Conversations with Juliana Omokheyeke

Today we’d like to introduce you to Juliana Omokheyeke

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am Juliana Omokheyeke (Omo-Kay-Ey-Kay), a singer and songwriter from Houston Texas. I fostered a love for music around the age of 7 through singing in church and school choir. I quickly found a family away from home through music and performing. I performed in local and school talent shows all throughout high school. After graduating high school, I went to Columbia College Chicago to study music. While in college, I honed my songwriting skills and collaborated with so many talented musicians. I graduated with a BA in Music and a Music Business Minor in May of 2019. I released my first music video for my first official single “Me & My Girls” in July of 2019. After graduating college, I spent a few years in Chicago performing, writing, and working on new music. I officially made the move to LA in August of 2021 to pursue music. Since then, I have been through many hardships and obstacles. I had to reevaluate my goals and what was important to me. Now, I travel back and forth between Houston, LA, and Chicago, playing shows, recording original music, and completing other artistic projects. I released my debut album ‘anonymous’, which expresses themes of self sabotage, anxiety, and transitioning into adult life, on May 24th 2024. I also released a music video for ‘vibes’, one of the songs on my album, on August 16th 2024. All of my music is available on all streaming platforms.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have definitely faced obstacles attempting to navigate the music industry. I went through an extreme writers block after COVID hit in 2020. I was stuck. I found it hard to write original music. I was heavily distracted. The thought of sitting down to complete a song brought me anxiety. I felt like I was wasting time. I would post cover videos on social media, but I was not developing my own artistry. This drought lasted until the middle of 2021. In May of 2021, I began to write my first album. It was rocky. I would start a song and then finish it a couple of months later. It took me three years to finish my album. It was not easy, but it was definitely worth it.

Apart from artistic struggles, I also struggled with my finances, physical health, and mental health. I made the move to LA to finish my album and pursue music in August of 2021. At that point, I only had two unfinished songs. After one month of being in LA, I fell sick. I lost over 20 pounds, my hair fell out, and I was extremely weak. I could hardly complete everyday tasks such as walking, using the bathroom, and getting dressed. I fell into the deepest depression I have ever been in. My grandmother also died that year. I felt like the world was playing a sick joke on me. As soon as I mustered up the courage to move to LA, I lost the physical health I needed to achieve my goals. I decided to go back home to Houston in March of 2022 to take care of myself.

While back home, I found out I had an auto immune disease. I was upset, but also happy that I found out what was wrong with me. I began to take medicine, go to physical therapy, and slowly heal. As soon as I was healthy again, the music started to come to me. I was able to finish writing my album by the summer of 2023. After that, I started to come up with a game plan to record and produce it. The dark-spell that I went through from 2021-2022, was hands down the most difficult time in my life. I would not change anything that happened, because I believe that experience birthed my album. I was able to write about things that I did not see coming. After that experience, my writers block lifted. Everything happened for a reason, and I am still here.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a singer and songwriter. I have a couple of singles and an album out, as well as a couple of music videos. I was the executive producer for both of my videos (Me & My Girls and vibes). That process taught me a lot. I am most proud of my album ‘anonymous’. This was the first musical project that I released where I felt truly connected to every song. In the past, I wrote songs that I thought other people would like, but I did not have any connection to them. I was a chameleon. I was used to putting out what was expected of me, instead of what I was truly feeling. With ‘anonymous’, I did not hide. I was extremely vulnerable, open, and honest.

Even the name of the album triggers me. I debated whether or not I wanted to go with that name. Being ‘anonymous’, was my biggest fear for the longest time. I hated the idea of ‘not making it’, or being a ‘nobody’. I had a huge chip on my shoulder. I equated my self worth to fame, popularity, and success. I had to learn that I was still worthy without all of those things. I had to overcome my fear of being ‘anonymous’ and just embrace it. True happiness is on the other side of fear. I have learned that. Who cares if millions of people know me? I know me. My friends know me. My family knows me. That is more than enough. There are also many privileges to being unknown, such as privacy and the permission to fail. I can do whatever I want, and nobody cares. I can fall flat on my face and tomorrow will still come. If I mess up, nobody cares to report it. I can live my life in private.

Nothing sets me apart from other people. I am someone you would see walking down the street with sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt. The talents I have, millions of people have as well. I am far from an anomaly. With my artistry, I am not trying to be different or special. I am just being me. I do not like performing or faking anything. The older I get, the more I want to be comfortable. I am invested in authenticity. For the longest time, I would lie and people please to fit in. I just want to be honest and come as I am.

My entire music discography is available on all streaming platforms. You can listen here: https://linktr.ee/Julianaomokheyeke.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love the creativity and the art that is accessible. There are so many free museums. My favorite is Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood. I also love the fashion. The city is filled with cool thrift shops and clothes you can not find anywhere else. I dislike the cost of living. LA is a beautiful city, but rent prices are high! I also dislike the lack of free parking.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/Julianaomokheyeke
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianaomokheyeke/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julianaomo97
• Twitter: https://x.com/julianaomo97
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/THEJOSHOW25
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1rD9N9cuy7FxxFODKvyT3D?si=JOAlHwIJQC6ddk_pD0z9cA

Image Credits
The photo of me singing: Sarah Beidatsch @Sarahbeidatsch on Instagram

All other photos: Musix Geekz Entertainment @musixgeekzent on Instagram

Track list photo for ‘anonymous’: Shaun Hayes @wearehaye on Instagram