Track of the Day: Julia-Maria - 'With Me'

Emerging singer-songwriter Julia-Maria has returned today with an eagerly-awaited new single, titled ‘With Me’.

The title track from her forthcoming EP, the beautiful ‘With Me’ explores self-worth, and trying to figure out where someone fits into the puzzle of your life.

The Cork-based talent herself describes the track as an “intimate and emotional song”; explaining how writing it “captured a moment of honesty, and put words on a feeling that I was familiar with, but couldn’t describe. I'm very excited to be finally releasing it.”

Living by the sea, the Atlantic coast has also been a constant source of inspiration for Julia-Maria. “I found my voice writing about nature, and feeling its connection to my own life. Nature is a language that everyone speaks. A flying bird is freedom, winter is the closing of a door, and the changing seasons are changing emotions. The lyrical opportunities are endless, you just have to watch and listen.”

Julia-Maria used the initial March 2020 lockdown as an opportunity to get her material recorded, and found the perfect surroundings to do so in Monique Studios with Christian Best, who proved to be a great addition to the creative team.

“We wanted to keep it simple, while maintaining the intensity of the song’s message. We wanted to invite the listener into the inner dialogue, and let them get lost in flowing piano lines and the warmth of the double bass," Julia-Maria says about the recording sessions.

Evoking influences such as Joni Mitchell, Eva Cassidy and Feist, Julia-Maria released her debut single, ‘Faithless Follower’, back in October 2020. The song made the Irish scene sit up and take notice, and landed the musician on the bill for many online gigs and festivals.

Second single, ‘Morning Light’ was backed up by a support slot with Cork’s Sara Ryan, her own solo performance in Cyprus Avenue, and a set at MTU’s ‘Live At Union Quay’ festival.

Just around the corner is the release of the songwriter’s debut EP, also named ‘With Me’, which is set to be released next Wednesday, October 13th. Stay tuned for an official music video to accompany her latest single, directed by Fionn Hennessy-Hayes of Unemployable Promotions.

Listen to 'With Me' below:

Photo credit: Niamh Barry