Gogoleva tackles serious issues through music
Julia Gogoleva feels privileged that she had fun toys in her childhood. The Kitchener-based singer-songwriter who plays piano and guitar also likes to shoot mini documentaries from whimsical musings about croissants to socially conscious commentaries regarding the environment and Kitchener’s constantly changing urban landscape.
“We had a camera around the house,” recalls Gogoleva, sipping tea in her downtown retro style apartment suite. “I didn’t realize that not everybody has these sorts of toys as a child. We had a little camera so my friends and I started making skits. They were hilarious,” she exclaims, adding that some of these crazy mini flicks may surface again. “I really liked (whacky sketch series) “Mad TV” when I was younger,” she hints with a mischievous giggle. She also fell in love with British rock-meets-opera gods Queen. “I remember having this experience. I was watching a movie and (Queen classic) “We Will Rock You” was one of the songs in it. At age eight I just thought only amazing music existed in movies. When my dad was younger, he got the “Queen: Live at Wembley Stadium” DVD for his birthday. I saw the actual performance of Queen and I was just blown away. I am so bad with lyrics,” she notes with a laugh. “I can’t remember them most of the time. Unless I really practice, I do not remember anything. But I remember every Queen song. I know them word for word because as a little kid I was so obsessed with this band.”
In addition to her flourishing music passion, Gogoleva also expressed an interest in playing music.
“I was put into classical piano lessons so I am really lucky that I had that education to ground me in music and it went from there,” says Gogoleva, adding that in lieu of piano, she is now focused on guitar.
“I have experimented with many styles but the style that I feel most excited about is funk-blues guitar with a fun rock and roll singing style,” she adds.
Gogoleva also wants to focus on social commentaries for live performance.
“I have songs about showing your personality and defining social norms,” she notes. “I guess a lot of my interest lies in environmental issues and how free-market capitalism and our corporate market influences our lives and the lives of the people around the world, the power structures it creates and also the culture it creates for people that are privileged. What is our work culture? That is something I would like to critically analyze in life. And I would like to bring that into my music as I do not think it is often talked about. We have our economic structures. So I am quite interested in that,” she adds.
“My fave musicians or fave people have always been able to talk about really serious things but also have fun while doing their
shows. That is the balance I want to get. And you can do this in different ways,” she says, adding her favourite musicians (and likely performance touchstones) include Timber Timbre, French synth pop General Elektriks (Herve Salters) and (New York indie chamber folk/Baroque pop chanteuse) My Brightest Diamond who does a killer version of Nina Simone classic “Feeling Good.”
“It is so beautiful,” notes Gogoleva whose own voice has a subtle sonic drawl à la Canadian indie folk singer Basia Bulat.
Original song “I Luvv Myself ” is a satirical blues ’n’ funk rhythm guitar proclamation about Me, Me, Me with no apologies.
“I have just been playing more casually,” notes Gogoleva who (much further down the line) is considering a CD or EP release of originals and maybe a few covers once she plays a little more around the region.
She has many musical friends including partner/musician/social-political hip hop artist Sam Nabi. The couple also runs the Apartment Café, a communal downtown hub for like-minded creatives who do not want to work from home.
Gogoleva recently played The Boathouse’s Monday open mike jam with Nabi, hosted by local singer Tasha Allain. For TWB she will be performing with Shannon Soriya (Charlena Russell, John Orpheus) who also plays with Waterloo-based roots reggae folk artist Jsun Sun (Alysha Brilla).
Gogoleva will accompany Soriya with some funky vocals while playing her beloved Fender electric.
“I never consciously chose it. It came to me,” she notes. “My friend Melissa said I could borrow it. It has been eight years and she has never asked for it back. She gave it to me as a gift and really I appreciate that,” says Gogoleva.