The Julies were — and somehow are again — an American alternative/indie guitar band that mixes influences from ’80s post-punk and new wave with ’90s shoegaze, indie rock and britpop to create music that was, in the case of 1996’s Lovelife EP at least, singularly magical.
While the widely distributed Lovelife is largely regarded as their defining moment, they made their first blip on the scene with 1994’s 6-song, cassette-only release January. Drenched in guitar effects so evocative of the early nineties, this noisy, dreamy release brought them the attention of NYC’s festival scene (CMJ, New Music Seminar, etc) and major labels. Still, they signed to upstart Flying Tart Records and immediately embarked on making Lovelife with Bill Campbell of The Throes.
The release of Lovelife was much delayed as the label started imploding. However, it was The Julies that imploded shortly before the label. Lovelife went on to sell thousands as the members retired the Julies moniker. More than twenty years later, Lovelife‘s cult classic status was solidified with a vinyl reissue by record label Lost in Ohio, which prompted a majority of the band to reunite. What started off as a pandemic passion project quickly evolved into record-making. And now, after two 6-song EPs released in the ’90s, The Julies are astounding long-time fans by releasing their first new music in 27 years, recorded at Philadelphia’s Headroom Studios with Kyle Pulley, formerly of Thin Lips.
