“Her best tunes are the work of a musical cinematographer — one with little interest in the obvious shot.”
Performing Songwriter (USA)
“Serious vocal chops and a flair for writing original songs.”
CollectedSounds.com
Julie McKee is a constantly developing and evolving artist carving a niche for herself on the London music scene with her quirky, self-penned tunes, whose subjects are drawn from her keen observation of people and their lives.
Julie’s most recent album, Light on the Ledge, is a perfect illustration of how her eclectic interests, rich musical influences and life experiences have converged to produce nine genre-defying songs.
Avoiding the clichés of angst-ridden love, the album tells the stories of a cast of lost souls, (many of whom are depicted on the specially commissioned artwork for the sleeve, by Nina Mankin). Beer-swilling MCs, journalists, politicians, wanderers, prohibited wartime encounters and misguided protégés all have their moment in the spotlight.
Julie’s deft and cleverly crafted lyrics reflect her early career as a writer, while her piano skills were honed during her time studying for a Masters Degree in Jazz Performance (voice) at the renowned Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
Shades of Tori Amos, Eddie Reader and Regina Spektor colour Julie’s unique tone, while the wit and conversational style of Randy Newman are recognisable in her engaging stage performance and easy rapport with appreciative audiences.
To date, Julie’s career has seen her perform at venues such as London’s 606 Club, The Vortex and The National Portrait Gallery. She has collaborated with bassist Steve Lawson on a jazz-infused project, The New Standard, which had a successful run at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She has also performed with two of her musical heroes, Fran Landesman and Simon Wallace.
Julie has also caught the interest of and subsequently been featured in publications such as Performing Songwriter (USA), Musician Magazine, Keyboard Magazine (USA), and Collected Sounds.