Julien Aklei
Encyclopedia
Julien Aklei is an American singer-songwriter
, guitarist
and artist
who spent her teen years in Louisville, Kentucky
.
The Washington Post referred to Aklei as an "eerie-intriguing singer-songwriter" with a "haunting voice and a strangely tough-vulnerable stage presence."
Her work is characterized by deeply personal and otherworldly lyrics, and an emphasis on her voice over the music. Although she accompanies herself on several different instruments — including piano
— her style of electric guitar and vocals are the linchpins of her sound. Aklei has experimented widely with differing music styles, including folk
, jazz
, rockabilly
, and blues
throughout a varied career.
. She spent her early years in Louisville, Kentucky
.
, California
to pursue a career in music. She was able to support herself by selling her paintings and spent her days writing songs and building contacts.
She moved to Nashville
, Tennessee
and founded a band. The first band, "Julien Aklei and the Intolerables" provided a Gothic background suited to her singing about Telemachus and Odysseus. Later, moving on to her next project, she added dancers and performed as "Julien Aklei and the Jordan Almonds."
A tour in the southwest challenged Julien, who did not like the green chile and margarita culture. While in Santa Fe
, she presented DJ and friend Steve Terrell with an artpiece titled "Soldier." During the tour, she was often joined by Butch Crouch, Rocky Mountain folk singer.
With some success, she moved to New York City
to play that urban center for an extended tour, played all the boroughs and had a radio show on Connecticut Public Radio. From that her music became a part of "Radio Mike's" Fevered Brain podcast. After eating some particularly good fudge from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
, she decided to head west again, and stopped back in Kentucky
to sing in her beloved Appalachian environs.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
who spent her teen years in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
.
The Washington Post referred to Aklei as an "eerie-intriguing singer-songwriter" with a "haunting voice and a strangely tough-vulnerable stage presence."
Her work is characterized by deeply personal and otherworldly lyrics, and an emphasis on her voice over the music. Although she accompanies herself on several different instruments — including piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
— her style of electric guitar and vocals are the linchpins of her sound. Aklei has experimented widely with differing music styles, including folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
, and blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
throughout a varied career.
Early life
Julien Aklei was born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. She spent her early years in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
.
Breakthrough as a solo artist
At the peak of a career as a successful artist in Napa Valley she moved to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to pursue a career in music. She was able to support herself by selling her paintings and spent her days writing songs and building contacts.
She moved to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and founded a band. The first band, "Julien Aklei and the Intolerables" provided a Gothic background suited to her singing about Telemachus and Odysseus. Later, moving on to her next project, she added dancers and performed as "Julien Aklei and the Jordan Almonds."
A tour in the southwest challenged Julien, who did not like the green chile and margarita culture. While in Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
, she presented DJ and friend Steve Terrell with an artpiece titled "Soldier." During the tour, she was often joined by Butch Crouch, Rocky Mountain folk singer.
With some success, she moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to play that urban center for an extended tour, played all the boroughs and had a radio show on Connecticut Public Radio. From that her music became a part of "Radio Mike's" Fevered Brain podcast. After eating some particularly good fudge from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is an international franchisor, confectionery manufacturer and retail operator in the United States, Canada and the United Arab Emirates. The Company is based in the town of Durango located on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado...
, she decided to head west again, and stopped back in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
to sing in her beloved Appalachian environs.
Discography
- 2003 We Can Mate With Rabbits
- 2004 I Conquered while still in the Egg
- 2006 Pink Star of the Beautiful Ohio
- 2006 Coffee for My Captain
- 2006 The Odyssey
- 2006 New Friends
- 2007 Fun for Fairies!
- 2008 Savage Life