Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Hatfield.
Hi Julia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I don’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t play an instrument. I told my mom
when I was five that I wanted to learn to play guitar. She convinced me taking piano first would be a better foundational step and she was right.
For many years, I disliked it, until one of my teachers realized I didn’t enjoy the music I was being taught. Once he introduced me to songs I knew and loved, I was hooked.
Fast forward a few more years to around twelve or thirteen and I was playing guitar and writing songs.
Two years after that, I played my first solo gig and have played well over one thousand since.
It wasn’t long before I started recording and going on radio tours. By the time I graduated high school, I’d been a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition, had a top 20 single to Texas radio, and not long after, won “New Female Vocalist of the Year” at the 2018 Texas Regional Radio Awards.
Things were going well, but I was unhappy. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the music I was making, it just became evident to me that I had already come close to reaching a ceiling as a female in Texas Country music and was quickly solidifying myself within a genre I didn’t intend on staying in.
It was then that I moved to Hollywood for a summer and was reintroduced to the music I loved most as a child. Funk.
I returned to Texas and continued releasing albums, EPs, and singles under the label of “Americana”, continuing to fall in line with what made the most sense within a country friendly landscape.
I continued honing my songwriting craft and performing across the state.
Fast forward to 2025 and it all changed.
My husband woke me at 4:30am the morning of July 4th. Before we knew it, the home we knew was washed away.
The next few weeks were spent searching through debris for the victims in hopes of bringing their loved ones peace.
The Kerr County flood changed more than I knew possible. It opened my eyes to how short life truly is and what little time we have to pursue our true calling.
Since childhood, I have loved funk and disco. My dream had been to combine my love for funk with my passion for country songwriting. Somewhere along the way, that vision was lost to time and was forced to shift in order to survive a post Covid era.
The flood served as an awakening: make the music that’s in your heart to make.
Since then, I’ve traveled back and forth to California to do just that.
The past year has been spent figuring out my own brand of Late Night Funk with country influence and I’ve never been more excited about the music I’m making.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There’s very little that’s smooth about a career in entertainment, especially as a woman in a male-dominated scene. When I was in high school, I’d walk into radio stations and hear, “You’re really good. It’s too bad you’re a girl.
I’ve been sexually assaulted at shows, broke, homeless, stalked, harassed, and ripped off. You name it, I’ve been there.
Women have to fight to be heard in this industry. It’s not fair, but I’m not one to back down from a challenge. Every one of those experiences taught me to trust my own instincts, and that’s exactly
why I’m now building this next chapter on my own terms.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
One of the most magical feelings in the world is hearing a songwriter put a feeling into words that puts perfectly what you’ve been trying to say. That’s always been my goal in sharing my heart through music, to be that person who gives others a way to feel understood. The moments someone shares with me that’s how my music has made them feel are everything.
I’m known for being a multi-instrumentalist who’s able to play most people’s favorite song by ear, while adding my own twist, off course.
I guess you could say I’m a music nerd, but being a nerd has served me well.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Ashley Monroe gave me some advice in junior high that I wish I’d heeded more: “Don’t let anybody tell you nothin’.”
It’s great to learn from people with different experiences, but nobody’s opinion is gospel. A lot of people confuse having your best interest at heart with deciding what your best interest is. You decide. It might offend some folks, but you’ll be better off, trust me. God gave you instincts, so be a good steward of them. Trusting them will save you time and allow you to make the music you want to make sooner.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.juliahatfield.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliahatfieldmusic/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JuliaHatfieldMusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFrvSPwycGODqH77SfilRWA
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2vXW1bCywOS6bN3efEIBMN
