We recently connected with Juliana Frangella and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Juliana thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
When I was in high school, I believed that being unhappy was a key part of being an artist; if I wasn’t sad, I wasn’t writing. Now that I am out of that situation, I am not so cynical about it, though I still believe that intense emotions are part of the deal. I don’t think I could do anything other than creative work, or more specifically writing. It is certainly disconcerting knowing how hard it is to make a living solely off of music. It only gets scarier as I get older, but I always knew I’d need a backup plan, hence my pursuit of an English degree. Within my first few weeks at college, I met with my creative writing professor, who is a published author and poet, and she encouraged me and assured me of the opportunities ahead. It is so thrilling to meet women who are successful in the fields that I love, whether it is in music or in writing books/poetry. Though everything is still a big unknown, I am enjoying the process of becoming a better musician, songwriter, and writer.
Juliana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I have been singing and playing music since I was around six years old, though my parents say I’ve been doing so even longer. My earliest memories of music are of The Beatles, The Ramones, Taylor Swift, and thanks to my dad, Avril Lavigne, specifically “Girlfriend”. I’ve always been deeply affected by music, especially lyrics, and I can remember being so moved by songs my dad would sing that I’d cry on the spot. Once I got to Kindergarten, I started relating to the Taylor Swift songs to which I had memorized every word, when I saw my first crush “dating” the wrong girl. Taylor Swift’s Fearless Tour was my first ever concert, and I sang every word before finally passing out in my mom’s arms at the last song. I believe Miss Swift had something to do with my insistence on learning guitar in the fourth grade. It took a few more years for me to get to the songwriting, but once I did, I could not stop. I recorded some original songs and covers in middle school and early high school, but I was still finding my voice and my style, which is ever-evolving. Most recently, I released my debut album Intrusive Thoughts, which I worked on with Mike Montrey, my now producer, who used to teach me guitar. I wrote every song either in a high school classroom or on the floor of my basement after school. My songs are like diary entries in that I do not hold back, however, I make it my business to turn every situation I base them on into something (hopefully) clever, a little self-aware, and therefore self-deprecating, and overall bigger than whatever teenage turbulence inspired me to write in the first place. Since releasing this album, I have been performing more than ever, and where I once cowered in fear and hoped I could just sing and get off stage as soon as possible, I now thrive off of the energy and feel more and more at home on stage. Singing these songs that I’ve written, and the songs by other artists that inspire me and influence me in so many ways is my favorite thing to do. I’ve been told by my friends that my songs are relatable and that makes me feel I am doing what I am supposed to.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
Though I still have lots of room to grow in terms of the business aspect of being an artist, I take a lot of cues from Liz Phair, and her memoir Horror Stories. She is one of my major influences as a songwriter and as an artist overall, and I often look to her when making decisions on what gigs to take, who to work with, etc. It has always been difficult for women to advocate for themselves and stay true to themselves in this industry, as everything is about the product and the profit you get back from it. Liz Phair has taught me a lot about finding a balance and sticking to my guns.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
When I was younger, I was told a lot of things about performing and how to “be” during a performance by different teachers and coaches. A lot of these conversations discouraged me, as I felt I was being instructed to behave as someone other than myself. For many years, I did shy away, and though it can be argued that this was just part of maturing, I didn’t have any desire to be on stage, despite my songwriting ambitions, until recent years. Once I started taking charge of my songwriting, and the actual production of my music (who was producing me, who was mixing, etc.) I felt more confident in how that music should be presented. I stopped giving in to insecurity, and I also stopped giving in to the advice I had always known was not right for me. For my gig at The Stone Pony, my first with a band backing me for my own original music, I did not consult with anyone on performance strategy, I simply prepared on my own and with my band and resolved to do it the way I felt it should be done. That was without a doubt the best performance I had put on up until that point, and everyone close to me agreed I seemed to radiate confidence they had not seen before. Overall, I think the lesson I should have been taught was in staying true to myself. All those teachers were definitely giving me valuable advice, but not every artist expresses themself in the same way, and I am never going to be a dancer, or a musical theater performer. I thrive on storytelling, and simply feeling my songs as I sing them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://julianafrangella.com/
- Instagram: @julianafrangellamusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHatxDxiN7sEF56VeJ8x4FA
- Other: Tiktok: @julianafrangellamusic
Image Credits
Jeff Crespi, JeffCrespiRocks Deanna D’Angelo, Bellacosaphotos Photobomb Productions