Julie Moffitt

I was at this little shit hole coffee shop to see a friend perform at some all chick acoustic thing. I was not happy. I did, however, see some really good acts! The most surprising was Milwaukee's Julie Moffitt. Clear, resonant vocals and strong lyrical content made for a mesmerizing performance. Bantering from keys to guitar, Moffitt proved herself not just another pretty face, but a truly talented singer/songwriter worthy of mention. - Maximum Ink (Lane Klozier)

Southeastern Wisconsin songstress Julie Moffitt's disc, Everything I Never Asked For, boasts the strength of her alternately soulful and sexy voice. Expertly shaped by veteran Midwestern, Mike Hoffmann, she even gets Violent Femmes' drummer Victor DeLorenzo to guest on the disc. Her songs are well-written and the disc plays great...

'Unafraid' is ready for adult contemporary radio while 'Strange Infatuation' and 'Back to You' conjure up a jazzy bassline with a less pissed-off Poe-like vocal over it. It's like a who's who of the 1996 Year of the Woman when 'Second Guesses' channels Paula Cole and 'Let Him Be' evokes Jewel. 'Stolen' is an epic of a symphony of Julie's overdubbed voices accompanied by keyboards. Moving and powerful, it's the album's best track. Bombastic in that Bette Midler-'The Rose'-sorta way, it nearly goes over-the-top, but it teeters on the brink just saved by the sadness in her voice. She doesn't overplay it here and her pop instincts are quite correct. "I want to be anywhere but inside my head and I don't care how I get there" is the standout phrase to the song, 'Admission,' and her themes of loss, leaving, and conquering inner doubts are as well-developed as any singer-songwriter.

Obviously, Moffitt has an exceptional voice and the fact that she played virtually all the instruments on the disc is a testament to a massive musical ability. A little more focus in sharpening the sound she's trying to create and she's on the track to an extraordinary career. - Maximum Ink (Mike Huberty)

"a wild blues woman lurking inside the introspective singer-songwriter" - Chick Singer Night (Alaria Taylor)

Julie Moffitt sang some easy listening, mellow tunes along with Ryan McIntyre. Both artists were easy on the eyes, as well as the ears.

Enjoying the languorous purr of Moffitt's voice as she caressed the keyboard keys, I smiled... - Marshfield News-Herald (Liz Welter)

Julie Moffitt is a songwriter.

If there ever was any doubt, all you need to do is listen to her latest effort, ‘the stolen ep’.

When you think of a song written by a classic ‘songwriter’, you think of stories, great melodies and a tune that is never over-produced. Melodies, that bounce around in your head and stay uninvited over a four day weekend. Lyrics that you think you know . . . until you listen and really hear what is being said. I found this throughout the CD.

‘Slow’ is an introspective look at a one night fling. What could have been and what really was. Did last night mean more to me than it should have? Did it mean more for him? All of these ‘Slow’ thoughts lead to a memorable chorus. Julie will have you singing ‘it was only one night . . .’ before you know it.

On ‘Let Him Be’, a song on the radio leads to thoughts of the many important topics she would like to share with her partner. All while he sleeps soundly in the passenger seat of her car. In a good song, you often start out thinking ‘I know exactly how she feels’. Knowing how she feels soon moves to ‘did she really mean this?’. Ultimately ending on ‘I know she said this but, I think she really is implying something else’. I am still wondering if she’s had the conversation she needs for consolation, or if she is still keeping to herself. A good song can really make you think . . .

I also need to mention Julie’s supporting cast. There is John Ferraro on drums, Daniel Holter on percussion and programming, Dave Marotta on bass, Chris Mosher on piano and organ and Mike Standal on guitar. This is important, because, the music is a perfect fit to Julie’s songs. As I mentioned, there is just the right level of production throughout. The drums, bass, and keyboard fit the arrangements well. Honorable mention goes to Mike Standal, whose guitar work adds the right spice at the right time to each meal. But, let’s not forget . . . Julie and her songs are taking center stage here.


Sounds Like:

Lisa Loeb, Counting Crows, Sara McLachlan


RM’s Favorite:
‘Let Him Be’

To Sum It Up:

I have to say, that it is refreshing to listen to songs that are not in the standard pop song format. This is as a good thing! Sometimes, a song is what it is and can’t be squeezed into the verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge model. Julie Moffitt has let her songs wake up, eat breakfast, live and breathe on this ‘the stolen ep’.
- theSongCast.com

The three ladies performed first in an odd Round-Robin way - the first (Martha Berner) was good, the second (Arrica Rose) sucked my will to live a little bit, and the third (Julie Moffitt) has a voice like an angel...a whisky-drinking, cigarette-smoking angel. Lovely. - theliteraryvixen (theliteraryvixen.wordpress.com), June 2006

The disc -- fueled by Moffitt's warm voice and acoustic guitar -- is tender and passionate and is the kind of folk-infused pop that made Jewel a star.

With its ace, mainstream production, "Stolen" is the kind of record that could break Moffitt out to a huge audience. [Burst Records creative director Daniel] Holter says he's got high hopes. - OnMilwaukee.com (Bobby Tanzilo)

“This is probably the strongest song and performance from the female ranks of the finalist in this category. Besides a good voice and solid guitar chops, there's a real song here, with structure and dynamics that take us on a trip that knows where it's going -- something that's often missing amongst fledgling singer-songwriters. There's a nice detail to the lyrics, too; if anything I'd encourage you to get even more detailed, give us more explicit images, etc. Very nice work.” - Gary Graff (Billboard, Rolling Stone)

“The payoff comes near the end when the voice goes big and the intensity with it. It’s almost a contemporary country ballad at that point, and a good one. The voice, the melody and the emotions at that point could easily find a place on the radio in several formats. And in this age of over-singing Idols, the resistance to the temptation to have the whole song at that level is a big, big plus. Up to that point, it’s a pretty, competently written song benefiting from a quite attractive voice. [T]he climax convinces me that this is an artist with a grasp on her material and performance sense that will serve her well.” - Steve Hochman (LA Times)

"I love the smoky tone to your voice. I really love the piano work and the dynamics and the subtlety and the storytelling aspect [of 'Bound to Fade']."
~ Aaron Burgess, SPIN Magazine

"...really good songs. If they were put down in front of a label, someone would jump on them."
~ Gary Graff, Rolling Stone

"Julie definitely has it. There's no two ways about it, she has so many talents."
~ Paul Korzilius, Bon Jovi Management - Gary Graff (Rolling Stone), Aarong Burgess (SPIN) and Paul Korzilius (Bon Jovi Management) on FameCa