Spotlight is a blend of alternative pop with a touch of trap thrown into the mix, inspired by Rihanna and Britney Spears' high-energy tracks. This track represents another milestone for Juliet Callahan's career, as this is her first release where she played the roles of singer, songwriter, producer, and audio engineer. She decided to switch up the vibe for this track by making a more upbeat, feel-good dance song that veers away from her past releases, which reflect on more touchy subjects such as heartbreak and betrayal. Spotlight is about celebrating who you are, with her main goal being to bring out the confidence in oneself/her listeners, whether that confidence is buried beneath negative emotions or has already scratched the surface.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Juliet Callahan, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Hi Kamil, thanks so much for putting together this interview. Starting at a young age I was into music. I loved to sing whenever I had the chance and I also played the piano for a few years when I was a kid. However, as I got older I felt the pressure of going down a traditional route career wise because growing up no one at school ever spoke about music as a career path. It was ingrained in my mind to go to a traditional college, finish the 4 years, graduate, then go out and get a job related to your major. Caught up with school work and sports I had forgotten how much I love music until around the age of 18 when I recorded my first songs for fun at a studio in New York right before I left for California to go to business school. After that I couldn’t get the vision of becoming a singer/songwriter out of my mind. I continued to write music for fun while I was in business school as it came so naturally to me. When covid hit and everyone had to go home I was given the chance to think through what I really want to do for the rest of my life. I knew my heart wasn’t fully in Business. After thinking about it over a few months I made the decision to transfer to a music school in LA and here I am now.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
If I had to pick one person I think it would be Rihanna. I’ve been a big fan of hers since I was a kid and I love her unique interpretation of pop. Her music gave me confidence and she was such an inspiration to me growing up. I think it’s really cool how she’s completely herself no matter what anyone says. No one else out there is like her and no one else on the radio sounds like her. To me that is real artistry. It would be so cool to be able to work and write with her in the studio and see what her creative process is. I feel like I could learn so much from her if we collaborated and I think her personality is dope. I think she’s one of the coolest pop artists out there because her sound distinguishes itself in the pop world and is completely her own. She’s such a badass and I love her messaging/artist identity.
Your latest song is 'Spotlight'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
Spotlight is the first song I’ve released where I did the entire song myself. Singing, songwriting, production, and audio engineering. I created the beat for it randomly one day messing around on my midi keyboard with Omnisphere at my home studio. In the process of producing the track I got really inspired so by the time it was finished I immediately laid down some topline melodies. I finished writing the entire song that day and when I was done recording the demo I knew there was something there. I wouldn’t say anything unusual happened during the process but this song was definitely a switch up for me style wise with my songwriting and production. I had a lot of fun recording writing/recording over such a fun high energy beat and it also showed me my personal growth on my journey of self love.
What are you focussing on right now?
My two main focuses recently were getting everything in order for my big move from LA to NYC on February 1st and finishing the final recordings of two new songs before I left LA. They are continuously my two main focuses because I am still getting settled in NYC and am now working on the mix of both songs/planning their releases. I am really excited for this new chapter of my life and to share these new songs with my listeners.
What are you most proud of?
I’m the most proud of what I have accomplished over the past two years as an independent artist and on my healing journey. Two years ago I lost who I was struggling with depression, anxiety, and self worth. It used to feel like a fight to just get up and start the day. I had to give myself time to process my emotions in order to heal and giving my all to my music is part of what pulled the real me out of this box I had put myself in. I’m really proud of the goals I set for myself and the fact that I went out and did exactly what I said I would. I’m proud to say I turned what used to just be a dream of mine into a reality.
What is the biggest challenge of being an artist?
For me it’s keeping the balance. As much as I would love to just create music with all my time, that is not the reality of being an independent artist in a competitive industry. I believe anyone who chooses to pursue a career as a musician is taking a risk because there is no black and white answer of where it may take you. Because of that some people won’t support your decision and you’ll have to face rejection in order to grow. There is also a plethora of information I believe is crucial to continuously learn about on your journey as an artist. Until I made the decision to pursue music I didn’t realize how complex the industry was. I had to learn about so many different aspects that go into being a successful artist. My belief is if you want to make it independently there are a lot of other factors that go into being an artist that you need to focus on equally as much as creating your music. Learning your legal rights as an artist, how to collect royalties, distribute your music, market yourself, your messaging, and artist identity are just some of the few things that are key factors at play when building your artistry. As an independent artist I have to continuously stay disciplined and facing the unknown can be a scary feeling at times, but for me the most rewarding feeling is when I start to notice my improvement. It’s a powerful feeling when you notice your hard work is starting to pay off.
How do you structure your day?
During the weekdays I wake up between 8:00-9:30 am and walk for about an hour to center myself before I start my day. After that I’ll go to my schedule book and see what I have to get done for the day for school (I am also going to school online to get a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts), anything to do with my music, my part time job, and freelance production/engineering work. Once I feel like I’ve accomplished enough work for the day I’ll usually wind down by making some beats for fun, messing around with new demos, hanging out with some friends, art, or just chilling and watching some anime. I also work out about 3 days a week. On the weekends I like to go out or just hang out with my friends and go with the flow.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
Yes I love to box, draw, paint, ski, play tennis, and cook. I also like exploring new art galleries, museums, restaurants, etc.
Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
Haha I love this question. Yes I do a lot. Sometimes I’ll just be singing some new melody I thought of which is why if I’m feeling inspired that day I’ll keep my voice memos on incase I come up with something I might want to use in a future song. Otherwise my mood that day definitely determines what songs I’ll be singing in the shower. If I’m high energy and feeling rebellious I’ll probably be singing along to Limp Bizkit, Deftones, AC/DC, Linkin Park, Lil Peep, etc. If I’m feeling like a baddie or am trying to amp up my mood I’ll be singing along to some Rihanna, early 2000s Lady Gaga, Britney, BIA, Ice Spice, Coi Leray, etc. I also love listening to Lil Uzi, A$AP Rocky, Playboi Carti, Juice Wrld, Joey Bada$$, Jay-z, Pop Smoke, and will vibe along to their music in the shower too.
What are your plans for the future?
This year I plan to keep putting out singles every one to two months, start preparing myself for live performances, shoot some more music videos, double how active I am on social media, keep improving my singing/songwriting production/engineering, make a separate production youtube account for my beats, finish up the credits I need to get my bachelors degree, learn electric guitar, accomplish my fitness goals and start writing my autobiography. I’m setting the bar higher for myself this year and I’m excited to see where it takes me.