EMQ’s With Juliel
EMQ’s With Juliel
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with German Progressive Folk Metal solo project, Juliel. Huge thanks to project founder, Juliane Ehl, for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
My name is Juliane Ehl. Since Juliel is a solo project of mine I play all the guitars, bass and keyboards. I sing and I program all orchestra samples. The drums, violins and the choir on my debut record were performed by guest musicians. For a long time I had the idea of a concept album in my mind, but I couldn’t implement it with my band, so I decided to just make it myself.
How did you come up with your band name?
I thought about releasing my album simply under my name, but some people have trouble pronouncing it correctly, so I just stripped my name of a few letters and Juliane Ehl became Juliel.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
I come from a small town near Cologne, Germany. I don’t think we actually have a Metal scene here. You have to go to the bigger cities for concerts or pubs that play Metal.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
I recently released a video for the second song of my album. It is called “Aftermath” and visualizes the beginning of the story of the concept album.
Who have been your greatest influences?
Definitely Iron Maiden. When I started to play electric guitar I taught myself every single song from their first nine albums. Later I discovered Ayreon and other progressive bands like Symphony X and Shadow Gallery. I’m also influenced by soundtracks from the likes of John Williams and Howard Shore.
What first got you into music?
Music was always there. I was lucky that my parents had me educated in music before I even went to school.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
I would love to work with Arjen Anthony Lucassen. He is a brilliant musician and producer. I think it would also be very interesting to work with Tuomas Holopainen.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Doesn’t everybody want to play at Wacken? Actually I would choose the Rock Hard Festival at Gelsenkirchen. It has a very friendly family atmosphere.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
Sorry, can’t report anything weird. All gifts were nice, thank you.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Whatever life throws at you, you can master it!
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Would he be alive and well, or come back as an undead zombie? No, better let the dead rest in peace?
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
I love to create something for others to enjoy. I can put my feelings into songs, tell stories and reflect about the world. The biggest gift is when people tell me they were touched or inspired by my songs. I don’t particularly like the business side of the music business.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
Only one thing? People don’t want to pay anything for music anymore. With streaming, millions of songs are just a click away. Why should they buy an album with 10 songs? The only solution would be to make streaming way more expensive than it currently is. And the companies need to pay the musicians a fair share.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
“Somewhere In Time” by Iron Maiden.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs or Downloads?
I usually listen to CDs, but when I’m in the mood to celebrate music I turn on a vinyl record. I still own a few hundred cassettes, because my car is very old and it has a cassette radio. I don’t care for downloads.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
I once played with my AC/DC Tribute Band in a small cellar underneath a supermarket. It was freezing cold outside and the cellar was dripping with condensed water. We were a little scared that our instruments would get a short circuit. The place was completely packed with people and when we started to play the crowd went absolutely wild. It was magical.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
I’m actually a trained gardener and I work part-time at a nursery. Guess I would be doing that full- time then.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Damn, Iron Maiden consists of six people.
What’s next for the band?
I’m writing songs for a new album, but it will take some time before it will be finished.
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
You can visit me on the following sites:
https://juliel-music.bandcamp.com/album/the-time-of-the-ashes www.juliel-music.com
www.facebook.com/juliel.ehl.7 www.instagram.com/juliel_music/
There’s a long-standing food-based debate here in the UK. And we’d like your help. So… A Jaffa cake – is it a cake or a biscuit? Discuss!
It is not edible, so what’s the point? I prefer shortbread.
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Life is short. Find something you’re passionate about and pursue it.
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
