Quotes from Julia Holter

I really love working with Ramona from Nite Jewel. We've kind of grown up together.

I do have a big problem with the idea of music as a form of communication unless it's political - and that's where it's tricky because a lot of music is political, even if it's not overtly so. But my music isn't that; it's about a feeling.

I don't fit into a group very well socially. And that might be reflected in my music.

I did study with Anne Carson briefly in Michigan. She taught there, and that's where I first encountered her, in her class.

I see myself as a songwriter and a poet.

In high school, I would secretly play Joni Mitchell songs all the time. That's when I started singing and playing at the same time, and I got really into doing that.

I take music very seriously, but it's important to me that my music is - I don't know if 'intuitive' is the word, but there's a really important element of something kind of mysterious. It's not academic or esoteric.

What was special about Leonard Cohen's work was its calm mystery.

One thing that's really important to me in my music is mystery.

'Betsy' is one of my favorites because it is the one to which I've imposed the least clear narrative. To me, it's so much more about the feeling - desperation - than any kind of story at all. There's very little imagery or character development; it's just about a deep and desperate search for something.

If I feel like I'm myself, then I'm very uncomfortable.

I'm not an unhappy person - I'm just an anxious person. It runs in the family.

Saying that something is accessible gives it this implication that people need something, and thinking that we know what people need or want is really unpleasant. I don't like to think that way, like, predicting what it is that the people want.

I do develop characters for songs, and I think of everything as storytelling, in a way. But I don't plan out what they're going to sound like. I just sing over what I've done.

I don't often meet with strangers and feel okay about collaborating with them.

I basically just write stream of consciousness to a certain extent. I let the song kind of go where it wants to go.

No one recognises me on the street, ever.

I try to ignore people's opinions about my music - you don't want to hold yourself back because of that stuff.

I think what's interesting in L.A. is that there's a lot of variety because L.A. is very spread out. I think there is a lot I don't know about, to be completely honest. It's a very mysterious town.

I started playing piano when I was eight, and I went on to study piano in school, so I have a background in classical piano and studied composition in school. Writing music came later.

I often find that I like the vibe of not having technology around me.

I really like being home. I like being comfortable, and I'm not a very dramatic person.

I don't think all music that is considered 'avant-garde' is bad, but it's definitely elitist. I hope my music is not that.

I started classical piano when I was eight, but I wasn't a virtuoso. I just really liked it.