Julian Perretta

2009 has arguably been a year for female singer/songwriters with an assault on the charts from Ladies Tron, Hawke, and GaGa as well as La Roux, Little Boots and Paloma Faith.  All that is about to change with the arrival of Julian Perretta to mix things up on the music scene with his boyish good looks and soulful pop sounds.

Describe your music in five words.
Colourful, Fresh, Immediate, Earthy, Thoughtful.

Who or what would you say is your biggest influence in writing music?I don’t think there is one artist or thing that influences me the most when approaching writing.  I draw on songs from the 70’s that my parents would play in my house or experiences while growing up.  Sometimes I can be influenced by anything from watching a film to reading a book or an article in the newspaper.

Your new single is called Wonder Why.  What do you wonder about?I wonder about why things in life don’t always go according to plan.  Wonder Why is not just about a relationship, it was written when I was personally very frustrated with where I was in my life at the time, sat basically wondering why things like love and work don’t always go the way you want them to.

What music do you like to listen to?I love classic pop music. I’m really into British pop bands from the 60’s and 70’s like The Kinks, The Zombies, SuperTramp, David Bowie and Elton John.  Also American bands like the Doobie Brothers, Hall And Oats and Shuggie Ottis.  I grew up with really great music in my house.  My Dad used to play stuff like The Beatles and Dire Straits and from that I developed a love for melodic classic pop music.

You’ve supported Girls Aloud on their Out Of Control tour.  Which of the delectable five is your favourite?I don’t have a favourite… I love them all!  They’ve all been really supportive of me on the tour.  They sat in the audience a couple of times and watched my set – they were wearing wigs and big sunglasses I think.  It’s nice to know they’re into my music.

Where is your favourite place to perform?There’s nothing more enjoyable than playing on a massive stage.  The O2 Arena was really incredible, running about on that huge stage it was immense.  It was a special night for me and the band.  My whole family were there to watch.  It was quite emotional.

You also appeared on stage with Mark Ronson to perform Stop Me.  What song would you like to cover?Actually I have a cover on my album, that since I was kid really moved me and I’m so proud to have it on the record.  It’s a song that was written in the 60’s and sang by Colin Bluntstone from The Zombies.  It’s one of the most beautiful songs lyrically I know and it’s kind of a unknown classic even though it was a hit.  As a kid I remember My mum playing it and it stuck in my head.  I would like to cover something like Bowie’s Ashes to Ashes or SuperTramp’s Logical Song, could be fun!

Who else would you like to collaborate with?Brandon Flowers is a real idol of mine.  At 16, in a band at school, I used to think I was him. I love his lyrics and think he writes incredible melody.  It would be great to sit and write some songs with him.  I’ve heard he’s a bit geeky and so am I, so we would probably work well together.  He also loves British pop like Bowie and The Beatles so we’d have tons to talk about.

Have you had any bizarre fan encounters?Yes!  But I couldn’t possibly go into it, just in case they read this.  I’d prefer to keep them as fans.

Where is your favourite place to hang out?I love going to restaurants, I’m not a fan of clubbing – I hate it and I never go.  I’d much prefer to sit in a quiet sushi place eating, laughing and having a drink with my friends.  I go to the cinema sometimes three times a week. I find it quite therapeutic after a day in the studio to sit in the cinema and just switch off,  I even go on my own sometimes.

Julian Perretta’s single Wonder Why is out today and his debut album Out Of My Head is released on September 7th under Sony Music. [originally published on wonderlandmagazine.com/blog August 2009]