Following two singles from spring 2023, Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter Julia Pratt has released a collaborative single with fellow Philly band Mt. Joy titled “A Little Love. ” The stripped-down track came out on August 4th, continuing a sequence of interaction between the two artists that dates back to early 2022.
Pratt posted a video to TikTok on Jan. 5th of 2022, covering Mt. Joy’s 2018 track “Dirty Love,” which blew the band away. Only three days before their Sept. 10th Philly show, they commented on the post, inviting the young singer to join them in performing the track live. From here, Pratt and Matt Quinn – the Mt. Joy lead singer and songwriter – stayed in touch and shared demos. Quinn stated that after hearing Pratt’s demo that would become “A Little Love,” he “played it over and over and was singing it all over my house.” When Pratt inquisitively stated her vision for the song to be a duet, Quinn jumped at the chance and proposed a collaboration between the two locally-rooted acts. “I was completely over the moon when he asked me to be on it,” explained Pratt, “…I’ve been a super fan of theirs for years.”
The single takes a simple and intimate approach to the topic of unsure, uneasy love. Pratt opens up the track with her soothing vocals backed by a crunchy electric guitar, which eventually opens up to her luscious harmonies on the chorus. Quinn appears for the second verse, immediately impacting the mood of the song with his foreboding melodic harmony. As the song progresses, the mix widens with more layers of guitar, vocals, and shakers. The power of the duo’s vocals carry the arrangement without bombastic instrumental development, proving how expressive Pratt’s delivery can be.
“A Little Love” was produced by Alex Miller, Caleb Nelson, and John Mark Nelson, the latter of which co-wrote and mixed the track. Despite having now shared seven singles since the beginning of 2022, Pratt has yet to announce her debut album. Her new single marks her first release under Bloom Field Records; her previous work all being self-released.
Pratt has been featured on WXPN’s The Key Studio Sessions in Jan. 2023, and will appear at this year’s XPoNential Music Festival on Sept. 23rd; tickets at XPNFest.org. Mt. Joy will play a two-night stint at The Mann’s Skyline Stage on Aug. 12th and 13th; night one is sold out, but you can find tickets for night two at WXPN’s Concerts and Events page. “A Little Love” with Mt. Joy is available now on all streaming services. To follow her, visit her website for links to her social media.