This episode of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast comes from a radio interview I had recently with Julia Othmer… a "captivating" piano-playing singer/songwriter known for her energetic live performances. She recently relocated back to Kansas City from Los Angeles and we had the opportunity to get updated on some of her current and future plans.
Passionate and engaging, Othmer creates intimate warmth with her audiences regardless of the size of the venue. Using music to connect to people and social issues inspires her. Her most recent project Songs of September, was a 30-day online voter registration drive concert series where she performed songs of change, protest and hope. She then asked listeners to vote on their favorite performances resulting in Seeds: Volume 1 (LIVE) - a listener-curated, democratically-elected collection released in late 2020. Seeds: Volume 2 (LIVE) released March 20, 2021 - on the spring solstice.
Her most recent studio album "SOUND" is a collaboration with UK-based producer/composer James T Lundie and features re-imagined vintage and bespoke equipment. “SOUND sounds so good” writes Elmore Magazine, it has “stunningly sophisticated and dramatic architecture” and is “spellbinding and visceral.” Acclaimed Kansas City music writer Tim Finn describes SOUND as a “self-made record with a big-label sound… rich in space and soaring dynamics and rife with layers and textures and melodies and grooves.” Kansas Public Radio host Bob McWilliams says these “songs are powerful.”
Tracks from Julia's critically acclaimed debut album, Oasis Motel, have been featured in shows like Witches of East End, Switched at Birth, The Lying Game, Army Wives, and DeGrassi: The Next Generation. She received songwriting awards from the Billboard World Song Contest and the International Songwriting Competition. Julia shared the stage with Sarah McLachlan, Emmylou Harris, Heart, Regina Spektor, The Alarm, Amanda Palmer, Lisa Loeb and John Waite among others.
Enjoy this conversation with Kansas City’s own force of nature, Julia Othmer!
