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On the third day I was able to see Julia Henning, First Aid Kit and Fanfare Ciocarlia. Julia Henning played a very intimate and beautiful show. As an Adelaide native, she made her hometown proud by singing in angelic tones, which drew so many people to her performance, and kept them there with her mesmerising lyrics. She looked comfortable and happy up on the stage, and this happiness transcended to the crowd, especially in the case of one young man who was trying really hard to passionately sing along, but clearly didn’t know many of the words at all. It’s the thought that counts though, right? After leaving the chilled out zone that Julia Henning created, I went over to the main stage to watch Romanian musicians Fanfare Ciocarlia perform. - CargoART Magazine

Julia Henning
Bella Union, Carlton
January 17, 2015

Spending a Saturday night chilling out to some live amazing undiscovered music is what it's all about, especially for this music lover. And that’s exactly what happened at the funky Bella Union in Carlton.

Headline act Julia Henning and band gave the opportunity for relatively unknown acts to take the stage as support and assist in getting their music heard, and did they jump at the chance.

Including talented local Melbourne groups Mango Tree, Babyface Ensemble plus Beautiful Beasts they all showcased their amazing talents and pure song writing abilities. As a surprise for Julia, they even all collaborated on an original song together which was a joy in itself for everyone. All acts can be found on Facebook and have released or are in the process of releasing an EP so, as they say, do yourself a favour and check them out.

To continue the night, backed by her band of talented musicians, South Australian indie-pop singer Julia Henning then graced the stage featuring tracks from her debut album Fledgling.

Beginning with hauntingly beautiful Legacy before going into the more catchy December, it really showed the crowd her broad range and on stage presence.

Admitting the next track Whispers was about how much she loved music and how it sometimes can be a one sided relationship, really highlighted her strong voice and powerful lyrics. Changing the pace with beautiful ballad Cold Mourning before announcing napping under trees was a favourite pastime whilst driving long distances on tour they went into current single Drifter.

If And Only If was up next which they were lucky enough to have featured on an episode of popular TV show Offspring which is funnily enough filmed just five minutes up the road from the venue. Continuing with Tall Trees which was written for her mum after she forgot to buy her a birthday present, I think mum would be very happy with the result.

Deciding on every tour to conquer a cover song to force them to learn something new is track that she wished she had written Death Cab For Cuties' Into The Dark and Julia really does it justice.

First single off the album Tempest was next, followed by Fledgling which came from her experience of playing at the Sydney Opera House for the first time. Finishing with a sign of what's to come next in her career with completely brand new track Away From Me shows a promising glimpse into their future.

Having won Favourite SA artist and Favourite SA song in 2014, the future looks bright for Julia and her band and I'm sure next time the venue and her following will be a lot larger.

KIM PHILLIPS - Cargo ART Magazine

Homegrown here in South Australia the singer-songwriter Julia Henning has had quite a lot of success for an independent artist, which is no real surprise once she starts to sing. Armed with a beautifully diverse voice that helps add variation and interest there is also her super team of musicians making it so enjoyable to watch. Instead of having just a singer with either sample tracks or a band off in the shadows, the addition of a band that all plays together and feeds off each other is a joy. Added to the set list was a very impressive version of la Roux's Bulletproof, but of course the reason everyone was there was to hear songs from the album including the first single Tempest.

Rounding out the night with title track Fledgling it seemed it was going to end, but Henning and company were called back for one last song. Choosing to play a new song, unfamiliar to audiences, that we wanted to stay around to hear it through is proof of how well the band work together. - The Music

Do you like wine? The odds are good. Do you like Adelaide’s finest wine regions? Of course you do! Would you like to hear music created by one of Willunga’s up and coming lovely female artists that will take you on a rollercoaster of emotion? I just knew you would. Julia Henning, recently featured on the very popular ‘Offspring‘, released her debut album Fledgling at Jive on the weekend and it was a thoroughly enjoyable, intoxicating and moodily beautiful night. Just like a glass of cabernet sauvignon. Yum. But for your ears.


The night began with the lovely Maggie Rutjens’ acoustic set. I have never heard such an angelic, beautiful voice on someone so endearingly awkward. She’ll ramble, she’ll make you laugh, she’ll call herself an idiot for forgetting her albums… but her music is like listening to grown up lullabies designed to make you dream the sweetest of dreams. I really hope I get to hear her perform again, especially her version of ‘You Are My Sunshine’. It’s a song that means a lot to me, so it was quite an intense emotional moment that I’m sure I wasn’t alone in.

he second support was Tim Moore, although Maggie was on hand for back up vocals. Tim and his band of beards, flat caps and scarves have that brand of nu folk rock that makes you want to dance, but with meaning. It felt like an eclectic mix of Angus Stone, Boy and Bear and Mumford and Sons. While Tim has an obvious musical talent and a more lively set was very welcome, I just felt like this particular mix of strong emotional themes and driving melodies is better experienced with a host of feelings. You know like you have when a partner leaves you for a bushier beard or your organic, gluten-free bread simply won’t rise just so. I’d definitely go to see them again because I think they’ll just get better and also, flat caps, beards and scarves.

The main act herself came on to a huge cheer from the crowd. Now at this point I have to admit that I lost my phone that contained all my notes about her performance, so this will sound a little vague and I won’t know the names of anything. I know, my professionalism soars a little more with each post. The important thing is though, that most of my notes were basically “oh my gosh, this is so beautiful”. It’s moody, it’s whimsical, but it’s still uplifting. The melodies and harmonies are interesting and refreshing and it feels incredibly genuine. Julia’s voice is powerful and her control over it will touch all your emotion places. You can almost hear the vineyards and hills and seaside of one of Adelaide’s favourite wine regions being woven into her music as she performs. My personal favourite was the song she wrote for her mother as well as her most popular tune, If and Only If.

If you need an album to listen to while drinking a glass of fine Adelaide Hills red in front of an open fire, Fledgling is the one for you. It is the perfect way to unwind after a long week of doing things and feeling things. I think we all need some of that. - Hungry Canary

Reviewed Friday 24th January 2014

I first encountered Julia Henning some years ago when, at the age of seventeen, she was already performing in cabaret. I was impressed with her performance and have kept an eye on her career over the years. With the launch of her new single and music video, Tempest, a song is included on her new album, Fledgling, that is due for release in April, I took the opportunity to catch this live performance.

Two singer/songwriter/guitarists, Tim Moore, assisted on some numbers with vocal harmonies from Maggie Rutjens, and then Alice Haddy, each had a set, opening the evening as supporting artists for Julia Henning. Henning's set then began with a showing of the music video on a large screen, before she arrived on stage to sing all of the numbers on the Fledgling album, and a couple more. Watch out for her Australian tour to promote this album.

Henning was backed by her excellent band, consisting of Matthew Moore, piano, Simon Gould, guitar, Eli Green, drums, and Nicholas David Evans, bass. Good use was made of the many timbral opportunities that this allowed, with some particularly fine interplay to be heard between Moore and Gould on numbers where only the two of them accompanied Henning's vocals. Evans impressed as he contributed some very clean and melodical bass lines throughout, and Green offered far more than the usual boring rock beats heard from many drummers, switching to brushes and mallets, and even adding a little glockenspiel. This added up to an interesting set of very varied accompaniments, with the arrangements taking advantage of all of the possibilities.

Then, of course, there are Henning's songs, and her marvellous performances of them. Her lyrics and ideas are complex and intricate, yet expressed clearly and filled with emotions that she embodies as she sings each one, touching on the thoughts and memories of the members of the audience, who react accordingly. She draws them further into her world with each number, completely captivating each person by strongly linking her songs to their experiences.

Whether it is a driving rock beat, or a gentle ballad in triple time, each song has a narrative to which listeners connect, and Henning has just the voice to make it happen, rich and versatile with great control, and the bravery and ability to take it in any direction to bring out what she feels necessary to communicate the full meanings and emotions of her songs. Nobody left the Promethean untouched by her powerful performances.

One of her songs, If, and Only If, made it to number one on the ABC radio station Triple J's Unearthed Overall charts last year, and then it was used in season 4 of the television series, Offspring. This is a lady who is going places.

Not only is Henning a superb songwriter and performer, she is also extremely photogenic, as her album cover and posters show, and this is also a feature of her video, where her eyes tell as much of the story as her voice. This ability also transfers to her live performances where she does not simply sing the songs, but performs them with her eyes, facial expressions, movements, and postures. She gives an holistic rendition of her songs, investing herself completely in them.

Over the six years since I first saw Henning she has grown remarkably in artistic stature, her song writing, her voice, and her musical interpretations all maturing immensely. She has come a very long way already and, at only 23 years of age, it is clear that she is going to go much further and has a long career ahead of her. Luckily for those of us with a love of the genre, she has not abandoned cabaret, so we may hope to see more of her working in this setting in the future, as well as in concert.

The music video is available as a free download, and the YouTube video can be found here. There are more of her videos on YouTube and they are worth looking for. The Fledgling CD can be pre-ordered for only $20 from her website here. - Broadwayworld

Not many artists can say that they recorded their first single at age 11 and first full length album at 13 but South Australian songbird Julia Henning can. With exquisite power and a captivating voice she has mastered the ability to tell stories through haunting lyrics and effortless musical arrangements. Her new single Tempest from her upcoming album ‘Fledgling’ is a mid-tempo alternative rock ballad.

The harmonic layers and her impressive vocal range are well presented on the track making it the perfect first single as it has the ability to stay with you long after hearing it. But what does Tempest mean? By definition it means ‘a violent storm’ but the title could refer to more than just the lyrics. Julia is a storm, a relentless and driven one that will shower listeners and fans with the desire to sit back and soak up every lyric and every note change.

The lyrics do however speak of a pessimistic storm that doesn’t believe in hope and the need to keep moving forward despite the risks ahead and despite what others may think. Henning will keep moving forward as she’s done since age 9 when she first began writing songs and with such striking talent there is no-one who can stop her. - Warriors With Wild Hearts

Julia Henning is an artist who can capivate live as she can on album. This album showcases her amazing vocals, lyrics and songwriting and the production. She has a depth and a unique way of drawing you in with the way the songs are structued from the way the piano is played to the way band performs behind her. Drifter opens up witha haunting beautiful song that shows off the vocals, musicianship and songwriting. Tempest is a little darker in tone with the way the song is structured and performed. December I love how the piano is performed and how drums come into song. Tall Trees is more of personal song with the use of the accoustic guitar and gives the album a nice touch. Another Day has some great piano playing and the vocals shine. Whispers I love the use of the accoustic guitar the way it is played and performed. Vocals and lyrics are good too. Legacy is another winner of a track. Great vocals and piano playing. Cold Mountain has good use of strings to open up the song, it is a beautifully written song. Three Words has good use of electric guitar which works so well along Julia voice. Fledgling finishes off the album well with a dark haunting almost energetic track. This is first rate album by an Aussie artist with so much talent that will be going so far. - Parx-e

Event: 24/01/2014
'Tempest' will stir the depths of your soul & emotions

With its 'intimate ambience', The Promethean was the ideal venue for the official launch of the music video and feature track Tempest from Julia Henning's forthcoming debut album Fledgling.
Also performing on the night were special guests Tim Moore (accompanied by Maggie Rutjens) and Alice Haddy.

Tempest's music video was directed and edited by Melvin J. Montalban and produced by Chloe Rickard and Dave Cain of Rickshaw Pix.

The set opened with Drifter, followed by December and Whispers - all tracks from the upcomingFledgling album. Then along came In White, from the Divisions EP.

In White's moving lyrics really struck a chord with me ("you can tell by her face, she knows her mistake but she's stuck"... oh how I remember that feeling).

Julia did warn the audience that she'd be hitting some nerves (including her own). I just hadn't bargained on such articulate lyrics accompanied by a consistently mesmerising performance - Julia and her band truly had a captive audience!



The set just flowed, with Another Day, then If & Only If which was another stand out (charting at number 1 in Triple J Unearthed's 2013 charts and featuring on Season 4 of Channel Ten'sOffspring).

Cold Mourning was followed by Julia's powerful version of Kate Bush's Running Up that Hill(available on Julia's Live At Sydney Opera House EP).

The set wound up with the remaining Fledgling tracks Legacy, Three Words, Tempest andFledgling - with Tall Trees performed as an encore and dedication to Julia's mum. Again, my thoughts and emotions were continually provoked - especially with Three Words (in true Julia Henning style, they're not the three words I expected).

If you're lucky enough to be reading this article and discovering Julia Henning, make sure you view the lyric video of The Sea (beautifully written by Julia Henning and Matthew Moore). This song was written as part of Fledgling's Pozible campaign which raised $5,000 of Fledgling'srecording costs. Fledgling was recorded in Coolangatta with renowned producer Govinda Doylewho produced Angus and Julia Stone's ARIA award winning Big Jet Plane.

What intrigues me about Julia Henning is her strength and determination. Born with fibrosing alveolitis, Julia was not expected to survive. Instead, she defied the odds and from a young age, focussed on her singing and songwriting. By age13, Julia had already written and recorded her first full length album titled In The Mists of My Imagination - a steady stream of awards followed for her inspirational song writing. Now aged 23, Julia and her band are truly a force to be reckoned with! - Weekend Notes

Julia Henning
Jive, Adelaide
August 8th, 2014

Despite the freezing weather and a cold which was threating to ruin my weekend (/life), on Friday night at around about 8pm, I found myself on Hindley street in the Adelaide CBD, headed in the direction of Jive for local girl, Julia Henning’s Fledgling album launch, ahead of her debut Australian tour.

Granted I was frazzled with cold, but I was not in my normal, live music enthusiast self. Thankfully I was able to get a seat, but I have to admit I was craving a cup of tea and my bed something chronic. That was until this sweet, timid voice identified herself as Maggie Rutjens, Julia’s first opening act and the stand in for the more well-known It’s a Hoax, who unfortunately dropped out at the last minute.

Now normally I am a little cynical of the level of talent that some support acts present at local gigs, but I was seriously impressed by Miss Rutjen and her adorable mix of indie, folk and poetry performance style. Her witty banter between songs we endearingly enjoyable and told a deeper story about her music. Special mention is given to her story about two stranger who met at a bus stop and the potential Hollywood happy ending that she gave them in song, and her beautiful and absolutely perfect rendition of You Are My Sunshine.

Second up on stage was Tim Moore, and I am not too shy to admit that I totally swooned. He was a musical gifted, husky toned history lesson and I loved every minute of his 40minute performance. He shared the story/theory behind one of his songs, claiming that “all relationships have at least something in common with the First World War”. By this he could either mean that you ignore problems until they literally blow up, or that there is always light at the end of a struggle, no matter how dark. Be sure you listen to his EP, ‘Fading Fires’, to decide for yourself.

Finally Julia Henning made her way quietly to centre stage. The voice that came out the petite beauty on stage was staggering. Henning has such presence that she filled the room with her voice with her album of new generation power ballads which are a mixture of blues and indie roots. Accompanied by a five piece band, Henning is a fresh, new sound with deep, personal lyrics and the vocal goods to show them off to perfection.

By now Julia will be on her way to Victoria after finishing up her first two shows in Tasmania. She will continue taking her crowd-funded tour across Australia to The Catfish in Melbourne, 22/8 at, Grumpy’s Green in Melbourne, 23/8, Smith’s Alternative in Canberra, 27/8, FBI Social in Sydney, 28/8, Small Ballroom in Newcastle, 29/8, Armidale Club in Armidale, 30/8, NO. 5 Church St in Bellingen, 31/8, and finally the Beetle Bar in Brisbane, 4/9.

You can purchase Fledgling at www.juliahenning.com.

JENNA WOODS - Cargo ART Magazine

Baby, it maybe cold outside, but we were cosy inside The Singing Gallery having a good time with a wood fire,and the intimacy, warmth and friendly atmosphere created by one of Australia's most promising young performers, Julia Herring. It was the first concert of Julia's 12 date national tour with her band members: Eli Green (Percussion), Mathew Moore (Piano & vocals), Nick Evans (Bass) and Simon Gould (guitar), following the release of 'Fledgling' - her debut album.

For an original South Australian artist who is an award winning song writer, studied the art of cabaret in New York, has performed to sold out shows in Australia, including the Sydney Opera House Studio, has had an documentary made about her and is about to embark on a busy interstate tour she raised some laughter from her audience with her comment that for the evening's performance she had come all the way from Willunga, which was about 4 km down the road.

Julia's voice is strong and soulful as she draws you in with her sincere lyrics reflecting her life experiences. Her songs engage with her audience and encourage us to reflect on our lives. As her perfectly pitched voice soars above the heartfelt accompaniment whether it be the resonating tinkling on the piano, or the soothing sounds of the guitar with the rhythmic backing of bass and percussion; it is a constant, perfectly balanced encounter. There are moments when her voice and the music can be so soft, you are aware that the proverbial pin could be heard if dropped, but as she shares her stories with her engaging voice, you remain with her all the way.
Julia's wonderful sense of humour was evident as she entertained us with brief anecdotes about her song writing experiences; such as the time she had forgotten to get a birthday present for her mum. She rushed up to Eli and said, "Get out your guitar and write a song in the next 10 minutes, because we have got to be at mum's and I need a present by then." And in a flash they came up with the beautiful song Tall Trees, which she then performed.

I'm sure you know, but let me say, I couldn't be without you.
You're why I'm who I am today.
I could take notes, watch you all day and never be as amazing.
Grazed knees, tears spilling endlessly down into your lap.
Dark dreams, you kept them away with just a word and your hand.

Her songs can arouse such emotions. Many I heard for the first time during her performance, but I have listened to them repeatedly since. Yes, the good news is, Julia's CD's are on sale at her gigs.

It is not often you can say that you enjoyed all of a performer's songs. Well I enjoyed all of Julia's songs. A couple which are special highlights for me are:

Three Words

What words could be more simple than the ones you keep away from me?
What words could cause such insight, or curse and hurt me?
Just three words, just three words.
Why couldn't you say them?

Yes, you guessed it, you are going to have to listen to her singing this song to learn what are the three words?

Two highlights of the evening for me was Julia's powerful cover version of the song Titanium by David Guetta (Feat. Sia).

I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose
Fire away, fire away
Ricochet, you take your aim
Fire away, fire away
[Chorus:]
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium

and Julia's original song, If and Only If. For anyone who has loved someone and had to accept the fact it was never going to work.

If I was a boxer or a fighter at all I'd have fought for you.
I'd never have let you fall through my fingers and away from my heart I'd have saved you.
I'd have saved us.

She has a broad love of music as she moves effortlessly from uptempo rock ballads to gentle love songs which makes her album Fledgling unique and defies being categorized to a particular genre stereotype. She is without a doubt one of Australia's most promising young performers.

Avoid disappointment and catch her while you can on this tour. You are bound to find her performances and songs a memorable experience. - Weekend Notes

Willunga's own Julia Henning debuted her album launch first at the Singing Gallery in Willunga and then at Jive – Hindely St, Adelaide. 'Fledgling' is a hypnotic set of personal stories and ballads that encourage her listeners to look deep within themselves.

One of the first things that struck me about Julia's performance was that she was in the wrong place and her audience was less than a tenth of what she deserved!
Jive is a great little bar – don't get me wrong. I will surely be returning there.
As for Julia – she has well and truly surpassed 'great little bars'. She has even performed in The Sydney Opera House.
Julia's voice is deep, soulful and incredibly strong. The audience loved her and so did I. I listened to some of her live performance from the Sydney Opera House Concert and compared it to what I heard on Friday night.
can tell you that Julia has the remarkable ability to perform at her very best whether she is singing to 50 or 1500 people.

At one moment her voice is low and controlled, crooning us into a meditative state. Suddenly she is surprising all with a sudden burst of energy and perfect control of a voice with sheer warbling volume and a capacity to maintain clarity of tone.

Julia's voice is indeed a musical instrument in its own right. Julia sang her own original songs in a very original manner. Sometimes husky, sometimes ethereal Julia's voice was for the most part – haunting. I liken it to visiting an enchanted forest and only getting a glimpse of possibilities yet to come.

Sadly - the performance only lasted 50 minutes. It takes a lot of energy to sing the way she did and it must it obviously take its toll. Perhaps on another tour she could have her guest artist play in the middle so that she can perform for longer but have a short rest in between.

The band consists of Julia Henning – Vocals, Eli Green – Percussion, Matthew Moore - Piano & Vocals, Nick Evans – Bass and Simon Gould - Guitar. With cheeky smiles, great rhythm and sense of comradery and familiarity the band supported Julia so well it is hard to imagine she ever sang without them.

It would have been great to get a really good shot, but the lighting was less than perfect and so is my camera. Take it from me - the men in the band are just as inspiring as Julia and together they make a formidable team.

Other 'feel good' moments arose when Julia took pause to acknowledge and allow the audience to appreciate the quality of her band's individual capabilities.
Julia's has classified her music as Indie-Pop – a loose definition which has characteristics such as being independent, individual based rather than aimed at the masses and an alternative reflection of other pop music. I found her music to be much more than this. Julia sang as if she were soothing us with an up-tempo ballad, before reaching out to the audience with a deep and husky range that was more consistent with the sublimely powerful Alternative Folk genre. - Weekend Notes

Arriving at The Sydney Opera House to see a show, with the Harbour Bridge and city lights twinkling in the backdrop is always an exciting occasion. Tonight was made even more special by seeing Adelaide based singer/song writer Julia Henning. Julia has been writing music since she was nine years old and at the young age of twenty one, Julia is already an award winning song writer. She's travelled to New York and studied the art of cabaret and has performed sold out cabaret shows in Australia. After six years in cabaret, Julia is now performing her original songs and The Opera House was her debut for this journey. Julia had only twelve weeks to put together this show and impressively she wrote an entire new album for The Sydney Opera House show.

Julia's style is Indie pop, her voice soulful, her lyrics poignant and complex. Her music and voice have a haunting lyrical affect that stays with you long after the show is over.

The Sydney Opera House Studio where Julia performed is a cosy and intimate venue, set with beautiful lanterns and soft red lighting. Julia came out onto the stage, stunning in a golden and black dress, her vibrant red hair pulled into a soft bun. "The Band" accompanying her was an impressive array of musicians including guitarist (Ashley Crago), bass player (Nick Evens) , drummer and arrangements (Eli Green), pianist (Trudy Hart) and delightfully a string quartet (Adrian Keating, Jen Taylor, Ella Brink, and Clare Kahne. The band added such depth and beauty to Julia's lyrics.

She opened with "If & Only If", an original of hers. The lyrics, "If I was anyone other than me I would be perfect for you," struck a chord with anyone who has loved someone but just knew it could never work out. The resonating piano music was a beautiful accompaniment.

Julia had a great rapport with her audience, sharing stories of her life as she wove magic with her pure and clear singing voice. We learned that she first came to The Sydney Opera House at age 13 on the classic Opera House Tour and she had a chance to sing a tune on the stage which she said she sang terribly. She was very excited to be returning to the Opera House to redeem her first attempt.

A highlight was Julia's show stopping cover of Leonard Cohen's "I'm Your Man" (sung I'm Your Woman). She was cabaret all the way in this number, her voice sexy, breathy and sultry. Julia said she discovered Leonard Cohen at age 15 and he has been a huge influence on her musically. Another excellent original song Julia sang was, "I'm insane," a whimsical number that takes a satirical look at our pill popping society.

Julia is able to evoke such emotion with her songs, taking the audience from a happy upbeat pop tune to a "purple" mood as she described it, which felt exquisitely sad and mournful. She sang an incredible fusion with the pianist Trudy Hart between "Mad World" by Roland Orzabol and "Sweet Dreams," by Eurythmics. The show ended with her song, "Legacy", which showcased her powerful vocals as she plaintively sang over and over "Push me back again, c'mon try it." Julia and The Band received a smashing amount of applause from the audience which was well deserved for such an amazing debut performance.

I spoke with Julia after the show and found her to be a confident poised young woman, wise well beyond her 21 years. She spoke of another interesting influence on her music, Flanders and Swann, a comedy duo from Great Britian famous in the 1950's.

Although she writes more serious songs she says, "I have been incredibly influenced by the way they craft a song with hidden meaning and twists which only appear at the end or phrases that really make you think. I try my best to make my songs interesting the whole way through."

Julia's songs are definitely interesting and we look forward to hearing more from this talented young artist. This was her first time at The Sydney Opera House but it won't be her last, of that I'm sure. - Weekend Notes