An Exclusive Heart of Hollywood Interview and review of Entertainments finest contributors
K. Busch
Julie Mintz is an American Alternative Singer-Songwriter, talented musician and actress. She is well-known for having joined Moby’s band as a backup singer in 2011.
Having been born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, and graduating as the valedictorian of her high school class, she earned a National Merit Scholarship.
Some of her appearances include having performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno for Moby.
Ms. Mintz’s debut EP, The Thin Veil which was produced by Moby was released in 2015.
Her full-length album, Abandon All Hope of Fruition, followed with 11 lush songs in her Gothic Americana style.
Heart Of Hollywood reached out to some of her fans and gathered some questions for Cristyn. These are her responses:
What kind of music do you listen to?
I listen to all different genres of music. I love classic country, indie pop, and female singer/songwriters.
What inspired you to become a songwriter? Is there anything in particular you enjoy writing about?
I started writing songs just to express my inner feelings and turmoil…it was a lot like setting my journal entries to melodies.
I wasn’t sure what would come of my first songs, but I was doing it simply to express myself creatively.
As I have evolved as I songwriter, I am still drawn to dark human emotions of longing, heartbreak, and existential questions.
Do you have a favorite movie?
There are some great 80s and 90s movies like Dirty Dancing and Pretty Woman that I have to watch no matter when they’re on TV.
Do you have a favorite hobby?
I really love singing - not in a performative way necessarily - just by myself in my little music room at home. I also really enjoy yoga and pilates and reading about neuroscience and psychology.
Would you ever consider dating a fan?
Well, it sounds a lot better than dating someone who doesn’t like my music!
What are your current goals or ambitions?
The pandemic changed a lot for me in terms of how busy I was performing and putting myself out there. I have done major reassessing of my ambitions, and I have been writing new songs. Even though I’m not entirely sure there is an audience left for me, I do still have goals to continue releasing original music.
What’s something that would be important for other aspiring song-writers and musicians to know?
For as long as I’ve been doing this, I feel at a loss to give profound advice. I do think it’s important to be able to write your own material in your authentic voice, and I’m grateful I have that ability.
I’ve really worked to accept that it’s not necessarily about having the very best voice but about having something unique to you to express.
What’s something that you have rarely told anyone about yourself?
I had a really bad childhood fear that I was going to die in a fire while I was sleeping. I still have insomnia and a fear of the dark to this day. I wrote a song about it and how my little sister would sleep in my room to comfort me. I’ve never recorded it but perhaps I will at some point.
What is your biggest strength?
It’s not a particularly sexy strength, but I think I’m a very reliable person in terms of follow-through. If I commit to something, I will show up. I currently volunteer as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for a child in foster care, and it can be a really demanding job. But I knew when I signed up to do it that I had the ability to show up for this child even when it gets hard.
What is working with Moby like?
Working with Moby gave me every amazing opportunity I’ve experienced in the music business…and I got to have those experiences alongside one of my best friends.
Moby loves playing music simply for the joy of it and for the experience of communing with friends. And to do that on stages like the Hollywood Bowl being supported by an artist as talented as him is a dream come true.
What was performing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno like?
The Tonight Show was my very first public performance with Moby, and I was really nervous to be honest. I didn’t have a lot of experience singing backup harmonies. I was used to performing the lead melodies of my own songs – and in much lower pressure performances. So it was incredibly nerve-wracking but so surreally exciting and fun!
What’s your biggest weakness?
My biggest weaknesses are probably my perfectionism and my self-doubt. I get in my own way a lot in terms of thinking I’m not good enough.
Do you have a favorite band or musician?
Some of my favorites who I idolize are Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, and Patty Griffin.
Do you have a favorite quote or saying?
“Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.” -Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Do you have any travel destinations that you would like to visit?
I hope I’m lucky enough to see the Great Pyramids in Egypt and The Great Wall of China at some point in my life.
One of my favorite destinations that I love to visit in Mexico. It’s such a beautiful culture, and it reminds me of home in many ways, having grown up in South Texas.
What is your favorite food or drink?
I’m powerless against French fries. I wanted to start an Instagram account called @frystarrating (my boyfriend gets credit for the name haha) where I rate French fries around the country, but someone already has the name!! Still, that doesn’t stop me from ordering French fries everywhere I go.
Have you ever binge-watched a series? Which one?
I binge watched so many shows during the pandemic. I love anything true crime, murder mystery. I watched all the seasons of The Killing at the beginning of lockdown, and that was a dark show and a dark time. Then I binged “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” about The Golden State Killer, and I was really terrified. I had to sleep with all the lights for several weeks and would wake up scared in the middle of the night.
So, I had to be more careful after that and stick to things like Tiger King and Real Housewives.
Do you have a favorite book or author?
Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Additional information:
Instagram: @juliemintz
Spotify: Julie Mintz
YouTube: youtube.com/juliemintz
Website: juliemintz.com
TikTok: @juliemintzmusic
About the Writer:
Katrenia G. Busch is an Entertainment Writer for Heart of Hollywood Magazine, film critic for Hollywood Weekly Magazine. Her works have appeared in Police Writers, Bloom Magazine, The Chamber Magazine, 50 Give or Takeamong others. She’s also a journal reviewer for The American Psychological Association and mentors for poetry and the Web of Science Academy.
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