Smoky and thoughtful, Julie Mack's voice will invite you along a journey into her heart. "Everything I do, I do out of love because when I try to do it for any other reason I'm disappointed 99% of the time." she explains. Her songs illuminate various facets of relationships, from delirium to despair, from heartbreak to hope.
"Starlight Bungalow 37" is Julie's debut solo full length CD, having previously fronted San Diego bands Sherman and Skinny in the mid 90's, then Formula in 1999. The union with Formula produced two EPs, the most recent being Conduit in 2002. After a four year stint with Formula she began to look inward,... "I needed to take a leap of faith and try things on my own." Mack proceeded to release "Songs About You" a five song EP in December 2004 and "Starlight Sampler" a three song EP in May of 2006.
On her return home after a stint in Canada, Julie alongside fellow band mates Tony Clark and Francisco Ciriza, finished composing the songs recorded on Starlight Bungalow 37. In these recent numbers, the listener can hear echoes of her musical influences such as The Jayhawks, Cowboy Junkies, Beth Orton, CCR and Hank Williams.
As she says "There's something to be said for Hank Williams and a scotch on the rocks at 10 o'clock on a Sunday morning."
Although her influences are strongly Americana, the songs are distinctly her own. Often they display a wry humor and at other times she touches on darker themes, such as mourning the loss of possibilities when love leaves. Together, these 10 songs take the listener through a rich and varied landscape of angst and joy.
"The songs were written over the course of a year but in actuality have taken a lifetime of experience to produce," Julie states. "My music is just a way for me to give back."
Julie has been busy "giving back" performing from Toronto to San Diego, Arizona to San Francisco, from New York to Ireland. With band Mars Ranch, she's been playing to sold out rooms and rave reviews city by city with the likes of Steve Poltz, Brandi Carlile, Vienna Teng, The Devlins and Susan Enan. The 2006 release "Starlight Bungalow 37" was given a chart toping "A" rating by the North County Times and they've recently appeared on KPRI/NBC's Broadcast of Concert on the Squares in San Diego. The homegrown video of Julie's single "Slow Brew" also premiered nationwide on the CBS Early Show along with just 26 others picked out of over 100,000 submissions.
Julie and Mars Ranch are currently in studio recording a new full length CD. Look for "Girl For You" to be released summer of 2008.
