Hey folks! My name is Julian Robia, and I’m a country artist from Nova Scotia. I grew up in a small-town outside of Halifax, called Tantallon, where I developed the country lifestyle I still know and love today.
I love to fish, ride ATVs, take the truck “back-the-woods” with the fellas, and of course, I love country music. For as long as I’ve been writing songs, I’ve been writing country songs. I’m drawn to the genre because it allows for story telling in a way that not all genres do. I started releasing music in June, 2023, and have three songs released to date— with many more to come! As an independent artist, it’s such an honour to have my music shared and my story being told, so I’d like to thank each and every one of you for reading and listening. I hope you enjoy my newest tune, Roll Them Pretty Eyes!
What first got you into music?
Growing up, I was always surrounded by live music. My father was a jack-of-all-trades when it came to musical instruments, playing drums, bass, guitar, harmonica, and pretty much anything else he could get his hands on. From an early age I knew I wanted to play, and although I never took an a wide variety of instruments like my father, I’ve always stuck with guitar and singing.
What do you enjoy most about being an artist?
The entire process of being an artist is something that I really enjoy, but there is something special to me about getting up on stage and in front of a rowdy crowd and performing! I remember the first sold out show I had in my home city of Halifax. The crowd was going wild, singing along to every song, and at that moment I knew that this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
What draws you to your preferred genre?
“He’s even better live!” is something you often hear about country artists, and that is something that always stood out to me as important. Production in country music is not overkill to the point where the songs cannot be performed just as well live, as they are in the studio track. Country music encourages and promotes those who have real musical talent, which gives those with said talent an opportunity to rise-up without the help of major labels and expensive teams.
In your opinion, how do artists in this industry stay on top of the game when faced with so much competition? What is the secret to making yourself noticed?
It’s hard for me to speak on what it takes to get noticed, because I really haven’t been “found” yet, however I can speak to the way that I am approaching things. My plan is to continue making music that I truly enjoy, and continue to play as many live shows as I can, without worrying about what everyone else is doing. Music is supposed to be fun, and comparing yourself to others can make that fun slip away pretty quick! I believe that if I continue to write and make music to the best of my ability, and never give up, my music career will find a way to flourish!
How do you go about writing a song? Do you have a melody in your head and then write the other music for it?
For me personally, writing songs is all about the state of mind; I need to be sad to write a sad song, and I need to be happy to write a happy song. Not only that, I need to feel creative and inspired to write a GOOD song, and that is something that cannot be forced. I try to make sure that every single word that I write means something to me and my own personal experiences (which is why I never write about big trucks, because my truck is small). My method that I always seem to follow is:
- 1. Guitar chords/rhythm
- 2. Melodies
- 3. Idea/concept for song
- 4. Sing gibberish about idea over those chords, for hours
- 5. Ponder the words and change the lyrics a million times
It’s not a perfect method by any means, but it gets the job done!
Do you enjoy recording and production?
I only started recording songs in 2023, and at the start I didn’t like it at all! My producer told me the first day “this is a whole different art form” and boy was he right! Singing and playing to a metronome took some serious adjustment, but the biggest thing to learn was how to have fun while singing into a wall full of foam. Personally, I prefer singing to people rather than walls. After gaining some experience over the past year, though, I am actually starting to enjoy the process more, and I certainly have massive respect for the amount of skill and patience it takes to be a producer!
Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
I do sing a lot in the shower, and almost strictly Tyler Childer’s songs. Lately it’s been his song “Junction City Queen” that always seems to find my tongue when I’m scrubbing up. If I ever meet Childers, I’m definitely not going to tell him how much I sing his songs without clothes on, lol!
If you could be a superhero, what would your superpower be and your superhero name?
I love this question because to me there is only one correct answer to what is the best super power, and this is to Teleport. Imagine going wherever you wanted in the world, whenever you want?! Come on. Oh, you want to fly? Throw on a wing-suit and teleport into the sky, and when you get too low, do it again. If I could teleport I would be so happy that I wouldn’t even care what my name is, call me teleport guy… works for me!
What would be the ideal food to have cooked for you on a date night?
Anything Thai-food related, and I say that because it’s so difficult to cook! If someone makes you good Thai food on your date, then you know they’re an incredible cook, and you’ll be eating good forever.
What is your most expensive piece of clothing?
Style has never been my forte, and likely never will be. I think my most expensive piece of clothing is my Carhart work jacket, which I wear almost every day during the week. Other than that, you can find me at Winner’s, Costco, and Marshall’s picking out some clothes.
If you could learn any language fluently, what would it be?
Definitely Spanish! Not only is Spanish one of the most useful and widely used languages in the world, it’s also the sexiest, in my opinion! I recently watched the Netflix series “Narcos” and found myself trying to talk like Pablo Escobar for weeks.
Newest single from Julian, “Roll Them Pretty Eyes,” offers a refreshing take on the classic country love song. While many have written about the beauty of a lover’s smile, Julian wrote this cheeky tune about how rolling eyes and annoyed looks can be just as sexy. The take itself speaks to REAL relationships where partners get on each other’s nerves, but still love each other.
Written from a silly thought where Julian couldn’t believe how beautiful his then-girlfriend was when she was fed up with him, “Roll Them Pretty Eyes” is now available to stream + share https://tr.ee/UcWKMMMpRZ
@Robiaa on Instagram
@JulianRobia on TikTok
