Meet Julia Ross

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Ross.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started singing and touring when I was eight years old. I started a band with my two older sisters called Everlife. We wrote our own songs and planned our own tours along with our supportive parents for a little over five years before moving to Nashville in 20o03 from Pittsburgh.

We were signed a couple of times with small labels before landing a deal with Disney/Hollywood Records in 2006. We toured with label mates Hannah Montana, Aly and AJ, The Jonas Brothers and The Cheetah Girls and released albums and singles along the way. We are ending up parting ways with the Disney Machine in 2009 and became independent. We mutually disbanded in 2013 after releasing our final album ” At The End of Everything.”

I became a backup singer for Miley Cyrus in 2011 – current and have also sung with The Chainsmokers, Ke$ha, Jordan Fisher and a few others. I began to dabble in my own career as a solo artist for the last seven years and although it’s been a slow build it has been an incredible journey. I worked with a production team called Broken City and released my first solo EP ” True Stories Vol 1″ in 2013. I learned how to write real and find my own voice as an artist. I disbanded w/ the prod company and am now independent.

I released a single in August 2018 called “You’re Not Mine.” It was the first song that I wrote and released completely on my own. It just hit 170k streams on Spotify alone, and that feels incredible. I have collaborated with DJs and other producers and have over one mil spotty monthly listeners and well over 50 million streams from those collaborations. And that all brings us to today. 🙂

Has it been a smooth road?
Does a smooth road exist? Cuz I haven’t come across one of those! From the beginning in ’97 there has been a lot of obstacles but also some beautiful wins that makes the bumpy road so worth it.

My sisters and I were very young and naive to the music industry when we started. My parents didn’t know that much about it either, but we all knew that it was “the path.” The one thing for us that never faltered was the want behind it all. We came across a few people that stoled 10s of thousands of dollars from us and gave only false promises.

We had other artists parents with more money that paid to have our songs kicked off of the radio. We were told not to eat certain foods because of our weight or that we weren’t cool or pretty enough. That the songs we wrote had too much depth and needed to be about breakups or boys etc.

The good thing behind all of those setbacks is it made us pretty epic and fearless businesswomen. Our intuition became stronger, and we started to ask more questions and set more boundaries.

For me on my own solo journey, I was showcased at a ton of record labels and have been told that I don’t have star quality or that I close my eyes too much when I sing. or “She’s an amazing singer, but we feel her clothes aren’t stylish enough” That one made me laugh.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I am an artist, a vocalist, and a songwriter. As an artist, I connect. I write from the perspective of humanity. My art is personal but relatable, and that is something I am proud of. What sets me apart as an artist is me. ; )

As a vocalist, I mold and create a world of color in songs. I am a professional backup singer and section leader for other artists. I also vocal produce artist to help them get a great, strong and emotional performance in the studio to make a song come alive. What sets me apart is I don’t follow conventional or “normal.” I sing and write parts that feel good to the listener. The kinds of sounds and harmonies and a vocal performance that makes you turn up the volume mid-conversation and go “wait.. what is this??”

As a songwriter, I go for real. Whether I am writing for myself or for a client I always want to make sure the song feels like a conversation. We are all human and one thing that will never die as long as the world is spinning is communication. So using that as a tool in songwriting is key. What sets me apart as a songwriter is my ability to tell someone else’s story as if they wrote it themselves. To create a world to get lost in. A three min and 30-second bandaid for a broken heart. Play, Repeat.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I like the feeling I have when I walk out the door of “anything is possible today.” I grew up in a very small town that did not have that in the air. I know I could go anywhere and meet someone new and create relationships and collaborations any night. There are no weekdays in LA. 😉

What I like least is not knowing if someone is being real with you or not. I really love connecting with people but also when it’s not always about business. Its hard to tell if someone wants to be your friend or they need you as another rung in the ladder they’re climbing.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @JuliaisOfficial
• Facebook: Facebook.com/Juliaisofficial
• Other: Spotify:artist:6fOD5mThYrqHe1cyTrKcyu

Image Credit:
Aminda Villa, Crystal K Martel, J Morris

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.