Indie Pop from Julia Kate

Los Angeles-born artist Julia Kate has rapidly become one of the most exciting new voices in indie pop, bringing music that pairs meaningful lyricism with impactful, modern production. Now based between LA and Boston, where she studies Songwriting and Professional Music at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Julia is part of a new wave of young artists adding their own brand of pop to the international musical sphere.

Her sound draws from a diverse range of influences, with Taylor Swift, Lorde, Billie Eilish and Lana Del Rey among them and her knack for catchy songwriting has seen her gain a growing fanbase around the world. Tackling self-image, heartbreak and growth with a blend of wit and emotional honesty, her songwriting journey began in high school, when she started experimenting with original material and developing her voice as a storyteller. A chance introduction to producer Johnny What, whose credits include work with Juice WRLD and Pentatonix, proved to be a turning point when, recognising her potential, he connected her with musical director Nick Rosen and Jacob Wick of Dreamers.

That creative partnership led to Julia’s 2022 debut single “Timothée Chalamet,” a playful but heartfelt pop debut that introduced her talent for cinematic storytelling. The single was quickly followed by more releases and her first EP, just a kid, which established her as an artist with both range and vision via a blend of nostalgia and self-awareness which hinted at an artist coming into her own. Before heading to Berklee in 2023, Julia returned to the studio with Nick Rosen to record her second EP, yearbook and between classes and songwriting sessions, she now continues to make frequent returns to Los Angeles to perform at venues such as The Hotel Café and The Mint.

Now, Julia brings us her latest single titled “be nice princess,” an indie pop anthem that captures the moment of outgrowing old versions of yourself while still holding space for the person you were. Blending shimmering guitars, lively drums and dazzling vocals, it delivers a charming yet emotionally charged reflection on friendship, boundaries and self-worth. Penned with long-time collaborator Nick Rosen, the song’s concept sparked from an unexpected source, “Nick and I were scrolling through Instagram struggling to come up with ideas. We came across a meme that said, ‘be nice princess.’ We wrote around that as a title and made it about a friendship gone wrong,” Julia explains.

The song is quintessential Julia Kate; smart, sensitive and infectious, thematically reminding listeners that strength and softness can coexist and that sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is stop being nice. Brought in by the patter of drums, the groove of bass notes ushers in Julia’s smooth vocals as she threads bright melodic lines into the stripped back arrangement. Building into a rock-tinged chorus where jangly guitar textures form a colourful backdrop for Julia’s instantly memorable hooks to shine above, “be nice princess” lays down a stellar slice of her sensational pop sound.

Reaching a driving breakdown of crunching guitars and bouncy vocals, the track surges into a spectacular finale where overlapping vocals soar to leave a lasting impression of the song. As she continues to impress on her incredible musical adventure, Julia Kate is showing no signs of slowing down on her unstoppable rise as a truly compelling indie pop artist. Commenting on the single, she adds, “This one felt fun and freeing to make. It’s a little tongue-in-cheek, but it’s also about finding peace with the version of yourself that people expected you to be.”

Listen to be nice princess below

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