Los Angeles based rock chick Julia Shapiro is back with her brand new record ‘Zorked’. Originally from Seattle, Julia decided to trade being cold and miserable for more brighter yet happier times as well as developing her career further.
‘Zorked’ represents a state that you often find yourself in where you feel completely lifeless or not sober. It makes you feel like you can’t be bothered to move from the sofa because your just not in the right frame of mind. I think we all feel like this sometimes when we’ve had a bad day or something has happened in life that makes you feel down in the dumps and the only way you can deal with this is to simply do nothing and stare into space and hope that things will get better. Julia herself experienced being zorked when she was forced into isolation and it made her feel very lonely because she had no one to turn to.
The tracks on the record emphasise the emotions she is feeling really well, the music on the album for most of it is quite grim, heavy and atmospheric as she uses her newfound power to express her true feelings as well as the hard times she has faced this past year. It is almost like a storm is brewing and after the thunder comes the sun where we hear the more smoother yet slower songs. If your feeling lost or full of rage at the world then jump about to these incredible tracks. ‘Zorked’ will take you on a wild ride full of passion and energy. Shapiro’s vocals on this record are raw and deep but are also very distinct, the tone of her voice set the mood for each song and you instantly know whether it’s going to be dark or light.
Many artists through lockdown have experienced the same feeling of being lost as music is a big part of their lives and Julia decided to begin writing and shaping her music to help create ‘Zorked’. Julia and her roommate Melina Duterte (Jay Som) went on to transforming their room into a studio in order to start working on the album whilst in the middle of the global lockdown.
Opening track ‘Death (XIII)’ is extraordinary. Even though it’s melancholic and depressing I also find it very mysterious as it leads you on a journey of curiosity but also fear, as the thought of death in my opinion is quite scary. The instruments used set the scene of a spooky hollow on a spine chilling night. Julia uses her husky vocals to project the words ‘hold onto something concrete’ meaning that we must hold on tight because life is like a rollercoaster full of ups and downs as well as many bumps along the way, life is very precious so before we approach death be sure to not lose yourself and grasp on to people that are the most important to you.
Third track ‘Wrong Time’ details how she suddenly finds herself trapped inside a hole she dug, reflecting on the past and how she made some bad choices at the wrong times. We all make mistakes in life, nobody’s perfect, life’s all about growing and learning but in Julia’s case being in lockdown made it harder for her to do this because when your alone with your own thoughts this can be deadly. Using shimmery guitar riffs adds a bit of sparkle to a bad situation.
Another favourable song of mine is ‘Someone’ as it’s cheery, positive and lighter than the others. It’s all about remembering the times where Julia could be with friends and family and have a good time and how after lockdown and isolation she is really looking forward to being able to seeing someone and to have in-person interaction as this was something she really missed and was lost without.
Although Julia found herself in a near hermit existence and struggled finding her place in the world, she also nearly found herself comatose. Over time she managed to maintain a sense of humour about it all and how at the very least she felt it was funny to force people to have to say Zorked out loud. Julia’s music is extremely unique and here at Indie Midlands we are excited to hear more from her soon.
‘Zorked’ is out now via Suicide Squeeze Records.