Inspired #258 - Julia Bhatt
Miami based singer-songwriter Julia Bhatt has just released the animated video for her new single ‘1:30’ - she took a moment to talk to us about the inspirations behind her music.
Who are your top three musical inspirations and why?
The Strokes got me through a very dark period, and their music continues to make me feel better. The Beatles is a basic but essential answer. I grew up on it and it was (part of) the beginning of music as we know it today. I’m gonna say my third is a collection of random artists I find on Spotify. Half of my library is just random songs that I absolutely adore. I want to give them credit but I guess I’m definitely not doing that properly.
Is there a certain film that inspires you and why?
I love Almost Famous. Definitely hard to watch as a musician without getting intense “I WANT THAT” vibes. It’s just the epitome of what I think music is.
What city do you find the most inspiring and why?
I don’t know!!! Miami is where I am when I write most of my songs, and it is quite the diverse place, so it gives a lot of writing material. But I don’t know if I’ve been to that magical place yet. I hope I do.
Who is the most inspiring person to you and why?
I admire a lot of people, from my sister to people I’ve never met. It’s hard for me to pick just one. I suppose Julian Casablancas had a really big impact on me. The way he carries himself and speaks always inspired me for some reason. He delves into so many different styles of music, he has lately become quite involved with politics, and he just seems like a really cool guy. That’s what I wanna be.
What were your inspirations when writing "1:30"?
I was all by myself during Covid, so I couldn’t have my producer do all the technical stuff for any newly written songs. I had to fuck around with Ableton Live, and that somehow became "1:30". Lyrics wise, I think that living via social media is taking somewhat of a toll on me, even though that’s where most of my following lies. It’s hard when you see social media figures literally everywhere, serving as a constant reminder that you won’t be where they are. That’s what I was thinking about, I guess.
How would you like to inspire people?
I used to be a speechless nobody. Not even my own words, unfortunately. I never thought I could sing will for the longest time, and I honestly still struggle with my own doubts. I hope that the knowledge that even the people you read about in magazines started from all sorts of bad places helps inspire people to chase their dreams despite the little voice telling them not to.