A captivating voice, a humble personality and a grateful heart… Australian born Sri Lankan music sensation Julian Simonsz has it all. In a candid interview with Esteem Prime magazine Julian speaks about his love for music and of the journey that lies ahead.
A little over a year has passed since he burst into the music industry, crooning his way into the hearts of music fans across the globe with his dulcet tones. One of the most admired contestants of Season 3 of The Voice Australia, Julian Simonsz stunned one and all with his vocal prowess at the Blind Auditions, in which he was able to awe the judges with an enchanting rendition of Justin Timberlake’s Suit and Tie.
ON ENTERING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY…
The warm glow of memories sparked within, Julian speaks of his stint on the show with thinly veiled excitement. “I actually auditioned for the show the year before, but didn’t get through,” he laughs, adding earnestly that this initial rejection was what motivated him to do build a solid portfolio. In his determination to stand up and be accounted for his talent, Julian started singing covers of his favourite songs and releasing them across Youtube and Facebook, which gathered him a strong internet fan base. Many viewers were quick to praise this young singer’s extraordinary talent; and following the positive viewer reactions to his cover versions, Julian began to realize that the premise in fact carried immense potential for growth and recognition. “Nowadays globally we are so fortunate that we’ve got social media and all such things that are easily accessible. It’s just a click away and you can do music and put up for everyone to see. I first started doing covers for the sake of it, and I didn’t think strategically about it. But then I realized that new music is coming out all the time, and I thought, why don’t I take a new song as soon as it comes to the charts and take my spin on it,” he points out, adding that this gave him a solid basis for his second audition for The Voice Australia.
ON AUDITIONING FOR THE VOICE AUSTRALIA…
Julian’s words ring with sense of achievement as he recalls the iconic moment that changed his life forever. Those who are familiar with the show and excitement of being on stage will undoubtedly empathize with Julian’s sentiment as he describes the rush of adrenaline which overcame his otherwise nervous temperament; “as soon as I heard the music, I had to compose myself and keep going,’ he remarks, explaining that the slow turning of the Judges chairs one after the other on the show was both nerve wracking and exhilarating at the same time. “I just had to keep going you know, but I just wanted to stop and scream.”
ON THE INFLUENCE OF MUSIC IN HIS LIFE…
The conversation veers towards his roots and Julian admits that music is in his blood; born into a family of musicians he confesses that he was initially a very self conscious performer who always preferred to hone his skills in the privacy of his bedroom. “I always thought that people would judge me and say this or that,” he explains, adding that this insecurity kept him from pursuing music until much later in his life. This further led Julian to seek his passion in the corporate field; however a Bachelors Degree in Industrial Design and a sudden change of career compelled him to review his life. “I realized that music has always been a part of it, so I thought why don’t I try to push myself with it and make a career out of it…” This revelation strengthened his self belief as he was motivated to redefine his life and strive towards perfection.
ON CREATING MUSIC…
A professionally trained musician with a Bachelor’s Degree in Audio Engineering Julian believes that one needs to develop respect for all types of music. In this regard he assures further that while he prefers to create more RnB commercialized tunes as an artist, his engineering background allows him to appreciate all types of music. “As a producer you need to know what’s out there in the market. I have learnt is that studying and watching what other artists are doing especially on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube is crucial for an artist,” he states, adding that his brand is largely inspired by artists such as Justin Timberlake and Michael Jackson. An admirer of Justin Bieber’s latest compositions, Julian also insists that a singer also needs to evolve in his style or genre without losing the original vibe.
Speaking of his music, Julian states that writing the correct type of lyrics is as important as setting the appropriate melody; hence his first single I Do it For You is a classic example of a well written song with powerhouse lyrics and a soulful beat. Peaking at the 16th spot on the Australian iTunes chart, the song is a simple yet impassioned celebration of love, which showcases Julian’s wide vocal range. His second single “Get Home To You” is another well written verse with a more upbeat melody that is both catchy and passionate. Moreover the success of his first two singles has encouraged his heart to pursue new music, and he states with a smile, “I may put an album out or an EP soon. Ideally I would like to have something before I come back to Sri Lanka in February.”
ON THE ONE NIGHT ONLY SHOW…
His eyes shine with excitement as he speaks of his upcoming concert in 2016. “Showtown Entertainment and Ants Work have organized a One Night Only show in February next year. But the venue is not yet decided,” Julian discloses, adding that he will also be flying his band down from Australia to participate in the event. “It is more entertaining when you have a band than with a backing track, because you can’t do a whole set with backing tracks, and the energy these boys give is something different,” he muses as an afterthought.
ON SPRINTING DOWN THE ROAD TO SUCCESS…
Expressing his views on the road ahead, Julian says that he strives to give 100 percent at every juncture of his life. However the journey towards the zenith is not all smooth sailing, he says; and even though he is a rookie in the industry, Julian appears to have sound knowledge of the problems and challenges in his line of work. “Selling my type of music is hard, so coming off the show I was trying to focus on commercializing my music instead of being as raw as I could. In Australia you have to try to get on the radio by doing commercial music, otherwise they don’t want to hear you, so I took my style and made it a little bit more ‘pop-like’ to cater a wider audience.” And yet, Julian is also on the lookout for an opportunity to experiment with his style and reinvent himself with every new piece. The spirit of innovation notwithstanding, he strongly recognizes the value of being true to one’s roots.
FINAL WORDS OF WISDOM…
With the support of family and friends, Julian has managed to stay humble amidst his rising popularity; eloquent on his views of living a balanced life, he says that an artist should always have a grounding point that keeps him in check. “I guess the good thing about what I do is I’ve got a couple of online businesses and as my studio is at home I can make time for my music and my family.” His reality check thus established, he is able to move from strength to strength; and armed with faith and perseverance, he honours the name of Sri Lanka with each bold step. A bright star in the horizon, we wish Julian Simonsz a future bejeweled with prosperity and happiness.
Links to his music:
f: http://www.facebook.com/JulianSimonszJulez
t: http://twitter.com/Julian_Simonsz
i: http://instagram.com/julian_simonsz/
y: http://www.youtube.com/user/julezsimonsz