Julia Wylie, under the moniker Julia Why? has just unveiled a shimmering video for the exquisite track ‘My Grrrl’ – in my view one of the standout tracks in a crowded field this year.
The video, directed remotely by Kristina Ingegneri from Bankstown’s hard lockdown, is glorious in its simplicity and veracity: Wylie performing in front of the beautiful Sydney backdrop, interspersed with scenes of crashing flowers. Her performance perfectly captures the deep yearning imbued in the music: a moving and completely immersive capture; graceful and beautiful. Wylie says of the video:
We were dialling Kristina in via Zoom, carrying her around in our phone to various locations around The Rocks, within the 5km zone. It was comical but it worked! And it was satisfying to see the end result given we had no resources other than ourselves. There was no HMU or anything like that. Just the morning sun, stormy Sydney afternoon shadows and the feeling of being creative with other humans for the first time in a long time.
The result is enchanting:
The track exudes a dreamy shoegaze fugue – a heady emission of celestial melodies and a wall of guitars and synths. The total package is like a meeting of Melbourne’s Underground Lovers with Ride: ambient pop meeting a muscular thrum filled with an innate sense of yearning.
An heartfelt paean to a best friend dealing with sickness, a shout out to ‘Rebel Girls’ globally and a symbol of resilience and compassion, Wylie says of the track:
If the last two years has taught me anything, it’s that my friends are my soulmates. When we stick together and support each other, we are stronger than the sum of our parts. We can overcome whatever this world throws us.
The sense of empowerment is captured by the euphoric choruses and the indelible glow emitted by the track. The lyrics are poetic, bold and passionate:
You’re the kind of woman I wanna be
I’m the kind of woman that you need
Bright burning sparks tear the atmosphere apart
Tear the fairytales apart, tear the way things are apart
Tear the atmosphere apart, tear the way things are apart
‘My Grrrl’ can be downloaded through the link above or streamed here.
Julia Why? will be launching the single on 2 December 2021 at Waywards in Newtown, Sydney with Lisa Caruso and Le Pie in a triple headline gig – full details and tickets here. The following gigs have also been announced:
27 November at Factory with Peel – tickets here.
10 December at Marly Bar for Low Pressure with MICRA.
Julia Why? is promising a new album in 2022 – I for one can’t wait.
Feature Photograph: Emily Herdman
