ZHULI TALKS SPEED DIAL

Interviewed by Culture Coast Talks editor Daniel John. Interview transcripts might have been edited for length and clarity.

We’ve gotten to see you in various creative constellations. Be it your humble folk-beginnings, having a Spice Girls esque team-up, bands, and many other collaborations with other artists. What makes Zhuli special for you?

Zhuli is really where I feel like I can express myself with my own direction. I love writing with other people, but I love that I don’t have to compromise creatively with Zhuli. I definitely collaborate with a lot of people to create the music, particularly with my main producer and co-writer Harry James, but it still feels inherently me. It’s also so much fun to have something to build, and I’m very dedicated and excited for Zhuli this year and next. 

Many in the industry consider it risky to step out of the lines, "if you are one thing, you can’t be the other”?

This is something I do struggle with particularly because I feel like my creativity and my writing tends to explore lots of different avenues. I don’t like to be boxed in cause it feels like too much commitment to one side of me when there are so many. I was very conscious when I was younger of what I "should" be or what kind of music, personality, or content people expected from me, preemptively boxing myself into what people's perception of me was. As I grow up, I’m really knuckling down on being authentic to myself, my music, and my audience. I think there is space for every kind of artist, and it’s a disservice to yourself to try to please other people. I also think that it’s fine to create as much music as you want and explore. I’ve only gotten to a point of understanding who I am and what music I want to make by trying so many different things, and I’m aware that I also might grow and shift from where I am now. So basically, just do what feels good for you. It’s much easier to keep going and pushing when it feels good too.

You have now been making music for years and years, when and where did all of it start for you?

I started music with piano when I was four, been singing since I was eight, writing and guitar since twelve. Writing and creating has always been my favourite part of music. As I got older and experienced more things, it became the way that I process my emotions and experiences and how I really connected with music.

Any artists that inspired you most?

I don’t know where my musicial influences come from. I loved artists, from Joni Mitchell and Nat King Cole, Norah Jones and Queen, as a kid. Now I love a lot of music, but Zhuli draws from artists like Charli XCX, Caroline Polachek, Griff, PinkPantheress and Mallrat.

How did the Zhuli project start out?

Zhuli, as a project, started in 2021. After a couple years of having writing and collaborating with Harry. We solidified the artist project during lockdown because all we were doing was working on music. We had written a bunch of songs together, but 'IKEA' really stood out as the first single, and I realised I wanted to pursue releasing my own music. I’ve never looked back!

Have you ever been to an OG IKEA in Sweden?

I would love to visit Sweden, it has been on the list for a while. I love so much music from Swedish artists so I’d love to get in the studio with producers, writers and artists in Sweden. I’m expecting to spend a few months in Europe next year writing and performing so fingers crossed I can make it over and obviously I would have to visit an OG IKEA while I am there too!

What inspired you to write ‘Speed Dial’?

'Speed Dial' was the first song I wrote after a long period of feeling creatively frustrated. Harry, my producer and co-writer, came up with a beat by finding a guitar sample on splice and flipping it into a synth arp, and 'Speed Dial' poured out of me. The beat was really fun and cheeky so that’s where we drew from. To me the song is about wanting connection and company but being a bit coy about it. It’s how I feel after a night out where I’m not ready for the night to be over and I definitely don’t want to spend it alone. It’s flirty, it’s light-hearted, it’s not too serious. It’s just here for a bit of fun. It was really nice and easy to write, so it was a good first song back from a hiatus.

What does it mean for you to have songwriting on speed dial in your own daily life?

I love writing songs, I think that comes from a desire to connect with people and express myself. Although 'Speed Dial' is one of my more casual songs, it was still really fun to make and try to capture a feeling. It’s really important to me to have writing on all the songs I release as an artist because I’ve always identified as a writer first and foremost. For me, making music and songwriting is all about connecting with a feeling. One weird thing I do love about writing songs is finding the right sounding syllables for the melody and then adding meaning to the lyrics. Sometimes it is like a puzzle, and when we land on the right lyric or melody it just feels right and I get that dopamine hit from having solved the puzzle. At the end of the day though I just love music and I love creating the songs that I like to listen to, dance to, cry to, and that I feel proud of. And I love sharing that so hopefully other people can have those experiences with my songs too.

This is your first Zhuli-song since ‘Risk’ which came out just over a year ago or so. But you're all back now?

I am most definitely a hundred percent back! I have so many releases planned for this year, and they’re all so awesome I can’t wait to share them. I have a release schedule until at least March next year which I'm really excited about and you should be too! Last year was a big year for me personally that led to me having to redefine my idea of what success was, and what I wanted in life. I’m still redefining it every day, but I realised creating and releasing music that I liked was really important to me. So I’ve been going full steam ahead, both writing, releasing, learning new skills and hopefully performing more in the future!

Any more coming up soon?

I’m particularly excited for my next release 'Bad Enough' which comes out August 7. It’s a banger you can dance to, but also really hits the nail on the head with something I've been trying to express so I can’t wait to share it.