In February 2006, singer/songwriter Julia Lau released her long-awaited debut album "In The Wildflowers And Weeds" to a full house at San Francisco ’s renowned Cafe Du Nord. The event was a huge success, garnering media and industry attention. And, the CD release turned into a full month celebration with shows hosted at the Red Devil Lounge and Hotel Utah.
"I feel so good right now," exclaims Lau. "The best part of it all has been getting these beautiful letters from listeners telling me how touched and inspired they’ve been by the music. It brings me full circle because making an impact on people’s lives is what this is all about for me and why I chose to make music in the first place."
Julia was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the youngest of six in a Chinese American family. At UCLA, she studied Asian American Studies and got involved with community campaigns around garment workers’ rights. Before long, her interest in social justice work became the focus of her energies. After graduation, she worked as a community organizer with a nonprofit grassroots organization in San Francisco’s Chinatown . Alongside local residents, she waged campaigns for improved housing conditions and headed a youth leadership and development program.
Lau explains, "I really believe in direct action organizing. I didn’t love the work. It’s hard and thankless work. But, I had to do it. I still think it’s the most important work out there to be done. And, if music weren’t so much in my soul, I would still be out there knocking on doors."
Julia is a multifaceted artist who defies any one characterization. Her acoustic guitar-based songs are at times, playful and romantic and at other times, dark and haunted. In a set that mesmerizes, she moves effortlessly from poignant stories of struggle to flirty love songs… from songs filled with despair and longing to cathartic songs tackling universal themes like fear and learning to let go.
"The songs I want to write will tell the stories that aren’t being told whether it’s telling a truth about the world and our lives that we don’t want to talk about or inspiring someone to be more courageous or a nicer person." comments Lau.
Julia continues to perform with her band to crowds of fans in venues across the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.
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