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
Vasquez
Julia Holter Lyrics
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Faces I see
The stately, the rugged
Under dirt
And sun umbrellas
Their eyes on the gun
Some fierce lady eyes
Some warm gentleman eyes
But some eyes
That can't look into mine
Look into mine
"Bandido"
They call me
No one knows the story
I hate an imperious glance
In the gold country
I'm writing her a love song
How we fall into a dream in the rocks
Our rocks
They found me there
Chased after me
I crawled away quickly
Wasn't sure if i was lost or if I was running away again
Up what you now call the fourteen
I was a runner up the fourteen
Their mouths move
Say they wanna be the good guys
They wanna be triumphant
They put me to sleep
On diagonal rocks
So no one knows the story
I hate an imperious glance
In the gold country
In the gold
No one knows the story
Of "Bandido"
In the gold country
"Bandido"
No one knows the story
I hate an imperious glance
In the gold country
In the gold country
The lyrics of Julia Holter's song "Vasquez" describe the story of a person named "Bandido" who is on the run in the gold country. The singer tells about the different faces they see, some "puppy eyes," some "fierce lady eyes," and some "warm gentleman eyes." However, there are also some eyes that can't look into theirs. These sentences suggest that the singer is feeling lonely and disconnected from those around him.
The singer hates the imperious glance of others and feels misunderstood. They are writing a love song about how they fall into a dream with someone in the rocks of the gold country but are shortly thereafter found by others and chased away. The singer is unsure if they are lost or running away again. They were a runner up the fourteen, but in the end, they were put to sleep on the diagonal rocks, and no one knows the story of Bandido.
Line by Line Meaning
Let me tell you about Faces I see
The singer wants to share her experience of seeing various faces around her.
The stately, the rugged Under dirt And sun umbrellas Their eyes on the gun
The people she sees come from different backgrounds and some of them are carrying firearms.
Some puppy eyes Some fierce lady eyes Some warm gentleman eyes But some eyes That can't look into mine Look into mine
She observes different types of eyes, some of them are friendly, but some have a difficult time connecting with her.
"Bandido" They call me No one knows the story I hate an imperious glance In the gold country
She is referred to as "Bandido", but nobody knows the truth behind it. She dislikes authoritative looks in the place she is at, which is called the gold country.
I'm writing her a love song How we fall into a dream in the rocks Our rocks They found me there
The artist is expressing her love for someone and remembers how they once fell asleep together among the rocks. She was later discovered by someone there.
Chased after me I crawled away quickly Wasn't sure if i was lost or if I was running away again Up what you now call the fourteen I was a runner up the fourteen
She ran away from the person who found her and wasn't sure whether she was lost or simply running away once again. She ran up a place that is now called the fourteen.
Their mouths move Say they wanna be the good guys They wanna be triumphant
People around her talk about wanting to be righteous and victorious.
They put me to sleep On diagonal rocks So no one knows the story I hate an imperious glance In the gold country In the gold
She was made to fall asleep on specific rocks that keep the story hidden, and she still hates being looked at with an air of control in the gold country.
No one knows the story Of "Bandido" In the gold country "Bandido" No one knows the story I hate an imperious glance In the gold country In the gold country
The song repeats the idea that no one knows the truth behind the artist's nickname, and she still dislikes being looked at imperiously in the gold country.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: JULIA HOLTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind