Interview With Julia Kautz

Born in Vienna, based in Munich, the former journalist Julia Kautz recently released one of our favourite songs written in response to the current pandemic. So viele Menschen and its accompanying music video are truly a moment of unified beauty, showing that throughout the tough times, we can still lean on one another and that we truly are in this together. As she builds towards the release of her new EP, we caught up with Julia to find out a little more about what we can expect.

Hi Julia, how are you doing?

Hi, I’m fine, thank you. Trying to make the best out of this crazy situation, as always. Lonely times can be very creative....

For those not in the know, can you tell us a little about yourself...

My name is Julia Kautz and I’m a singer and songwriter based in Munich, Germany. I’m pursuing a solo career with my own German pop songs, but I’m also writing songs for other well known artists in Germany and around the world.

You have transitioned from music journalism to performance - was performing always your end goal?

Yes! Since day one. I’ve been singing melodies and lyrics into my small cassette recorder as a kid. I’ve always wanted to tell stories through songs. But as I grew older, I got offered a job as a music journalist and took the opportunity. For some time I really enjoyed doing interviews with big artists like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry or Bruno Mars for a well known German magazine called BRAVO. I’ve learnt a lot from it. But on the other hand, I’ve always felt the need to pursue my own dreams of being a singer and songwriter. If I wouldn’t have chosen this path finally, I’m pretty sure, I would have gotten very dissatisfied with my life.

You had some success in the girl band Neonherz, what did the experience teach you?

It taught me that as an artist you should always be brave enough to follow your own instincts. The more authentic you are with your music, the more people can relate to it.

You have been steadily building towards the release of a solo EP, what can we expect?

The whole upcoming EP, Amnesie, will be telling the story of my last break-up. The songs are about suffering, easing the pain und getting up on your feet again. The lyrics are very honest, sometimes sad, but mostly empowering.



Tell us a little about your latest single So viele Menschen...

This song has a very positive message. It’s about not having to feel alone in these special times of social distancing. Although we have to stay away from each other right now, we move closer together, because we’re all in this together.

The video contains contributions from your fans. How easy was it to piece togther?

Yes, that’s why I personally love the video so much. In times of corona I wasn’t able to film a regular music video. So I got the idea to ask my followers to send me video snippets of how they spend their quarantine. I really enjoyed putting the pieces the together, as they were very positive and sweet and showed that everyone’s going through the same difficult time right now. The video is a perfect fit to the message of the song.

How have you been finding lockdown?

I want to be honest with you: It’s been a crazy ride, as I’m living on my own in a small apartment in Munich. So, at times it got very lonely. But I’ve been using this very special energy to write new songs. And I’ve learnt a lot of new stuff like cooking, playing the ukulele and recording myself for demos at home.

Do you think it has been good for your creativity?

Absolutely. Solitude and melancholic thoughts in general are perfect partners in crime when it comes to songwriting.

If you could achieve one thing with the single, what would it be?

To encourage as many people as possible and give them the warm, empowering feeling of not being alone.



Julia Kautz's Official Website