Julia Blair (of DUSK) Announces Debut LP, Shares Lead Single “Relax”
JULIA BLAIR
ANNOUNCES SOLO DEBUT LP
SHARES NEW SINGLE
“RELAX” + MUSIC VIDEO
VIA THE ALTERNATIVE
BETTER OUT THAN IN
OUT FEB 24TH ON CRUTCH OF MEMORY
Photo Credit: Billy Hintz
LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: Julia Blair –
“Relax”SoundCloud // YouTube // Spotify“Her strong vocal sounds like a love child between Sheryl Crowe and Alanis Morissette.” – The Alternative“Smooth country soul alto” – Pitchfork“Beautifully composed folk music serves as the thread which weaves through the quirky vocals” – IMPOSE “Nothing short of spectacular, a record that combines folk and country music with a slacker pop drawl and a dusty nuance of Americana storytelling”– Post Trash“The kind of song that had the capacity to level crowds, leaving more than a few people breathless”– Heartbreaking Bravery
You may know of Julia Blair from her singing in the Appleton, Wisconsin country-rock group Dusk, who released their self-titled debut album on Don Giovanni Records in 2018 and received some
critical acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork and Stereogum for their 2015 single “Too Sweet.” You might also know of her as co-conspirator in the experimental folk-collective Holy Sheboygan! or even as co-founder of the Crutch of Memory Enterprises label and recording studio. This February, Julia’s releasing her first official full length solo album on Crutch of Memory – entitled Better Out Than In. And today, Blair releases her lead single “Relax,” a super fun 90’s-esque pop song with an anti-folk flare. Featuring synth melodies, swoony country-rock guitar riffs, Sheryl Crow-esque vocals, and hyper-relatable lyrics, “Relax” is a feminist anthem standing up to the frustrating sexism Julia has faced both in the music industry and in her personal life.
The song was premiered by The Alternative, who wrote: “There’s much that can be said about DIY, indie-folk artist Julia Blair. Hailing from Wisconsin, she’s built herself a steady foundation singing in the likes of Wisconsin-based, country rock band DUSK as well as dabbling in a more experimental, folk collective with Holy Sheboygan! Both groups have received high praise from the music community and critics alike over the course of their career. Now she’s stepping out on her own for the first time with a new solo album, Better Out Than In, dropping February 2nd. Released through Crutch of Memory, the record pushes Blair to new heights as she refines her soulful, poppy flare while still holding tight to those raw, folk-laden roots from which she’s blossomed.
Lead single, “Relax,” is out today which acts as a time capsule into the past— The 1990s to be exact. The track holds a very upbeat, ’90s pop sound that has one itching to throw on a babydoll dress with lace-up boots or perhaps some bike shorts and a halter-neck crop top. Swaying in and out of synth melodies and gritty, country-rock guitars, the song’s biting lyrics detail Blair’s frustration with sexism both professionally and personally. The feminist anthem is further powered by her strong vocal that sounds like a love child between Sheryl Crowe and Alanis Morissette.”On the track, Julia shares: “I started writing this song in the car when I was pissed off for being blown off by a young man our band was collaborating with who would not talk to me about the project and kept insisting on funneling all communication through one of the men in our band. Also, right around the same time, I had a weird experience with an older man who tried to start a romantic relationship with me in the most roundabout, unspoken about way.”Stream “Relax” here and check out the super fun DIY music video that accompanies it here (directed by Art Kohl-Riggs), and keep an eye out for her debut LP, Better Out Than In, out February 24th via Crutch of Memory.
Instagram | Bandcamp | SoundCloud
ulia Blair – “Relax” [Official Music Video]
Julia Blair Bio
Julia Blair was born of this world as a force to smother the disquieting agents of despair- and as a gentle soul that no-less employs her mighty voice to speak truth to power. Those who know her personally know this, and those who have heard her sing know this as well. On her debut solo album for Crutch of Memory Enterprises, Better Out Than In, Julia proclaims her fondness for self-expression and demonstrates her aptitude for dynamics: from the explosive nature of a pop hook to the firm, comforting grip of a lullaby. She does so at-times anecdotally, while utilizing the marriage of sophisticated arrangements and plain-spoken lyrical language.
If the root of a sound runs parallel to the origin of its creator, we must follow this root to Hartford, Wisconsin, which sits just Northwest of the Milwaukee metro area; a small blue collar town built on auto manufacturing at the dawn of the automobile industry. Humble and unassuming; Hartford naturally boasts the kind of environment that fosters menial work and punch-the-clock mentality. It’s where creative individuals learn their rudiments and move onto brighter spotlights. It’s also a visually idyllic community nestled between rolling hills and glacial landmarks- that in some cases, have been adopted as religious sanctuaries. This is where Julia’s musical story began: with the discovery of Vivaldi and Beethoven in an elementary school music class that would ignite an ever-evolving love of the classical idiom. As she absorbed and studied classical music and its theory into her college years, an encounter with the simplicity and pure-expression of folk music eventually unlocked a door to a new world for her- one which the self-importance of a university music conservatory could never open. Here, she began writing and performing with the avant-folk collective Holy Sheboygan! and later co-founded country-rock band Dusk, who released their self-titled debut album on Don Giovanni Records in 2018 and have served as session musicians for many of our label subsidiary releases.
Better Out Than In draws from all of these experiences. The album leans heavily on pop structure on some of its centerpieces such as “Relax”, “Just A Cue”, and “Fantasize”; the flow split up by three sequentially evolving lullabies, much like a series of intermissions. Folk and classical traditions still make their way into the fold however; particularly on the aforementioned lullabies, almost-impressionist ballad “Barbara”, and the string-heavy finale, “Waste Away”. It was recorded and mixed over the course of three years at Crutch of Memory Studios by Amos Pitsch with direction from Julia herself, and features performances from many of our frequent collaborators and session stand-ins: Ridley Tankersley (Dusk, darn it.), Andy Harris (HPA, Phylums, The Goodnight Loving), Amos Pitsch (Tenement, Dusk), and Colin Wilde (Black Thumb, Dusk), among many others.
The virtue in this set of songs lies in its ability to equip the disadvantaged with fuel to keep pushing. To uplift the disheartened. To anchor unsteady feet in an increasingly turbulent world. Julia Blair’s voice is the equalizer within and Crutch of Memory is proud to bring it to you as the second edition of our flagship series. We hope you surrender yourself to the truth within this album and that you too find that the power of expression is left Better Out Than In.