Weaving her own heartfelt experiences of pain, pleasure and radical self-acceptance into originally penned songs, Juliet Hawkins is a distinctive storyteller quickly making her mark in Los Angeles, California. Having cut her teeth as a solo performer in Nashville, Juliet has developed a signature sound that crosses genres and incorporates blues, country, swing, and pop.
More at home with the culture of the sunshine state, Juliet’s music is both provocative and poetic while challenging her audiences to think freely. With an impassioned promise to never fit the mold, Juliet’s recordings are equally at home beside your favorite Marvin Gaye and Amy Winehouse records. A natural performer, Juliet’s live shows are not to be missed and guarantee a great time for all. Her hits like “I’ll Play Daddy” and “Favorite Sin” beg to be added to your shagging playlists.
Always up for collaboration, Juliet has been featured on many other artists’ recordings and loves trying new things.
What is the most useless talent you have?
I don’t believe any talent is useless, or it wouldn’t be a talent! I’m really good at headstands and accents though, both useful depending on the scenario.
Would you rather be the one in a movie who gets the hero/heroine or the baddie with all the good lines?
I’d play both parts- and the twist would be that I’m the hero and the villain because we all are at some point right?
What makes you nostalgic?
Certain smells, mothballs, and pine trees, and looking at pictures of me as a kid. I was so innocent, I want to go into those pictures and protect myself from what’s to come, but being here now, knowing how much of life is necessary and also out of your control, it’s a lot. I’m not sure if that’s nostalgia or existentialism.
Which are cooler? Dinosaurs or Dragons?
Dinos. The scene in Fantasia when they all die still haunts me. I wouldn’t turn down a chance to ride a Dragon though.
Do you have any lucky items, objects, or traditions?
I carry a tiger’s eye marble with me at all times. I also have a purple scarf that was my grandmother’s I put it on every mic stand I sing in front of.
Do you have any superstitions?
I count a lot of things and add up numbers. I’m always reading into things and looking for symbolism and I draw a lot of my decisions from the mysticism around me…good example: Two black birds in the sky means magic coming for me.
What would you bring along to an idyllic picnic?
Martinelli’s sparkling cider, a joint (not sure if I can say that on here), and a chunk of cheddar cheese, the orange kind, I love that stuff. And maybe a guitar.
What’s your favorite children’s story?
The giving tree. It’s so sad and so real and the meaning of unconditional love, it’s just brilliant. Always stuck with me.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
Music that holds a message, a story, and an intention to heal connect, and uplift the spirit. Whatever comes out might have infusions of pop or soul or even hip hop, but the focus for me is bigger than a genre.
What would you be doing right now if it weren’t for your music career?
Music genuinely saved my life, so I don’t know if I’d be alive right now if I wasn’t involved in music.
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?
Be yourself. As soon as you start looking around at or for competition, you’re already losing. Keep creating, from the heart, for you, I think that’s how hits are made- the legends that make them are just trying to make something they think is cool, and it reverberates to the listener…stay in your lane and have fun with it.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
LP, Lucinda Williams, & Chris Stapleton
If you could go open a show for any artist, who would it be?
LP or Jack White
Where was your current project recorded?
This live album was recorded up in Woodland Hills, CA, at a home studio with isolation rooms. I had co-production by Athoas Brown and engineering by Grammy winner, Bob Tucker. Serious OG’s, this was a dream for me. I’ve always wanted a live album, it’s like you’re in the room, there’s something so sacred and one of a kind, an audible fingerprint… Not only can you hear the life of the instruments, you can hear the human in all of it. It’s my proudest project to date.
Was anyone else involved in writing, recording, or producing the songs?
Athoas Brown co-produced this album with me, he knew I knew what I wanted, and he was the most humble, helpful co-pilot I could have asked for in flying this dream…really let me take the reigns and stepped up when I needed him. We also wrote Higher together. Everything else I wrote alone.
Do you have any other plans relating to this release? A video? Online Shows?
I just released a music video, My Fathers Men and the single is actually from my live album, released February 16th! I plan on touring the album this spring.
Athoas Brown co-produced this album with me, he knew I knew what I wanted, and he was the most humble, helpful co-pilot I could have asked for in flying this dream…really let me take the reigns and stepped up when I needed him. We also wrote Higher together. Everything else I wrote alone.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
No matter how outcasted you may feel, no matter how lost you may feel or how alone you may be, you have a place next to me. If I can do it, you can; that I love you for you. The sooner we can get a message out there in the arts and media, especially to younger audiences, and especially to younger women, that you don’t have to fit a mold to belong; that you’re loved no matter who you are, how you identify, who you love, or what you’ve been through; that kindness, truth, standing up and speaking out against any and all oppression is what we’re supposed to do, and that I have your back for having mine. I’ve been through some shit, and the people who’ve continued to support me and my music, see me and love me for me, and it’s all out there, so I’d want my fans to know I stand by them too.
If you could pass on a nugget of wisdom to the next musical generation, what would it be?
Stop overproducing your stuff, strip back the layers, and put out a message that counts. There’s a lot of trash in the mainstream that isn’t uplifting or empowering or intentional and I’d love to see more artists to come bring in more conscious music.
