Backed by little more than sparse drums and an acoustic guitar, Julia Pratt showcases her stunning range and riveting songwriting on her latest single “Carolina.” The song builds and builds, propelled by Pratt’s undeniably powerful voice. You can hear all of her various influences in just her vocals alone: pop, soul, folk, jazz. It’s the first track from her upcoming (currently undated) EP and she says it inspired the entire project.
She says it’s a song about “returning to a person/place that was once called home and realizing that it is no longer that.” More specifically it “recounts a moment when I returned back to North Carolina, the place where my family ended, and was hit with the true realization that it was all over.” She says the song is “about belonging, loss, grief, and the concept of home, told through the eyes of a woman who feels she has no place in this world.” It’s a deeply moving song that climaxes with Pratt singing “I don’t feel how I used to feel about you anymore” over and over in her stunning falsetto.
Pratt is a rising Philly artist who began releasing music in 2018 and has taken the city by storm in the years since. Here at XPN, she’s performed a Key Studio Session and a Free at Noon set. She’s also collaborated with the folk band Mt. Joy on the single “A Little Love.” On Valentine’s Day, she opened for Sammy Rae and the Friends at the Fillmore. Now she’s gearing up for a busy summer on the road accompanying a variety of artists. She’ll be supporting Ocie Elliott, Angie McMahon, flipturn, and Amos Lee. In June, she’ll perform at the Green River Festival in Massachusetts along with Cake, Fleet Foxes, and others.