A chat with Julian Simonsz

The most recent musical sensation of Sri Lankan heritage to hit the news is someone whose vocal capabilities have been compared to R&B and pop artiste Justin Timberlake. Wowing audiences and internationally acclaimed judges with his unique voice on Season 3 of The Voice Australia, Julian Simonsz has made his current home Australia and parental home Sri Lanka proud.

Julian sang 'Suit and Tie' by Justin Timberlake for the blind audition on the show and was ecstatic to find all four chairs of judges Will.i.am, Kylie Minogue, Joel Madden and Ricky Martin turn for him. He finally chose Will.i.am as his coach. Moving on to the battle rounds, he didn’t fail to awe the judges again as he and fellow competitor sang Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition' and Julian was picked to move on to the next round.

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Julian says his grandparents brought music into his family and he together with his younger sister grew up with the sounds of tabla, mandolin, violin and singing. “We always had a very musical childhood! But that’s what has made me appreciate music.”

Daily Mirror Life caught up with him for a chat.

 

How did you get into the field of songwriting and singing?
My family is so musical so it was inevitable that music would be a part of my life. The singing is something I had in me from younger days. Songwriting really started to come about when I was writing songs for my now wife Nelu. The first few songs I have ever written were to her! Now that I have matured as an artiste singing and songwriting is a big part of what I do and I try to experiment with different styles and moods.

You’re a producer and mix engineer as well?
Yes I have a degree in Audio Production from SAE Institute in Melbourne. I really enjoy that side of music too, and I think knowing how it works on the other side of the desk helps me with my singing and performing too. And this is one of the reasons why I picked Will.I.Am as a coach!

Your time on The Voice Australia – how did it come about?
The need to chase my dream. It’s taken me a long time to get to where I am now with my confidence and feeling ready as an artiste and as individual to finally give my all for a show like this. For me, The Voice was the perfect platform to start. The internationally renowned coaches are a privilege to work with. More than anything though it was this hunger to take my talent and personality to the nation, hopefully the world, and prove that I can do it!

Julian in the Battle Round singing Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition'

Were you nervous before the blind audition?
Surprisingly I wasn’t! I think my mum and my wife were more nervous than I was before I went on stage. Something came over me when I walked on to the stage and I felt calm and ready. It went much better than what I had ever dreamed of with all four turning so my heart was actually pounding more at the end of the performance!

How has the experience been?
Amazing. To have four coaches turn their chairs was like a dream! I The experience can be challenging at times, I think any television show would be especially doing something as vulnerable as singing when there is only one chance to impress. But I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be part of a production like this. The amount of exposure I’ve had through the show already, the opportunity to work with a musical genius like Will.I.Am, the talented artistes and wonderful crew members I’ve met has all been priceless. I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity.

Julian in the Battle Round singing Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition'

Why did you pick Will.i.am as your coach?
It is such a privilege to just be in his presence. Since he is an artiste and a producer I feel like he provides a different side to the coaching, he adds another perspective and thinks about the recording side as well as the overall performance. Given I’m an Audio Engineer too this advice is even more relevant to me. He is also a businessman and entrepreneur so I really admire him for being so rounded and so talented in so many different fields. He is such an inspiration and there is so much to learn from him.

Would you say your preferred genre is R&B/pop?
I have been bought up listening to all genres including eastern, country, R&B, hip hop, dance etc. so I have an appreciation for all types of music. In terms of me as an artiste though I would say I prefer mainstream R&B/pop. I think the tone of my voice suits that style. Saying that, I can be quite versatile in what I sing and love experimenting with genres!

Your YouTube channel, how did that start and how has the response been?
I started my YouTube channel a few years ago, it was more just to experiment with what the public thought of my voice. Over the last years my profile has built up and now I have over 2000 subscribers and over half a million views so I am really happy with how far it’s come. I really enjoy making covers, the best part is when people all over the world comment on my work!

Who/what is your biggest inspiration?
My biggest inspiration would have to be my wife. She is training to become a Paediatrician. She is the most hardworking, motivated and persistent person I know and if anyone can get anything done, it’s her! On top of that though she has a huge heart and is the most generous and selfless person I know. I am constantly inspired by her ability to work hard and be a beautiful person. She actually shares a lot of the same qualities as my mum so this is really special to me. They are the ones who inspire me to work hard to achieve my dreams and never give up.

Julian and wife Nelu

Do you have plans of coming to Sri Lanka?
I have only been back three times but the most recent was after our wedding in January when we were there for a few weeks. We loved it so much, too many favourite things! The food is amazing and I enjoyed all the sight-seeing we did, there is so much to see in Sri Lanka, it’s incredible. We’d love to come back again in the near future, maybe even do a small tour there later this year depending on how it all goes!

Would you like to do collaborations with any Sri Lankan musicians?
To be honest I don’t really know many Sri Lankan musicians so I would like to learn about some when I come next. It would be fun to do some fusion RnB tracks with some traditional instruments in the background. I know Nelu and her sisters used to dance to Bhathya and Santhush with their modern fusion tracks so something like that could be an interesting collaboration to try later on!

Where do you hope to go with The Voice Australia?
As far as I can!! I hope to go as far as I possibly can on the show and then continue with what I started on the show and see how far it can take me.

Future plans?
At this stage I just want to see where the show takes me. Something like this is such a once in a lifetime opportunity so I want to make the most of it and see how I go. The ultimate dream would be to be signed up with a record label and create some waves internationally!

Advice to budding musicians?
Never give up. I have tried my hand in the music scene for a while now. It takes time, patience and you have to be ready. The most important thing I would say is to not give up. If you have the talent and the drive it will happen somehow, you just need to persist.

Also never take anything for granted and always be grateful and thankful for opportunities. This will always teach you to be happy with what you have.

Finally I would say it’s very important to keep yourself grounded. TV and showbiz can be quite a whirlwind experience so it’s really important to have strong family and religious connections to remember what is important in life. Fame will come and go but family and being yourself is what will stay forever.

 

Find Julian on
www.juliansimonsz.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/julezsimonsz
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JulianSimonszJulez
Twitter: @Julian_Simonsz
Instagram: @Julian_Simonsz



Text by Jennifer Rodrigo