Julie Peel

After many months or even years of checking Julie Peel's MySpace, she finally is going to release her debut full-length album, Near the Sun, September 2009 on American Laundromat Records. Previously featured on ALR compilations including Just Like Heaven (a tribute to the Cure), Gigantic (a tribute to Kim Deal), Dig for Fire (a tribute to the Pixies), and Cinnamon Girls (a tribute to Neil Young), this will be Julie’s first solo full-length release. She counts Aimee Mann, Beth Orton, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell among her influences, and their impact is not hard to discern on Near the Sun. Julie’s lo-fi, guitar-driven pop recalls the likes of Ida, Anna Ternheim, Caithlin de Marrais, and Mirah, but bears her own distinctive indie sensibility and style.
Born in Cannes, Julie was raised between France and Canada, and sings entirely in English on this album. As a child, she tended toward self-determination. Her independent spirit is evident throughout Near the Sun, which Julie recorded, mixed, and produced on her own. Spontaneity was key in the creation of this album, as evidenced by tracks such as ‘Innocence.’ “I composed it and wrote the lyrics in under an hour, and recorded it very quickly right after,” she reveals. “... I guess this song is what represents me the most.” The undeniably catchy track ‘Living in a Movie,’ (one of my favorite tracks on the album) replete with irresistible hand-claps; a sweet and somehow cinematic tune that demonstrates Julie’s capability to craft pop songs at once familiar is just one of the songs off Near the Sun that compels repeated listens. Keep an eye out for Near the Sun, and look for her hitting the road across the US later in 2009!

@ Montreal, Canada
♫ Indie, Folk, Pop
♥ Living In A Movie (mp3)
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website