Juliette Reilly is an inspirational, cinematic-pop singer/songwriter. She has released original songs and covers on her YouTube channel which have earned her 180,000 subscribers, over 8,500,000 channel views, and 23,000,000 collective streams. Just recently moving to Nashville, TN, Juliette carved time out of her very busy schedule to allow us to get to know her a little better.
HerStory: Where were you born and raised?
Juliette: I was born in Columbus, Ohio and then I moved to New Jersey when I was about five, so I was raised in New Jersey and went to college in Pennsylvania at Muhlenberg College.
HerStory: Are you the only child or do you have siblings?
Juliette: I have a younger sister, she’s 18, we are 8 years apart but we are very close. She’s a lot more outgoing than me, she wants to be a teacher and she’s a really big motivator in my life. So I try to be a good role model.
HerStory: Tell me about growing up. Were you raised in a single-parent home or were you raised by both of your parents?
Juliette: Yes, I was raised by both parents. They are both loving. It was just the four of us and we are very close. Being away from them has been the hardest part about moving to Nashville.
HerStory: Describe to us the middle/high school Juliette. What do you remember about yourself?
Juliette: I feel like I was so insecure. It was such an awkward age. I remember I felt so special because I was one of the only girls in my grade to have a boyfriend at the time. I was friends with some of the mean girls, which I am not proud of. But we eventually had some disagreements which turned out to be a good thing because after we stopped hanging out I met my lifelong friends that I have now. I started doing theatre in middle school and this is where I found my place and my voice. I figured out who I was. I was around people from different backgrounds and different ages. We were all close. My best memories of high school came from the theatre department.
HerStory: At what age did you realize that you could sing?
Juliette: My first memory is when I was in fifth grade. I was in the choir and my friends asked me to audition because they were having an event. I sang a song from Hairspray the musical. I don’t remember being nervous. My dad stills talks about this because he made it to my performance a little late and he remembers hearing someone singing and he thought,” OMG! who is that singing?” I don’t want my daughter to have to compete with her.” But when he came in he realized it was me. I had never sung in front of anyone before, I was still very young. I was very uninhibited then.
HerStory: Do you write all of your music?
Juliette: Yes, I honestly think writing is my biggest passion and probably my biggest strength. I think I can sing, I was trained to sing but I know if someone asked me what my number one talent is, I would say writing.
HerStory: What has been the scariest part of this journey? What scares you right now?
Juliette: I feel like I’ve always been a very anxious person. I think about every possible scenario with different things. I’m extremely fearful in general. I don’t like to fly on an airplane, I would never go skydiving. I don’t like roller coasters. I’m a safety buffalo. A lot of things freak me out. In my career, I think a lot of my fear is just not being heard or seen in the way that I want to be. I guess the number one thing would be not having respect. My goal is not really to be popular or seen, or for everyone to know who I am, I just would like to be able to write music and inspire people. It’s really scary to not be able to see the road map and know that everything is going to be ok. But I’m at the point that the things I want for my life are so important to me that I’m not going to let the fear take over.
HerStory: You stated that the number one thing you desire from your career is respect. We all have different definitions of the word. What is your definition of respect?
Juliette: There are a lot of different things that run through my mind when I hear that word, but what comes to mind is being able to do what I love to do and staying out all of the drama of fame. I realize that there are lines I’m not willing to cross. My goal is to continue fighting against bullying and inspiring teen girls through my music because that’s the time in my life when I struggled. I think if I can get their respect, love, and support and inspire them that would be respected for me.
HerStory: Why do you want to give women strength and hope?
Juliette: When I look at Instagram, when I look at who the role models are for young girls or even for myself I think it’s made to make you feel like, you’re not pretty enough or you don’t have as much fun, or drugs, or money as everyone else. I never want to make another girl feel this way. I want to be that voice and also that friend for girls that don’t have that person who is honest with them. I strive to be someone they can come to who inspires them. To have one girlfriend, to be honest with and connect to about all the struggles of womanhood and life is so important. I think that music can transcend all those things and help reach women who don’t have that.
HerStory: What are some words that broke your heart that you remember today?
Juliette: I think there have been a few defining moments in my life of heartbreak that stays with me and ultimately motivated me to keep going. The first thing that comes to mind is I was in a relationship with this guy for six years who I worked closely with. We were very intertwined in every facet of our life. When we were breaking up he said to me essentially, you’re never going to make it without me. And honestly, I remember at the time being so angry and feeling initially motivated like watch me, I’m, going to do it. Then over time that stuck with me. When something would happen in my career I would think dang he was right. That has taken a toll on my confidence and that’s why I feel so adamant about being an independent woman and showing other women that they can be independent as well.
HerStory: Now, tell me about a time when someone spoke life into you.
Juliette: I think some of the most memorable things that keep me going are from fans. One of my fans had my handwritten lyrics tattooed on her. I’ve been lucky enough to have moments like that. I can also remember when I was at a Panera and this woman came up to me with her daughter and they told me they recognized me from the internet. She told me that she’s been through a lot with bullying and she looks up to you. So seeing that in person was very impactful for me and made it all worth it.
HerStory: How many times have you given up?
Juliette: A lot. (Lol) I’ve never actually quit but I take breaks. Making it happen for yourself is difficult. Sometimes I question why didn’t I just get a job with a stable income. These things cross my mind at least once a day. But it’s happened enough times that I know when I feel that way I just have my moment and eventually start writing another song.
HerStory: What have you learned about yourself while being a boss?
Juliette: I’ve learned a lot. I think I’ve gotten ok with it but some days I don’t know what I should be doing at any given moment. I was always seeking approval from my teachers, my parents and my boss but seeking the approval of yourself is a whole different thing. You don’t always know when you’ve done a good job or that the day is done. I always feel like there is something more I can be doing to get better and help my career move further. So definitely the biggest thing is prioritization and compartmentalizing. I’m a very structured person so not having that structure built into my life has made me at times depressed. I don’t always know what I should be doing so I fall into a rut and then I just get worried and sad. So the biggest thing for me is that I have to create my structure. I have to plan, even if the plan is going to fall through. I’m a creature of habit so not following the same schedule everyday is kinda non-negotiable.
HerStory: What is your definition of being a woman?
Juliette: I think I’m still figuring it out but to me right now women are independent and fearless. We work twice as hard to reinvent and recreate, to be inspiring, likable and attractive. All of these things I think take tremendous strength that men will never understand. Being able to speak up against inequality, having to work twice as hard to be taken seriously but still be a strong, independent woman, who cries and wear high heels is everything. It’s all-encompassing to me what it means to be a woman.
HerStory: At the end of every interview, I always ask every woman to answer the same question. To help leave your impression on every reader, in hopes that they will be able to identify their purpose through yours, please answer the question Who Am I?
Juliette: I’m learning how we all have different parts of ourselves. Sometimes I feel like I’m my anxiety. At times I feel like I’m my confidence or my music. I’m the one who sees that. I’m the one that’s able to observe all of these parts of myself. I feel the truest version of who I am is when I’m in the flow, creating and writing music and I think that’s the core of who I am.
Check Out Juliette’s Brand New Single ‘Hard Things’!!!
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