At just 17 years old, JULES IS DEAD is unapologetically grabbing the rock world by the throat. After releasing three singles in 2023 and bringing a refreshing sense of rebellion into the alternative music scene, one thing is clear: this is only the beginning for JULES IS DEAD, who reminds us that rock and roll is very much alive.
Currently, the Ontario native is working on their debut project, set to be released later this year. They’re also dropping a self-directed music video on January 30 for their most recent single "Spells and Power Thoughts," a witchy track soaked in emo-punk energy.
Having chased music since they were 14 years old, Jules first got into music when they started playing piano as a kid. After realizing how great their guitar skills were on “Rock Band”, Jules decided to take up the real thing, drawing inspiration from guitarists like Jade Pudget from AFI and Ray Toro from My Chemical Romance. Now, the self-taught guitarist brings hard hitting punk riffs with vulnerable songwriting, creating a sound and force that is unique to the rock scene.
Although early in their musical career, Jules has already amassed millions of views on TikTok and over 300 thousand followers on social media and has been signed on through a joint partnership between Atlantic Records and TAG Music.
“It is incredible, and I’m so, so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to be able to do this so early in my life,” Jules says. “I don’t think the shock of it has really worn off even a year after I signed, and it’s probably going to be when I’m 20 that it all really hits me. Everyone at TAG and Atlantic has been so supportive of me, and, of course, all the people who engage with my music and connect to it; I truly feel thankful for it all.”
Before meeting TAG Music founder and Cobra Starship frontman Gabe Saporta, Jules was initially in a riot grrrl band. After the band broke up (on the day they were supposed to meet Saporta), Jules went to meet Saporta on their own, thus launching their solo career.
“I really love the camaraderie of being in a band, but I also love being solo,” Jules says. “Logistically, it’s a lot easier when it’s one person recording and planning. I hope that one day down the road, I get to develop that close bond with a band again.”
Jules writes with edge and honesty as they sing about personal struggles such as toxic relationships and mental health. Jules says they were able to get this courage to write about the gritty stuff by taking inspiration from their favorite artists.
“Citizen has these two songs, ‘Sleep’ and ‘The Summer,’ that mean a lot to me, and I connect them with very specific times in my life, and they’ve gotten me through them,” they say. “My Chemical Romance, with the song ‘Desert Song,’ is another one that rings true for me. I wanted to be able to be that for someone else, like those bands were there for me.”
Not only is Jules a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and music maker, but at the heart of it all they’ve always remained a music fan. Going to see live music is crucial for the rockstar on the rise, and they even dye their hair based on who they’re going to go see next. Ultimately, showing love for their favorite artists becomes their own unique means of self-expression.
“When I found these bands at 14, something in my brain just clicked, and I knew this was what I wanted my life to be about,” they say. “When I like something, I can never just like it a normal amount; it becomes every aspect of me as a person. I collect vinyl, CDs and cassettes, and I go to concerts as often as I can because the community there is so rich.”
A supportive community of like minded people provides comfort and belonging for any music lover. For Jules, this is incredibly important for their identity. As a non-binary musician of color, Jules says the music industry and its accompanying alternative subcultures are not always safe or respectful spaces.
“I often get told by people online that I can’t be in the punk, emo and goth scenes because I’m Black,” they say. “Meanwhile, Black people are the creators of rock music and the backbone of these subcultures. Without Black people, goth, emo and punk would not exist, and yet, myself and countless other Black people in the scene experience a lot of hate and intolerance.”
Jules initially made their debut in April of 2023 with their single "Red Is My Favorite Color". In their raging breakthrough, Jules writes about a relationship where you really love someone, but that person doesn’t return the same kindness.
“The lyrics capture the feeling of bleeding out for someone when you know they wouldn’t do the
same,” Jules says. “They’ll just keep taking your blood until you run out, and they won’t care. In an emotional sense, I’ve gone through that. The guitar riff was something I wrote in my room almost six months prior to writing the song, and we decided to go all out for it.”
Now, Jules says that their debut project will come out later this year. On the project, they write about various topics, ranging from mental struggles to the misogyny that exists in our world. While writing about real world issues, Jules says a lot of their songwriting inspiration comes from their favorite movies.
“I try to be really vulnerable in my songwriting, and there are songs on the album that definitely display that - about how it feels to be stuck in place for nearly three years with the pandemic and the feeling when someone you care about needs to take a look out of their privileged bubble and see how much better they have it than other people. Add in a riot grrrl-style call-out song [and] a bop about seasonal depression and there’s the project,” Jules says.
Jules recently hinted on social media about releasing a song inspired by their current favorite film, the 1987 vampire classic “The Lost Boys.” Jules has actually already written this song, and while they don’t know what to do with this track yet, the upcoming project will for sure feature two different songs inspired by “Friday the 13th” (1980) and “Queen of the Damned” (2002). Their most recent single, “Spells and Power Thoughts,” was inspired by “The Craft”(1996) as well as the comfort they’ve found in practicing witchcraft.
“I use it mainly for manifesting, and it makes me feel so much more connected to the world around me,” they say. “The moon cycles, weather patterns and plants feel so welcoming to me, and I can manifest my dreams through it.”
Their second single to be released, "My Own Hell", is an empowering yet bittersweet rock anthem that encapsulates the confidence and exciting rage that Jules conveys in their music. In the bridge, Jules sings of a downward spiral where one doesn’t think that they’ll get better.
“I’ve been through that a couple of times that were really awful,” the singer says. “I struggle with anxiety and massive depression, and giving up is such an easy thing to do; that’s what those lines were born out of. But the feeling will fade, and it will get better. I know that’s something everyone says, and when you’re in that place, you don’t care, and it provides no comfort, but it genuinely does get better, I promise.”
Listen to JULES IS DEAD here. <3<3<3