about the freedom one can find in their life calling. That purpose, that we often refuse to see, embrace, or sometimes never get to exploit fully, because of this distracting life experience…then one day something happens, a scary force drives one out of the safety net, into the divine unknown. Deliverance.

London-based Austrian singer-songwriter Julia Romana shares new left-field, dark pop single ‘Wash It Off’, out everywhere on 17 July.

Naming artists like Thom Yorke, Lykke Li, FKA Twigs and Lana Del Rey as her main inspirations, ‘Wash It Off’ captivates from the very first note. Produced by composer and producer Veronika Hanl, the build up of ethereal electronic beats combined with Julia’s sultry voice lures the listener in, culminating in a mesmerising dreamscape that lives somewhere in the space between pensive and affirmative.

Speaking of the track, Julia says, “When writing I like to keep my lyrics as abstract and vague as possible so the song doesn’t need to be constricted by a storyline. Songs can have an open end, they can flow in and out of different moods.”

Making music from a young age Julia Romana has honed her craft into what it is today, which is both innovative and exciting. Having collaborated with artists such as Duckwrth, G.L.A.M and Alex Mali, this has allowed Julia to find her voice in music whilst creating her own distinctive sound and path.

When talking about the track Julia says, “I wrote Wash It Off during the peak of Corona times when all we could do was watch TV series and try to stay sane at home. The song is about the pursuit of finding excitement and letting go. It’s about opening oneself up to new experiences, washing off old patterns.

I hope people who listen to my music can find a sense of peace with themselves. Self acceptance, meditation, growth and the complexities of human relationships are common themes in my songs. ‘Wash It Off’ is a motivation to let go of things that don’t serve you. I’d love to see people dance to it and I hope it can make them feel free and empowered to be themselves.”

Julia has always been fascinated by sounds and art from a very young age. At the age of 8, she started using the voice memo function on her phone to create ‘beats’ by recording claps and household objects. In art school, she got her first MacBook pro where GarageBand was pre-installed, and she started experimenting with making music there. Her first album ‘Opening’ was made purely in GarageBand.

Over the last few years, Julia has fallen in love with collaborating on music with other people, in particular her long-time collaborator and friend, composer and producer Veronika Hanl. She says, “Creating art is such an essential part of my existence and sharing that experience is one of the best feelings in the world.”

https://www.instagram.com/julipoto/?hl=en

Following the breakout of his debut EP Angel Armour in late 2021, Australian indie pop outfit Saint Barae returns to the music sphere with a renewed set of arsenal up his sleeve in the form of his latest single, Heaven. The 26 year old ‘DIY pop star’ describes the track best as “the soundtrack to a relationship that is dancing on a knife’s edge” a metaphor that portrays this track’s candidness is exploring the themes of infidelity, jealousy and revenge between two lovers. Pulling from some of his favourite contemporaries like Vera Blue and Caroline Polachek there’s a new sense of assertiveness and edge in his approach too. Acoustic guitars and sizzling bass lines take the forefront on Heaven, and Barae glides from his signature falsetto register to belting distorted cries of conviction as he laments.

“You caught me looking into every photograph, assuming the worst, you don’t call me back.”

It’s clear that this new chapter in his music journey is one of exploring previously uncharted territory, in his own words he explains:

“I wrote Heaven around the infamous quote that ‘holding onto resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die’. I recently got myself into a situation where I was guilty of becoming so jealous in a relationship that I in turn, became my own worst enemy. There’s an irony and self awareness in this song that knows that revenge is not the answer - but I took that route anyway, and the fallout is that I ended up wounding myself more than the other person.”

The Gold Coast native has also had a stacked run in the leadup to 2022’s comeback solo single ‘Heaven’, with Renè Le Feuvre (The Voice Australia) collaboration Think About Us dropping in March alongside a series of live shows in South East Queensland - including his music festival appearance at Sounds Dangerous (Burleigh Bazaar) this February. And this marks just the beginning of his presence in the Queensland music scene with a monumental line of headline shows set to be unveiled kicking off at Vinnie’s Dive June 23rd.

https://www.instagram.com/saintbarae