Hiya JulianGK, thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today. Grab a brew and take a seat.
What made you decide that music is a thing for you?
All my core memories as a child revolve around music. Then, when I discovered songwriting in my teens and realized how putting emotions into sound gave me a sense of purpose and fulfillment, I wanted to do nothing else. It was the only thing that mattered. It was especially when I was asked by my parents what I wanted to study at Uni that it dawned on me… I had no choice but to do music. It was either pursue this nearly impossible dream or be miserable for the rest of my life.
Introduce us to you and your musical history.
I’m Julian Gonzalez Kitzing (Hence the “GK”), a Costa Rican Born Alt-Punk singer based in London, UK. Even though I was born in Latin America, I consider myself an immigrant child of the world. Like many kids who are born in small towns with little opportunities in the music industry, I left home at the age of 18, chasing a dream. I moved to California to pursue music and ultimately ended up living in Hollywood, where I joined pro BMXer, Rick Thorne’s band, Good Guys in Black. I played in the LA punk scene for a few years, both with Rick and with New Born Authority, with whom I played SXSW, Wild Wild Fest, opened for acts with members of LagWagon, Strung Out, Bad Religion and Dead Kennedys to name a few. Just as I was settling into the scene, my US Visa expired and I had to leave the country.
I moved back to Costa Rica, where I started the project The Road Atlas with members of The Movement In Codes, Costa Rica’s legendary Nu Metal band. A year later, in 2016, I moved The Road Atlas to London. In the following years, the band saw many lineup changes, including Jamie Oliver of U.K. Subs. In 2020, weeks before the first Covid lockdown, I injured my right ear whilst playing a show. A drum cymbal was played centimeters away from my ear, damaging my cochlea and triggering some type of trauma called Hyperacusis. This, combined with the pandemic, forced me to take a long break from releasing music and playing shows. Singing was painful, playing acoustic guitar was painful. It was terrifying. The doctors didn’t know whether it would ever heal. Anyways, that was the end of The Road Atlas.
For the next four years, I would continue to write songs, record them and learn the craft of producing and mixing. In a way it was liberating to create for the sake of creating, without any agendas.
In January 2024, I started noticing improvements in my ear’s ability to take loud noises. I started being able to play acoustic guitar again, I could sing a number of songs in a row without pain. I worked through the trauma by talking to friends in the music industry, who encouraged me to get back out there as an artist. I had all these songs I had been working on my own for years just sitting on a hard drive so it felt right to start something new with my name. I released the first song as JulianGK in May 2024.
What’s the live music scene like in London right now? Anyone we should be looking out for (bar you, of course)?
I feel like the London rock scene is alive and thriving at the moment! You have all these rad events popping up, like Alyx Holcombe’s Mantra at The Grace. People are excited about watching live bands again and there are booking agencies who actually care about musicians getting a decent crowd and getting paid, even if it’s a symbolic amount. There is also interest in newer bands. For years, there were almost only legacy bands in people’s top of mind, but now there’s more of a willingness for music discovery.
I’ve been enjoying an artist called Tom Saint. He just released a song with DEAR TASH and CRASHFACE called “Inside Out” that’s a banger! There’s also an artist called Michy Tree who is stirring things up and I’d look out for.
In the more established realm, I love what Karen Dio is doing with her Latin Riot Grrrl thang! I reckon she’s the next big thing in the punk world.
I’ve seen a lot of people struggling for support recently online. What’s your view on the industry?
Well, I would agree on that. There is very little support for up and coming artists. An artist in today’s ecosystem has to do most of the business work, as well as the marketing and the artistry itself. All of these elements cost money and take time. In my case, I end up having to wake up before the crack of dawn to practice my skills before going to my 9-5, then I stay up either mixing the recordings, graphic designing my merch or you name it. To fund the music, I need the 9-5, which takes time and energy away from the music itself. It’s sort of a catch 22 but it’s what it takes.
I’m grateful my manager takes some weight off my shoulders. It’s important for artists to build their teams to distribute the workload. It takes time and it’s easier said than done but it can help play the game a little better. That’s something I’m very much learning. I am consciously looking for people to bring in and collaborate with. Whether that’s in an artistic way or in the business side of things.
Tell us two truths and a lie about you.
I love Miley Cyrus’ music
I love The Misfits, to the point I have a Crimson Skull tattooed on my back
I’m a vegan
Do you ever worry about people taking things the wrong way or cancel culture? Discuss….
I think everybody is a bit on edge regarding this. Whether you are woke or not, it’s in the back of your mind. For me, it’s important to be true to your own moral compass. I have strong beliefs based on ethics and that to me, is what matters most. Respect others for who they are, don’t be a dick… Live and let live, you know.
Do you sign up to any conspiracy theories? If not, why not?
Ha! I hope aliens exist. Not sure if I believe the whole thing but I want it to be true.
What was your best experience on stage?
My most memorable experience is probably playing a festival in a skatepark in North Hollywood with Good Guys in Black where Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein of The Misfits was watching.
What was your worst experience on stage?
For this I have to say the time I injured my ear. I wish I had listened to people when they told me I should wear ear protection while playing punk shows. Ha!.. Lesson learnt!
Tell us something about you that you think people would be surprised about.
I’m a twin. We’re fraternal so look nothing alike. We were actually one of the first couple of IVF/In Vitro twins to be born in Costa Rica. We’re essentially made in a lab, which is a trip to think about.
What are the next steps you plan to take as an artist to reach the next level?
Opening for more established acts, whether it’s in London shows or jumping on a tour for a support slot would be my natural progression. For example, opening for Karen Dio is for sure in my bucket list!
I hear you have new music. What can you tell us about it?
I just released a song called Game of Blood on the 14th February. Game of Blood is an energetic love song that embodies the energy you can feel when stuck in a toxic relationship. I wanted to implant some imagery in the verses to make the listener relive core memories of time’s they’ve had with partners. I’ve had my fair share of bad relationships and wanted to get that feel but make it still sound fun and exciting, like that honeymoon period when you first fall in love with someone.
Why a toxic love song out on Valentines? – Good question! – If you’re one of the lucky ones in a positive relationship, then this is a song for you to count your blessings and reflect on all those crappy loves that got you to the one good one! If you’re single, ha! Well, for once, here’s a Valentine’s Day song you can listen to and feel better about being single.
On the other hand, if you’re in a toxic relationship, I hope this song will open your eyes and help you make the decision to end it and seek a better life.
What was the recording process like?
I record all my songs in my studio in Archway, North London. The writing process usually begins with an acoustic guitar, and once the structure of the song is set and I can visualize the drums, bass and dynamics of the production, I move it to Protools and start recording it. The base of the drums usually comes first, ‘cause that dictates the energy of the performance. After the bass, guitars, lead vocals and drums are done, I start with the backing vocals, synths and other electronic components. All of that is the most fun part. The mix is what takes the longest and usually involves dozens of mix exports before it starts to sound like a finished product. I tend to get quite obsessed at this point and will listen to each mix a bunch of times every day looking for ways to make it a couple percentage points better.
What was the biggest learning curve in writing the new tune?
For Game of Blood, I wanted a punchier drum sound and it took trying many compressor settings before I got it the way I wanted to sound.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
Oh for sure! There are many things I’d change. Like with every song. You can keep working on a piece of music forever though. It can be a working progress forever, but at some point you just gotta say, “enough” and put it out there.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
I’m playing at The Fiddler’s Elbow in Camden on Thursday 27th February. This awesome Rock band called The Thieves are also playing and it’s gonna be a rad night. The event is in collaboration with Talentbanq, who are one of the good talent agencies I mentioned earlier who actually care about the artists they work with.
FOLLOW HIM HERE
FIND MORE TOP BANDS COMING OUTTA MANCHESTER CLICK HERE