Hi, it’s me, Jules. I could write this bio section in the third person as if I’d hired someone, but the truth is, it’s just me behind my computer screen typing away. I grew up in a small farm town in Upstate New York. At the age of 10 I started taking piano lessons and if I’m fully honest, I dreaded every single lesson, I never practiced, and I’m pretty sure I quit after less than 2 years. But boy did I love to sing, so I performed a mediocre piano arrangement of Your Body is a Wonderland by John Mayer (strange choice, I know) at my High School talent show. The next day, my band teacher pulled me aside, handed me a guitar and said “learn this, you’ll thank me later.” and it changed the trajectory of my life. (Thank you Mr. Calistri)

I went off to college and studied vocal jazz performance, took jazz guitar lessons, and played every open mic within walking distance of the SUNY New Paltz campus. I booked my first shows at the coffee shop I worked at on Main Street and played covers for students doing homework with their headphones in. The first songs I wrote were influenced by the music I was studying, the people around me, and artists like Stevie Wonder, Lianne LaHavas, and of course: John Mayer. (classic) I was steeped in jazz theory and I mainly focused on finding interesting chord changes when songwriting. I took vocal lessons with Machan Taylor, a true Hudson Valley legend and a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the voice. I am forever grateful to her for helping me find my voice.

After college I lived in the Hudson Valley and paid my rent by playing in bars, restaurants, wineries, you name it. I’d sing covers for hours and take requests from anyone who’d throw a dollar in my jar. In 2020, the pandemic hit and live music came to a halt. When I had time to sit with it, I found I couldn’t write. I had become so disconnected from music as an emotional outlet at that point I just decided to tuck it away for a while. My friend Rose comforted me by calling it an “intake phase." And although she was just trying to make me feel okay, she was totally right.

I moved to Montana and spent my days skiing and working at a brewery. I felt so out of my comfort zone, and so distant from myself and the life I was previously so settled in to. I had gone through a terrible break up that slingshotted me into the move, and now I was alone. In search of comfort and a sense of home I started to seek out the music that reminded me of my childhood. Ray LaMontagne, Patty Griffin, The Dixie Chicks. Through High School it was Andy Shauf, Bon Iver, Gregory Alan Isakov, Sufjan Stevens. I was also constantly surrounded by country music, and I started to love it. For the first time in years I felt moved by music. For the first time in years I felt the pull to write like a constant tug at my sleeve. I’d come up with melodies at work and run to the bathroom to get a quick voice memo, I wrote poems on long walks, I sang while I did the dishes. By the time I moved back to New York I had a whole album.

“Heavy Hitter” began at a cabin in the woods in Saugerties, NY and finished at a studio called The Building in Marlboro, NY. It was an absolute pleasure and an honor to work on these songs alongside Sam Skinner who has produced some of my favorite records of all time. Since then I’ve had the opportunity to share the stage with some of my favorite artists: Margaret Glaspy, Pinegrove, The Gipsy Kings, Florist. Writing, recording, and sharing this record led me back to myself and for that I am so incredibly grateful, and so excited to show you what’s next.