10 fans
Julia Duclos is a singer-songwriter from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 23-year-old whose sound has been defined by some as “future R&B” is set to make her official mark in the Malaysian music scene with the release of her first single, ‘Further’. With a hauntingly ethereal voice and heartfelt lyrics, it is no wonder that Julia has accumulated fans along the way, stemming from her regular open mic nights and supporting gigs.
Drawing from a well much wider than strictly R&B and pop, as a child, Julia was listening to artists ranging from the likes of Mariah Carey to Pink Floyd, thanks to her mother and father. While music is her everything now, growing up, Julia struggled to find comfort in the dreams of pursuing a music career. At a tender age, her parents sent her to study music, only for her to subsequently drop out. However, it was none other than her brother and fellow singer-songwriter Taylor Swift that inspired her to pick up the guitar. To supplement her self-taught guitar skills, Julia also attended vocal lessons.
As her passion for music began to grow—thanks to the guitar and her singing lessons—Julia started to delve into songwriting. Soon after, Julia found herself performing in plays and school musicals. However, despite the exposure, she still wasn’t entirely sure music was a stable and reliable path to fall into —that is, until she got the chance to meet Paramore frontwoman, Hayley Williams, during the American rock band’s tour stop in Kuala Lumpur.
“Being able to see Hayley connect with her fans during the show was life-changing for me. It was that exact moment I knew, even if pursuing music was unconventional and to some degree deemed risky, the human connection and experiences you build through music is just priceless,” said Julia.
With music now truly her number one passion, Julia has gone on to conquer both the small and big stages. In April 2018, she was the opening act for British indie-rock singer Jake Bugg’s intimate Kuala Lumpur showcase. In the future, she hopes to work with artists like Kimbra, French Kiwi Juice, Froya and SonaOne.
