Painting sounds from an open mind
She describes
herself as a woman who is really feeling great about this life, creative,
contented and interested in the world in general and people in particular. Her
life is art itself, creativity as a way of freedom understood as a completely
free mind. Her latest album, Turn the
soil, is a chant for renewing our world, turning on our minds and taking us
to new directions. Love and nature as an only spirit, and her voice as an open
window.
Are you a
"Strange case of euphoria"?
Well.....I aspire to be a "Strange case of
euphoria" but at times life can interrupt the "flow" if you know
what I mean. I really love the idea of being a strange case of anything because
it's so inspiring to run against the grain of what society and people in
general expect of you.
That was also
the title of your first solo album. Why did you choose a solo career?
I have a bit of a tragedy story about why I choose a
"solo" career. When I started with my band Free Enterprise we were
just getting ready for a major label release and our drummer was going through
some rough times and he choose to take his own life which of course caused me
to take a deep pause.
Do you miss your
time as a member of a band?
Very much so as there is something so loving and
amazing that happens when you are relating in the group field...an unspoken
knowingness and a freedom to expand yourself through bouncing ideas and music. And
of course all the party's...
Your travelling
experiences are one of the biggest influences in your songs. Always following
the steps of Josephine Baker?
I'm a wanderer by nature...and Josephine Baker wasn't
accepted in her own country so she wisely took up residence in France and
became a force to be second with, fruit hats and all. There is a bit of a
conspiracy in this world if you are a real individual. Freedom is its own
reward sometimes, although it might not net you fame and fortune it certainly
gives you the gift of aliveness and for me that is worth its weight in
soul-gold.
You also were
singing in Parisian clubs for some years before starting your solo career
returning to the USA. What did you find in Paris?
Ahh...Pariggie what can one say about a city so laden
with old world beauty... I think the main thing was I was really forced to
listen at first because I couldn't speak French very well. French have an
amazing sense of humour and the Paris culture is great! I was so happy to live
without a car. I loved meeting the street people writing poems or drawing
pictures. The parks are amazing and the women are so beautifully dressed, the
food, the flowers mostly I really learned how to leave my old identity behind
and the thrill of reinventing oneself after a difficult time.
Your artistic activity
as a painter comes also from your times in Paris?
My mother was a painter and I grew up doing lots of art.
I have always painted pictures as a form of release and healing. Paris was very
inspiring in the sense of when I was living there at first I didn't know many
people so I spent many days alone and I didn't have much money so painting is a
beautiful way to pass the time.
Could we say
your songs are also very visual?
Possibly...when one is naturally inwardly turned you
spend a lot of time dreaming. And sometimes the dreams become real in the form
of a song or a painting based on a vision on one’s head.
Your latest
album is called "Turn the soil". What do you expect from turning the
soil?
Well that song is a bit of a protest as I believe
myself and many people think it's time to "Turn The Soil" as in renew
the world, if that's possible? When I used to garden with my mom as a child, at
the start of the garden after winter you turn up the soil and prepare for
planting the new seeds or pruning the plants remaining after winter for new
growth. as far as the CD "Turn The Soil", I would just like people to
give it a listen and see if it resonates and if it does download the songs.
Rainy times but
the beauty is still with us?
Oui se vrai....beauty will be with US for ever as long
as we can open our eyes because it's always right in front of us.
Do you think
it's possible to paint a sound?
I do actually...that is what I'm trying to do with my
new recordings...Ha! Paint a sound, like colours have a frequency and with the
new digital machines, synths and easy access to visual altering software it's
swell!
Which one is
your personal "California Dream"?
That's unfair to ask a dreamy gal like myself but I
just Love anything about the small town that I grew up in , Manhattan Beach
California and the great Skate Culture and Surf Culture and the Pacific Ocean
and the no makeup policies on the beach. I was blessed to live the California
Dream because my parents fled the East Coast before I was born.
An interview by Juan Carlos Romero
Julia Free website www.juliafree.com
Photo courtesy of Julia Free. All rights reserved