12 Questions
with Julia Deans
Julia Deans, who is touring her new album, reveals she utilised brutal haircuts and facial piercings to combat gender discrimination early in her career 1 You’ve just begun a nationwide tour of your new album We Light Fire. Why did you decide to find a local female musician to play in support at each show?
It’s an attempt to address gender disparity in the music industry. In my experience women have been few and far between and usually get treated as novelties. It's possible some women don’t feel welcome or they just have better things to do.
2 Have you ever experienced gender discrimination?
I’ve had people brushing me off as a cute little girl, especially early on. Because I’m petite with brown curly hair and long eyelashes, people would actually pat me on the f ****** head! That’s part of the reason why I gave myself brutal, blunt haircuts and facial piercings. But I’ve always been so determined to play music that I’ve just barrelled on regardless. I’m bloody minded and I don’t suffer bullshit. I’ve found that most musicians don’t give a s*** what gender you are as long as you’ve got the chops and you can do the mahi. I’m also fortunate to have been surrounded by male musicians that aren’t misogynist dicks.
3 So no #MeToo moment for you?
No, thankfully. It breaks my heart when I hear of female musicians who
have. I’ve hung out in a lot of green rooms and have definitely seen sleazy behaviour from guys in bands we’ve toured with. I have escorted confused young women out of band rooms because of idiot drunken males being lecherous. But in my experience the perpetrators are far more often peripheral
operators and punters.
4 Your first solo album was quite introspective while your second is more outward-looking. Was that a deliberate approach?
Yes. Modern Fables was me pulling
myself out of depression after things started falling apart with Fur Patrol. The songs are like little pep talks. We Light Fire looks further afield at the global community. There’s a theme of connectivity; reminding ourselves that we are all human — that person sitting across from us or on the other side of the border may look different but they’re essentially the same; the value of talking and listening to each other. I was inspired by events unfolding in the news. Walking in the Sun came out of the way Saudi women are being treated while at the same time reproductive rights for US women are under threat. It’s like, what century is this? These are retrograde rules designed to keep women under control. Are we that scary?
5 Was it hard resettling in Auckland after living in Melbourne for so many years?
Massively so. I’d moved to Melbourne with my band, Fur Patrol, who were essentially my brothers, into a scene with the Shihad and the Weta guys. It was like a safety bubble of my closest friends. Coming home in my late 30s, everyone was in a different life phase; focused on careers and home life. It wasn’t until my 40th birthday that I was sitting in our lounge with a bunch of friends that I felt like “this is my family now”.
6 You joined Jon Toogood’s “super group”, The Adults. What was your favourite part of that first tour?
Getting to work with people I’ve always admired, like Jonny and Anika Moa and Ladi6. I was super nervous about playing in a band with Shayne Carter. I was a total fan of Straitjacket Fits and adore Dimmer; I played I Believe You Are a Star endlessly. It’s imprinted on my brain.
7 Were you a Flying Nun fan as a teenager?
No, that came after I left home. Mum listened to a lot of traditional Irish music and 50s and 60s doo-wop which has been a massive influence on my songwriting. There was a big patch when we were banned from listening to secular music because my parents got involved in an evangelical church and saw it as “Devil’s music”. They stopped going when I was about 15.
8 The Adults’ second album has just been released to rave reviews. Are you feeling left out?
I am a bit — playing music with Jonny is fun. With Haja he’s totally hooked into the zeitgeist with the springboard for these songs being the traditional Sudanese music he recorded at his wedding. He did ask me to be a sounding board on a couple of songs so I feel like I’m a bit involved.
9 You both performed the music of Jacques Brel in 2014. What did you learn from the Belgian balladeer?
That was right at the time when I was writing the songs for this album. Brel was a huge influence on my approach to subject matter. He fearlessly tackles all the big subjects like sex, death, love, lust and war. I’ve always been quite obtuse and esoteric in my lyrics and with this album I really wanted to break away from that.
10 You performed Joni Mitchell hits in the Auckland Cabaret Festival two years ago. What did you learn from her?
For some bizarre reason I’d managed to avoid Joni Mitchell for my entire life until that point. I started listening and by the time I got to Amelia I was smitten. That’s my Joni song; the way she talks about travelling and love and missing somebody that you’re inherently not good for spoke volumes to me. What influenced me most was her ability to not hide anything in her performance. I’m quite a private person, ironically, so I find that terrifying.
11 This is your first headline tour with full band in over seven years. Will you be playing Fur Patrol songs like Lydia?
No, playing Fur Patrol songs with other bands feels like cheating. My band for the tour are Reb Fountain (who just won the RMNZ Best Country Music Artist), MC Tali, Richie Pickard and Jono Sawyer. We’ll be playing mostly the new album and a handful from Modern Fables.
12 How did you find the nine women who are playing as your support acts?
I put a call out on social media. All these amazing women from around the country got in touch and sent me their music which I’ve spent hours listening to.
I now have a treasure map of NZ female musicians. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it yet, but it feels like a really awesome resource.
Playing Fur Patrol songs with other bands feels like cheating.