Julia Smith Interview

What inspired you to start creating music and how long have you been creating music for?

I started about 10 years ago, playing violin as a kid, but it was too classical for me. So, I  picked up the guitar and became a huge Beatles fan. Then, I got into making beats about four years ago, and coming from a rock school because of the guitar, I merged it with pop music, and that's when beat making started  making sense to me.

Do you have any placements? If you have had any placements, who have you had them with?

While I'm starting to try with landing placements, I've worked with Kyle Beats and other companies making loops or something like this. I also work as a producer, so I work with independent artists. But that's about it.

What samples do you normally like using when creating your own beats?

I'm always very guitar-centric. I usually start with guitars and instruments, but mainly I use drum loops or kits. If I'm trying to play keys or something, I mostly use percussion and drum samples. 

What vibe were you trying to achieve in the sound pack?

I tried to mix my main stuff like Pop, R&B and more Soul. Maybe some trap, I don't know, and try to mix to reach a more major variety of styles. You can fit those kinds of samples in any kind of genre, like in lo-fi and others.

How do you see other creators and producers using a sample pack?

I was thinking more like it's a song starter or to inspire something. You can throw a drum loop as a producer, and I always think that, like, Louis Bell said something really cool, about finishing his songs without drums. He sees if the song works with just instrumentation, and then he brings in the beat. Sometimes, I try to take the drums off, just to see if the structure is working. Like, is this getting some emotion without the drums?

Do you have any specific tips that you would recommend for creators when using this pack?

I love to throw in some Accused, like future stuff, reverb, and just go crazy with it.

What advice would you have for upcoming creators?

Don't overthink, and just do it. When you really trust your work, try to hear yourself from a third person's perspective. Just do it, and you will get better.

What are the top three producers of all time?

My personal favorites are Timbaland, Quincy Jones, and, Max Martin.

What is your favorite studio snack?

I love Caramel popcorn.

What's your dream collaboration?

My major inspiration of all time is John Mayer. I love him so much so it would be a dream to do anything with him.

Interview by Sean P. Jones

You can check out  Julia Smith's sample pack here.