Holter, a Los Angeles native, grew up in a musical family. Her father plays guitar and once performed with Pete Seeger. Her mother, Carole Shammas, is a prominent academic and currently holds the John R. Hubbard Chair in History at the University of Southern California. Besides playing and recording music, Holter tutors students and works with a nonprofit organization for teenagers in South Central Los Angeles. After graduating from CalArts, where she studied composition, Holter contributed songs to multiple compilation albums in 2008. She performed in the LA Road Concert with the Open Academy Youth Orchestra on Washington Boulevard in 2009. The following year she began playing with Linda Perhacs' band. In 2010, she released a CD-R titled Celebration and a collection of live recordings.
Her debut studio album, Tragedy, was released in August 2011 on Leaving Records. Inspired by Euripides' Greek play Hippolytus, the album received generally favorable reviews and was named one of NPR's "Best Outer Sound Albums Of 2011".
Holter released a second album, Ekstasis, in March 2012 on the RVNG label. The album drew comparisons to works by such artists as Laurie Anderson, Julianna Barwick, Kate Bush, Joanna Newsom, Grouper, and Stereolab, and received many positive reviews. Holter spent three years making the album, whose title comes from the Greek word meaning "outside of oneself." The music video for album track "Moni Mon Amie", directed by Yelena Zhelezov, was also released in March.
In addition to collaborating with other California-based musicians like Nite Jewel (Ramona Gonzalez), Holter recently released her third album, Loud City Song. Unlike her first two albums, which were recorded mostly alone in her bedroom, Holter recorded Loud City Song with an ensemble of musicians
In the Same Room
Julia Holter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We spent the day and looked over antiquities
Don't you remember?
Do I know you?
I can't recall this face, but I want to
In this very room, we flew across the sea
Don't you remember?
I can't remember your face
But I hope the ship will carry us there
In the ship Saturnia
The lyrics of "In the Same Room" by Julia Holter are open to interpretation, but they elicit a sense of disjointed memories and forgotten experiences. The singer is addressing someone they've spent time with, possibly a lover or an old friend, but they can't seem to remember who they are. At the same time, they're sharing vivid and specific memories of things they've done together, like looking over antiquities in the same room they're occupying or flying across the sea on the Saturnia ship. The first verse is particularly poignant, as it sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer seems desperate to connect with the person they're addressing, but their absence of memory makes that difficult.
The second verse is equally interesting, as the singer shifts from discussing a past shared experience to expressing hope for a future one. The use of the Saturnia ship could be seen as a metaphor for embarking on a new adventure together, but it becomes unclear if this is a memory or a future goal. The repeating phrase "Don't you remember?" appears to be an attempt to establish a connection between the singer and the other person, but it's also possible that it's directed at the singer themselves, who can't seem to remember who they're talking to.
Overall, "In the Same Room" is a haunting and enigmatic song that explores memory, relationships, and the blurry lines between past and present. It's an introspective and emotional piece that invites listeners to contemplate their own connections to the people and experiences in their life.
Line by Line Meaning
In this very room
Right here, in this enclosed space
We spent the day and looked over antiquities
We spent the day examining old and valued objects
Don't you remember?
Do you recall the details of this experience?
Do I know you?
Have we met before, or are we strangers?
I can't recall this face, but I want to
Although I cannot remember your appearance, I wish to have that knowledge
In this very room, we flew across the sea
From this same space, we embarked on a journey across the ocean
In the ship Saturnia
On board a vessel named Saturnia
I can't remember your face
I cannot recollect you visually
But I hope the ship will carry us there
Despite my inability to recall your face, I hope that the ship will transport us to our desired destination
In the ship Saturnia
En route inside the Saturnia's confines
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
sab
i don't think there's another artist alive who's as good at taking you to another place as julia holter
if music was like food she'd be like one of those chefs who goes off and does their own thing and ends up becoming one of the best in the world
Ricardo González
@Georgi Vasilev Isn't that what music really is, Subjective?
Georgi Vasilev
Subjective
thisisnotshadowbox91
Both this video and song are absolutely stunning.
Bryceratops
She smiles and I can't help but feel a blissful rush pulse through my body.
Artisan Silver Cables
I love Julia Holter's sweet, quirky songs & I also love Hilary's atmospheric video. Unlike Raflo earlier, I genuinely found Hilary's description of what inspired her to make the video & some of the technical detail fascinating - thanks Hilary :-)
little boat
Just discovered her (through some indie list on Spotify, if you mind) and I must say, fantastiscorama!
Rafa Victoria
2022 y no puedo dejar de escucharla.❤️
alrovelldelou
Maravilhoso ...
aknudsen
This song is growing on me, especially after hearing it in the context of Ekstasis.