We were lucky to catch up with Jul!et recently and have shared our conversation below.
JUL!ET, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?
Writing songs and making music is my true passion — I would do it even if no one else were listening. Besides that, I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart, dreaming of starting my own business one day even before I had an idea compelling enough to give my all. While working in the tech industry, I realized that every path is challenging in its own way and that nothing beats internal inspiration. I became more comfortable taking risks and started releasing my music as a fun side project, which felt way different from my day job. At the same time, those years were well spent! I learned a lot about managing a product and being a good colleague, and I saved up to fund my early music career.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Making pop music began for me as a side project and has evolved into my absolute obsession. I’m so glad that I’ve followed my curiosity to start writing songs again, releasing them, and playing them live.
When I was working full-time in tech, I had no idea where my adventures would take me. Luckily, lots of what I’ve learned in the corporate world has translated to the way I work with others and manage my own music career. It took me two years of sporadic songwriting to muster up the courage to record and release music and two more years to transition into complete artistry.
My worldview is colored by the college and corporate experiences that enrich who and what I can relate to in my songs. Doing hard things in my academic life helped me build the confidence I need to be an artist, facing all the new challenges and doubts that inevitably creep up. I’m not afraid to search around and figure things out, which helped me learn to produce my own music in Ableton as quickly as I have. And I hope that my journey inspires others to think big and discover their own creative outlet.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
One of my mentors gifted me a copy of Making it in the New Music Business by Ari Herstand, and I keep going back to that book as the closest thing I’ve found to a manual for being a full-time musician. Ari’s podcast is also free and great! For any other artists interested in producing their own demos and songs, YouTube in general is a great resource — I specifically love the MakePopMusic channel as a place to get started but also dive deep into the most current sounds. Besides that, Sonic Guild is a great resource for musicians nationwide and has a really impactful Seattle chapter putting on events, awarding grants, and educating our community.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I started my TikTok account fresh but built my Instagram from my old personal account (changed my handle, archived posts, and cleaned up some of my following). For me, starting small and going steady has been key to stay motivated. I generally don’t commit to overly ambitious targets like posting multiple times a day consistently, but I know I can post 5 days a week for a good stretch to promote a specific release. Creating and posting content has helped me find my voice, which I’m continuing to evolve and refine — and as exhausting as socials can be, I feel lucky to be able to reach my fans directly and tell my own story.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://soundslikejuliet.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soundslikejuliet/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julietcdaniel/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliet-daniel/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@soundslikejuliet
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soundslikejuliet
Image Credits
Profile: Bella Petro
1. Seattle Drift
2. Austin Smith & Cody Kilpatrick
3. Austin Smith & Cody Kilpatrick
4. Bella Petro