Crossing the Lines: Music Has no Boundaries with Julia Rizik
The world of music is ever-changing so it’s no wonder country singer Julia Rizik found her voice through pop. Julia has performed at some of the biggest festivals in the U.S. including Stagecoach and Country Thunder. However successful her career seemed, Rizik realized that making country music wasn’t fulfilling her creative side anymore. She took some time for herself, writing and producing her own demos for pop songs, eventually moving to Los Angeles. In her interview with Rival Mag, she discloses everything from how she came up with her new EP to what the future holds for her?
RIVAL: What is your background and how did you get involved in the entertainment industry?
I’ve always loved music and performing. When I was a very little girl, I used to walk around and write songs based on what I saw. But I truly fell in love with music when I was 11 years old. I was bored after school every day in fifth grade, so I asked my mom to put me in vocal lessons, just for fun. One day, after my lesson, my vocal teacher asked if I wanted to perform in the Open Mic Night they were putting on that weekend. I said yes. That night I got on stage, more nervous than I’ve ever been in my entire life, and I fell absolutely in love with music. I became obsessed. One thing led to the next, I began writing and playing live shows which helped me grow into my musical abilities and discover myself as an artist.
RIVAL: Was becoming a singer something you wanted to pursue from a young age?
It’s kind of crazy, I always thought I was going to be an exotic veterinarian up until that open mic night. I created a life plan for myself when I was seven years old, I was going to go to school to become an exotic veterinarian and travel around to help animals, everywhere. But, I caught this music bug and it took over my brain and heart. It became all I thought about and wanted.
RIVAL: You plan on dropping your debut pop EP this fall. How would you describe what the album is about to potential listeners?
Yes, I’m so excited. I wrote all of the songs on the EP between the end of 2019 and May 2020, during the lockdown. I went through a lot during that period, so I was constantly writing. The songs are all about love. From the beginning of a relationship to the end. There are songs about falling and lusting after someone. Then, there are the songs about feeling broken, knowing the relationship is over. It was an extremely emotional project for me to work on because the songs are based on such true things that I went through over the last year. But, I’m honest with my music because I want people to relate to the songs and know that I understand what they’re going through.
RIVAL: What did your writing process look like while coming up with the EP?
Since I wrote a majority of the songs during the lockdown, my writing process was pretty much me just sitting in my room, observing how I was feeling, and writing. I didn’t stop writing for one minute. I just sat there at the keyboard in my room creating demo tracks on my computer and singing over them about everything I was feeling.
RIVAL: What was the inspiration behind your single “Human”?
I wrote my single, “Human”, about this guy that I met and instantly felt connected with. I couldn’t stop thinking about him, especially the more I got to know him. The hook line, “There’s no way you’re human” was my way of summing up the feeling that this person seems so perfect they can’t be real.
RIVAL: You switched from country to pop. What pushed you to make this decision?
I guess switching genres was all about me figuring out who I am as an artist. I was extremely young when I was living in Nashville and people used to tell me that one day I’m going to figure out who I am as an artist and everything will begin to fall into place; I never believed them, for some reason. But then, after a few months of writing and recording music that didn’t make my heart smile anymore, I opened up my computer and made a demo. It was pure pop. It was right there, in my little apartment in Nashville, that I realized why I hadn’t felt happy with my music in a while. It was because I didn’t know who I was as an artist, up until then. Since then, I feel like an 11-year-old girl on stage for the first time, obsessing over music, completely sure of who I am and what I want to say and sound like.
RIVAL: Who are some musicians that have shaped your perception of good music?
I feel inspired by so many artists, but my top inspiration of all time is Stevie Nicks. I seriously just love listening to her voice and studying her songwriting. She’s so real. Another artist who really changed the way I hear music is Aretha Franklin. She was so passionate about music and she displayed that passion and everything she was on stage. The last artist I would say is Drake. I love how unpredictable his sound is. His music is always so unique.
RIVAL: What is the best part about being a musician?
The best part about being a musician is connecting with people through the songs. I think it’s so cool that two strangers can all of a sudden understand each other through one song.
RIVAL: What are some songs/albums that everyone should listen to at least once in their life?
Songs I feel everyone should listen to at least once in their lives would be:
“Hey Jude” by the Beatles
“Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis
“Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac
“You Make Me Feel Like (A Natural Woman)” by Aretha Franklin
“I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston.
RIVAL: Who are some artists you would like to collaborate with on future songs?
I would love to collaborate with an artist like Post Malone. I love his whole vibe. I also think it would be cool to collaborate with The Weeknd.
RIVAL: What has been your biggest achievement so far?
My biggest accomplishments are playing the major festivals I’ve performed at and also getting to go to play at different children’s hospitals and share music with them. Those are the things that feel the biggest to me.
RIVAL: What are some things you hope to cross off your bucket list once everything goes back to normal?
I really miss performing and being on stage, connecting with people. So the first thing I want to cross off my bucket list once everything goes back to normal would be playing at Coachella. Outside of music, one day, I have to cross off going to Paris on my bucket list. It’s been a dream of mine forever.
RIVAL: What are some causes that are dear to your heart and hope to bring awareness to in the future through your platforms?
I LOVE this question. I would love to help children battling cancer in any way that I can. I also really want to help abused animals. Another organization I find really special is the Trevor Project, their cause is so important and so necessary to bring awareness to.
RIVAL: Where do you usually draw inspiration from?
I find inspiration everywhere. But I mostly draw inspiration from my relationships, whether it’s with boyfriends, friends, my sisters, etc.
RIVAL: What is the best advice you have gotten and from whom?
The best advice I’ve ever gotten is from my mom, “Laugh a little”. It’s actually pretty simple advice but when she said it, it felt so big. She was telling me not to take myself too seriously and appreciate every moment of every day, big and little.
RIVAl: What advice do you have for aspiring musicians?
The best advice I could give to an aspiring musician is to enjoy the journey and have fun. Don’t compare yourself to others, just focus on yourself. Figure out who you are and who you want to be and embrace your art. Don’t be afraid to express all the weird, little parts that make us individuals.
RIVAL: What do you hope to achieve through your art?
Through my art, I hope to help people. All I’ve ever wanted since the day I first fell in love with music is to help people through music. Music is so powerful and I just want to relate with others through songs. I want to perform all over the world and never stop releasing music about real things.
RIVAL: What is the biggest misconception people have about your job?
The biggest misconception people have about music is that it’s an easy job. It takes such discipline and sacrifice. Things you don’t even realize mean anything, mean so much. You have to take the time out to vocalize, to hone your craft, to wake up and figure out what you want to say to the world through songs and that’s a lot more than it seems. You really have to put your whole life into music once you’ve begun.
RIVAL: What does music mean to you?
To me, music is just everything. I can honestly say it’s pretty much all I think about. It has guided me through so many different phases of my life. I turn to music at my worst and my best because it’s my peace.
RIVAL: What are your plans for the future?
Well for starters, I need to release this EP! My plans for the future are to consistently release music and take my listeners on every part of this journey with me. I can’t wait to start performing again (when it’s completely safe) and travel and meet people through music.
Julia has a bright career ahead of her. With her EP coming out, hopefully she can reach more people who relate to her music. Meanwhile, you can find her on her official site https://www.juliarizik.com/ and keep an eye out on her Instagram too https://www.instagram.com/juliarizik/
Meet the Writer
Violeta Nicola is a 20 old writer who has over three years of experience in the journalism world. Starting in 2017, Violeta launched her news website where she interviewed people from all over the entertainment industry. Over the years, she has worked for publications such as 71 Magazine, A Book of, Reignland Magazine and now she joined the Rival Mag Family. This year she launched her own magazine called N Magazine which is growing by the issue.