It makes you think, it makes you wonder. Something about that line really sticks, what keeps us going, what keeps us believing? I think the answer is love, and if we can get over ourselves for a second, I think one day we will all find it, together, unified as one, beyond color, gender, age, religion, etc. I’ve said it before, and it’s why I entitled my EP Lead with Love, but love is the answer and the only thing that will bring this world back together.
Both Pfizer and BioNTech have conclude Phase 3 Study of the Coronavirus vaccine. With the vaccine it takes two shots. How many people do you think will take it and how many will forget to take the second shot?
As far as the vaccine goes, I’m not a doctor obviously. I hope the vaccine is effective and I hope we can get it together. There’s nothing I want more than to go back to playing packed bars, but I’m also aware that people are still dying and we are not in a position to be fully open. If we had shut down like many other countries did, instead of fighting for haircuts and bars to reopen, we wouldn’t be in this position.
Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
Until we can get this pandemic under control, flatten the line, get a vaccine that works- Covid-19 will continue to affect the music business. We may need to come up with something like facemasks with built in PA’s before ever returning to any sort of normalcy in the music industry when it comes to live shows. During quarantine I did an hour-long live stream with my band shot by HelloooTV and that whole Livestream world has been a unique way to continue sharing shows and getting music out there. My performance with them was a game-changer. Unlike many other live streams that depict a homestyle vibe, this team and their production magic allow the impression of a live concert with incredible lights and sound and footage, I’m forever grateful for that crew. You can watch that live stream- an hour(ish) of mostly original music with my full band on YouTube if you search “Juliet Hawkins HelloooTV”.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
I’ve gotten really into rollerblading and I love going to the airpark in Shelby Park- this old retired airport and blading there. I also have gotten into fire spinning, or “poi”. It’s meditative and really fun. You can see me spin in my new music video out on December 11th.
95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. This includes people who don’t have television and using their computers to do streaming of programs and movies. Which is your favorite streaming channel?
I don’t watch a lot of TV but when I do, I usually head to Netflix or Amazon Prime for docuseries, like Tiny Creatures, Planet Earth, anything nature is my thing, and my guilty pleasure would be crime shows. I’m a fan of an occasional horror movie as well. I do love ancient aliens as well, I’ve always been fascinated by the world, the hidden wonders of the universe, and what’s “out there”.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
Maybe Facebook is just moving into a Fox News portal of negativity and memes, I’m not sure, I do know it was a great way for people to stay connected to live shows and the whole virtual tip jar was cool for artists to be compensated from afar for their continued effort and skill. I only have Facebook for music purposes honestly, every time I get on there, I’m reminded how limited socially humans have become, how mean people can be behind a screen, it’s not a healthy place to go mentally for me with any consistency, and certainly not supporting artists how it could be anymore.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merch to them at the show?
I think real fans will stick around if they’re worth having as fans. We all need to have a little more compassion when it comes to the times, given playing live shows isn’t as accessible right now, ideally, artists can write and record at home and keep the vibe alive digitally.
Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet?
Paying for playlist features is interesting to me, I once paid an “influencer” to feature a song and this kid, with zero music knowledge himself, just a lot of followers, wouldn’t feature it because it was too “linear”. I won’t go that route again. How did we get here? I’m familiar with paying to play- in the sense of allotted tickets and potentially paying out of pocket if those tickets don’t sell, investing in merch, paying out of pocket for a quality opener band etc., but the fact we’re actually willing to pay people with essentially zero music skills, to gauge our own skill with the hope they feature it, is really rather twisted. We need to take that power back and ultimately remember as musicians we do this for us. Trust and believe, I’d like to go back to being financially supported by my gigs alone, and although I’m trying to stay “hip” with the way we get our music out on other platforms, but I’m not totally willing to pay random people to listen to my stuff and hopefully share it with their friends. That’s the stubborn side of myself perhaps but I do believe so deeply in my music and how it saved my life, that I really can’t put too much emphasis on what other people think anymore, and I’m not really willing to pay someone to care. People will like my stuff or they won’t, I like it and I like me, for the first time in a long time, so that matters more than anything.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
A holographic living room concert sounds interesting!
If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?
If I couldn’t do music, I always wanted to work undercover, busting puppy mills and catching pedophiles, I imagined myself like Dog the Bounty Hunter meets Miss Frizzle from the Magic School Bus meets James Bond, but I think in doing music, I’m living my purpose here on this planet. It’s the only thing I’ve ever done where I feel ok, and like in some sort of what I’m elevating a dynamic or a vibe, at least I hope I am.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
You can check out my stuff on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Music, and anywhere else you stream music under Juliet Hawkins. You can also stay up to date on new releases and what next on my Instagram @juliethawkinsofficial. I’m excited to see what happens next, for both my music career and for the world, we’ve got to find a way to love one another and come together, and I’ll continue to do whatever I can, especially in the message of my music, to encourage listeners to love each other and themselves, to be kind, to stop judging, to see each of us as brothers and sisters.
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