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
Our Sorrows
Julia Holter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the author that we lived in
Too late to moved on
Hear to call your name
If you come for our sorrows
If you call out call out call out
Needing is the best start
Early morning look out
Want to want to want to
Birds are singing loud all around us
Call up call up call up
I will follow if you call out call out call out
I will follow you
If you call out call out call out
I will follow you
If you call out call out call out
I will follow you
The lyrics of Julia Holter's song "Our Sorrows" are enigmatic and thought-provoking, as they seem to be exploring themes of loss, moving on and the power of names. The opening lines set the tone for this exploration, as Holter sings "All of us have moved on from the author that we lived in. Too late to move on, here to call your name." These lines can be interpreted in many ways, but they may be suggesting that we have all "moved on" from the people we used to be, or the "authors" of our own lives. However, it is "too late" to go back to who we were before. Instead, Holter seems to suggest that we can find solace by "calling out" to the ones we have lost, or by recognizing the power of names and the memories they hold.
The chorus of the song is where these themes come together, as Holter sings, "If you come for our sorrows, if you call out call out call out, needing is the best start." Here, Holter seems to be saying that if we want to overcome our sorrows, we need to reach out to those who have passed on, or to those memories that haunt us, by "calling out" and embracing our need for them. The second half of the chorus also suggests that the act of "needing" is not something to be ashamed of, but rather, it is the "best start" to healing.
Overall, "Our Sorrows" is a hauntingly beautiful song that explores complex themes of loss, grief and the power of memory. Through her enigmatic lyrics and ethereal vocals, Julia Holter invites us to contemplate the importance of our past and of the people we have loved and lost.
Line by Line Meaning
All of us have moved on
Everyone has progressed from their past, and moved on from what was holding them back.
From the author that we lived in
From the story we were living in, the narrative that shaped our perceptions and beliefs.
Too late to moved on
It's too late to go back and change things, to go back to old habits and ways of living.
Hear to call your name
Listening for the sound of your voice, the comfort and guidance it brings.
If you come for our sorrows
If you come and comfort us, help us alleviate our pain and burdens.
If you call out call out call out
If you reach out, repeatedly and persistently, we will listen and respond.
Needing is the best start
Expressing our needs and vulnerabilities is the first step for healing and growth.
Early morning look out
Looking out at the world in the early hours of the day, sensing the promise of a new beginning.
Dizzy from the call your name
Feeling disoriented and overwhelmed by the intensity of emotions invoked by the sound of your voice.
Want to want to want to
Yearning for something more, something deeper, something that would fulfill our true desires.
Birds are singing loud all around us
Nature is celebrating life and joy, reminding us that beauty and harmony still exist in the world.
Call up call up call up
Urging and inviting us to reach out, to ask for help, to seek connection.
I will follow if you call out call out call out
I will respond to your call, your need, and support you in any way I can.
I will follow you
I will stand by your side, be present for you, and share your journey.
If you call out call out call out
If you keep reaching out, keep trusting, keep believing, keep hoping, we will eventually find solace and comfort.
I will follow you
I will be your companion, your ally, your friend, even in the darkness and uncertainty of life.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SpaceGuruu
She's ridiculously talented
@anotherblownengine
No, she's just ridiculous.
@bertrandmarotte4401
+Vws Vas They may not always hit the sweet spot, but I admire Holter, Newsom, Bjork, Holly Herndon, Jane Siberry, Kate Bush, Grimes and others who are not afraid of experiment
@azulk955
@harry wade yikes. so negative.
@Flowmotion1000
Seems like a rarity to me theses days - a natural voice with no soul pretensions. Really good.
@bertrandmarotte4401
+Emlyn Williams It's uncanny how so much so-called "soulful" music -- with singers belting out the tune and even screaming the lyrics -- is so popular, as if loudness somehow equals passion and emotion
@MrStuartpackham
This is a great album; holter has a very unique style,
@1992AJL
Ekstasis is a masterpiece of 2012. Everyone should listen to this album in it's entirety!
@controversytony9151
this is some truly beautiful stuff happening here, the audio and the visuals are captivating. this is why I love Julia Holter
@leath3rtramp
live version is amazing as well.... gives me goosebumps