Quick Q and A with Addy and Julia
 by Kathy S-B  ·  10 September 2012

Addy & Julia (Addy Sleeman and Julia Taliesin) have created quite a buzz here in the quiet town of Marblehead. Those who live here know that the town is filled with creative people of all kinds so here are two more talented young women who have “only just begun” and we intend to keep a close eye on them as their musical vision matures and changes. Some of you may have been witness to the powerful renditions of a couple Beatles standards at the annual Beatles Benefit at the UU Church of Marblehead. It’s not often you get to hear two young women sing “Come Together” which is perhaps one of the grittiest songs that the Fab Four ever recorded.

Check out Addy & Julia’s website. And here’s a link to their spectacular “Come Together” from earlier this summer.

How long have both known each other?

We’ve known each other for about two years but we had met once before at Festival Choir at Old North Church.

I understand that you are in different a cappella groups in high school. What have you learned singing in a chorus and how has that translated to singing as a duo?

Yes, both of us are in the a cappella groups at our school, Luminescence and Jewel Tones. It has taught us a lot about being able to balance each other and blend our voices well. We’ve also learned elements of songwriting and arranging that have helped us become more creative with the cover songs we perform as well as our original music.

How would you describe your original music?

We define our music as pop but there are also elements of country and soft rock. We are still experimenting with different styles and have found we don’t fit into a specific genre. One thing we always try to do is tell a story and show growth throughout the song.

What do you look for in a cover song? What makes it appealing?

We are drawn to many types of songs, but we enjoy working with songs that we can put a different twist on. We also like songs that we can have fun performing. We’ve performed songs by Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj just for the fun of changing them to fit our style.

Do you have any favorite musicians? Tell us about them and what you like about them.

Ed Sheeran, Karmin, Sara Bareilles, The Script, and Andy Grammer, to name a few. All of these artists worked their way up from almost nothing and went on to be extremely successful musicians. They are all incredibly talented songwriters and gifted performers.

What are your short-term and long-term music goals?

We hope that our EP Someday receives a good response. We are writing a lot more and hope to produce a full-length album this year. We are in the beginning stages of making a music video, as well. As for long-term, we hope to have a successful career in music and become bazillionaires.