Interviewing two sisters isn’t such a huge thing, but when one is actually the other’s manager, then that’s a dynamic that really makes a spark ignite; we chatted to Juls and her sisager (sister-manager), Jacqs, about their relationship, Juls’ new music, the way they have built up Juls’ career, and their future endeavours.
Juls is a singer-songwriter from Connecticut, radiating star power. She’s been building up her career for a number of years, having dropped her debut track “Remember” in 2020. She later managed to rack up just under half a million Spotify streams on her awesome addictive single “Summer Thing” – which acts as the predecessor to her newly released single, “Heartbreaker”. Alongside her music career, she’s also studying for a Business degree. Her love for performing comes from when she was just eight years old and her dad built a stage in the basement for Juls and Jacqs. Her sister has gone on to become a talented businesswoman. These two sisters are set to impress the world over, with Juls’ incredible vocals and Jacqs’ incredible vision.
We managed to chat with Juls and her sister Jacqs in an exclusive double interview where they answered questions about their careers, their childhood, and Juls’ music career.
Hi Juls, we hope you are well today, can you tell us more about your latest single “Heartbreaker”?
Hi, thanks so much and of course! I read “The Fault in Our Stars” in my early high school years and one quote really stuck with me: “it’s a metaphor, see: you put the killing thing between your teeth, but you don’t give it the power to do its killing.” Heartbreaker is about a girl who puts the killing thing between her teeth – who thinks she won’t give it the power to hurt her, but who lets its intoxicating taste cloud her better judgement. It’s about a girl who watches as the same flame she was once so enamored with grows and engulfs the reflection of the girl she once was. She may never be the same but that’s kinda the point.. our hardships, and our losses turn us into new, better versions. This is not a song of loss or sorrow, but rather it’s a song of growth and empowerment. If you take one thing away from this song, I hope it’s this: the story doesn’t end with the ashes.. they simply mark a new beginning.
Where did you draw inspiration to write this song?
I wrote the hook for my new single, “Heartbreaker” in my bedroom in Los Angeles last summer. I distinctly remember looking out my window and thinking about how heartbreak has a butterfly effect of sorts; people never break more hearts than when they are heartbroken themselves. So I decided to write a song about this cycle of heartbreak and heartbreaking, building off of this wordplay to create the hook.
You work with your sister Jacqs, who is your manager – or “sisager”. How does it feel having your sister be your manager?
Jacqs has been my best friend, sister, and manager since the very beginning; there couldn’t be a Juls without Jacqs. We have watched each other grow up, and I feel really grateful to have her by my side on this journey. As humans, we are all blessed with certain gifts – natural abilities, talents, passions, or people. One thing I’ve been extremely blessed with is a really tight-knit family; I don’t think I could do what I do without their love and support.
We’ve all heard of momagers, but how does having your sister as your manager differ from having, say, a parent or another family member?
Well to start, Jacqs is definitely more up-to-date with the trends than my parents haha. Jacqs is the first person I run to with any song; she has a great ear for music and I trust her taste. Jacqs is truly influential to my creative process and I couldn’t do it without her. The sister bond is definitely like no other; I know she has my back when it really matters.
Do you always get on? Do you have sibling rivalry at any time? (I know, for me, I’d battle against my brother on Mario Kart – and win – anytime anywhere)
That’s the cool thing about Jacqs and me – despite our differences, we have very similar hearts and core morals. We truly want what is best for each other and I know there is no malintent or jealousy on either end. Her winning is me winning, and I know she feels the same. Of course, we are normal sisters and fight about stealing clothes and stuff haha. But at the core of it? She’s my ride-or-die, and our bond is for life.
You mentioned that your dad built a stage for you and your sister in the basement when you were younger and that Jacqs was the presenter while you were the singer. Who did you look up to back then, and what songs did you sing on that stage?
The funniest thing is that when I started performing I mostly looked up to Jacqs; she and her friends wanted to be singers, and as her younger sister, I wanted to be exactly like her. In fact, I only started performing so that I could join her girl group. Obviously, the group split up haha. But more seriously, I think we both knew we were meant to do this together from the start. As far as my inspirations, I was a total 2000’s baby. Jacqs and I had this disc player in our attic and we pretty much exclusively listened to Jojo, Britney, and Taylor.
How have things changed from the basement stage to now?
Well to start, the stages now are a bit bigger haha. Honestly, though I think a lot of adulting is trying to get back to the freedom associated with youth. My goal every single time I go out on stage is to have as much fun as Jacqs and I had in our basement when we were eight – joyfully present and free of any fears and inhibitions. I definitely still light up like a child when I am on stage though, and I think that’s the thing that keeps us so motivated – the joy and love at the heart of what we get to do.
What was it like growing up with Jacqs as your sister?
Jacqs was a real pain in my *ss. Lmao, I’m just kidding. Jacqs was always very mature and organized. When we were kids, she would make my friends and me sit in the basement while she used her projector to teach us mathematics for hours. In case you can’t tell she was a little boss from the beginning lol. Management suits Jacqs perfectly because she has always had an innate skillset of organization, planning, and time management. I’m much more creatively inclined so I can always count on Jacqs to keep me on schedule.
How much do you appreciate having a sisager? What’s the best thing about having Jacqs as your manager? And, why is that the best thing?
I love having a sisager. Would highly recommend it though it’s sort of a born-in kind of thing. My favorite thing about having Jacqs as my manager is seeing the pride on her face when I come off stage. She’s been there every step of the way; she’s believed in me and my potential even when I entirely sucked. For this reason, there’s nothing more rewarding than achieving things together and looking back at how far we have come on this shared journey.
You’re really making those dreams, from back then, come true. What has it taken to get to where you are now?
I think it’s taken a lot of willpower and determination. You’re going to hear a lot of no’s and you’re going to hear a lot of reasons why you shouldn’t be doing what you’re doing. In order to keep going, you really have to believe in what you’re creating because nobody can see the vision except you, and if you’re lucky like I am, one or two others. Jacqs and I have had this dream for years and no matter what anybody says, we believe in each other and our shared vision enough to persist and ignore the naysayers.
What do you hope the future will bring for you and do you hope to have your sister with you every step of the way?
I really hope to release albums and tour in the future. I have a lot of music that I’ve created and I really hope I get to bring some of these ideas to life over the next few years. Jacqs has heard all of my music and it would be incredibly special to bring our visions to life together – I quite simply wouldn’t have it any other way.
I read that you are at USC’s Marshall School of Business, studying Business with a focus on Entrepreneurship. How is the studying going? Has it been difficult with the pandemic over the last couple of years?
I wouldn’t say it’s been difficult with the pandemic. It was undoubtedly a difficult time in history but I think online classes actually made the work-life balance between music and my studies a bit easier. Right now, I am enrolled in 18 credit hours so I go to class from eight to eight on Monday and Wednesday. I think I’d be lying if I said that schedule doesn’t make me miss taking classes from bed a little haha. However, I’m extremely grateful and a bit obsessed with USC; in my opinion, it’s the best school in the world, offering students the opportunity to pursue their degrees while going after real-world ambitions in the surrounding LA area. USC has introduced me to the best people and places and I’m happy I get the experience of being on campus this semester.
How do you manage to study for a degree and work on your music career at the same time?
Hunnyy I’m still trying to figure it out haha. I do my best but I’d be lying if I said there weren’t a lot of essays due at 12 PM that are turned in at 11:59. Jacqs has been a trooper and she definitely helps by giving me an extra day or two to get these interviews done.
Finally, what’s next for Juls? What can we expect you to release next? Also, good luck with your studies, you’ve got this!
Aw thanks so much! Where to begin? I’ve recorded my entire first EP and I look forward to rolling out songs off of this EP over the next few months. Hopefully, we can begin touring and meeting some of you guys in person over the next year. And the broader goal? Albums and a world tour, of course! I’m so excited for what’s to come and hope you guys will join me on this journey <3 Ikigai and enjoy the ride!
Hi Jacqs, how are you doing today? Can you tell us more about your role as Juls’ manager? Or should we say “sisager”?
Hi, thank you for speaking with me – I’m doing great today! Where to start…I essentially handle all of the day-to-day operations for Juls in addition to negotiating all legal contracts, financial budgeting, performance bookings, coordinating meetings, curating photo/video shoots, attending select recording sessions, etc. I am very “hands-on” and handle a myriad of tasks from something as simple as getting her food during a recording session to planning an entire release.
How do you think being Juls’ sister helps you to be a good manager to her?
I think being her sister helps so much because I know her so well. I have such confidence in her as both a person and a musician. She’s incredibly hard-working, intelligent, talented and driven. These characteristics apply to our working relationship and gives me confidence that when she commits to something, she’s going to accomplish it. Knowing her the way I do, allows me to better manage her career as I understand her vision and can make business decisions with this knowledge.
What’s the best thing about being her manager? And why is it the best thing?
The best thing about being her manager is probably seeing and helping this childhood dream of hers turn into a reality. She is arguably one of the most talented songwriters I’ve met and working together to turn her ideas into a released project is very rewarding. Nothing makes me more proud than seeing her live out what I know she is meant to do.
You probably know her better than anyone else. So, what is she really like? What’s Juls like as a person, who is she behind the beautiful voice and incredible lyrics?
Haha, yes I do. Behind closed doors, I think people would be surprised by how big her heart truly is. She’s the most caring, kind, and compassionate person and wants the best for everyone. She has an immense desire to help and inspire people through her lyrics because that’s what her songwriting and other artists (i.e. Lana Del Rey) did for her.
I have to ask the same question about whether there’s any rivalry between you two? (I know I would so take on my brother in a Mario Kart race – and I’ll win too).
Honestly, I’d say we’re so blessed in the sense that we both want to see the other thriving and winning and there’s no jealousy towards each other. We’re both highly competitive people but more so, as a joint force. As you might imagine, Juls has more of an “artist / creative” spirit to her, while I have more of an “organized / business” orientation.
Can you describe to us what the stage was like in the basement when you were younger? Juls said you were the presenter, introducing her.
Yes, I was! Our father had a small stage built for us which included two microphones (one for each of us) and speakers. Juls loved performing ever since she was two years old. As she got a little bit older, I started to give her my dance recital costumes to wear and do a little bit of makeup on her. I remember that we had a big flashlight and we would dim the lights and while I was introducing her she would shine it on me and then when she was performing I’d shine it on her to really get that stage-like, performance effect. When I presented her, I would make up the craziest stories as if she was performing at Madison Square Garden to a crowd of thousands of people. It was truly the cutest thing – she was born to be on stage.
How have times changed from that stage in the basement to now?
Such a great question. I think it’s sometimes surreal looking back on how long this has been a dream of ours. We started this together and we’re still in this together but on a much larger scale now. She’s been songwriting since she was fourteen and they were simply ideas for a while. To witness her growth and to see some of these songs be recorded and come to life and to see her perform on stage at real venues is a feeling that is hard to explain. It makes me very proud to see how far we’ve come over the years, and [it makes me] hopeful that we can take this venture to new heights going forward.
What was it like growing up with Juls as your sister?
I like to joke that Juls should thank me for her existence because I was super annoying and constantly begged my mom to give me a sister. I was obsessed with her when she was a baby and made my mom buy us matching outfits. She was always very loving and expressive. Our personalities are quite different, so similar to many other siblings we’ve had our ups and downs, but at the end of the day we love each other so much and are a team.
We bet you have plenty of stories to tell us, what’s the funniest and best memory you have of your childhood together?
One of the best memories I have of our childhood together is when Juls sang “I miss you” by Miley Cyrus at her summer camp and dedicated it to me because I was away at sleepaway camp. She was quite young at the time and showed much courage on stage, singing in front of a few hundred people. My mom recorded it and played it for me when I returned home and it was the cutest thing ever. I will never forget that!
How did you get into the role of Juls’ manager?
I don’t think it was ever a situation where I “got the role”, it sort of evolved over time. I’m four years older than Juls and I lived in NYC from the age of sixteen. I had randomly started developing contacts in the music industry and as soon as we realized that this was something we could truly pursue, I started to plan meetings for her to get some professional advice. My skill set very much lies in the managerial role of business and so it naturally came about. I think we always knew that if we were going to pursue this, we’d want to do it together in some capacity.
Finally, do you have any advice for people who plan on becoming the manager of siblings or even any of their loved-ones?
My biggest piece of advice is to “go for it”. Block out the naysayers who might say that you “don’t have enough experience” or whatever else, and simply pursue your vision. Something I say often is that everyone who’s accomplished something great in their life was also relatively unknown and a “normal” person prior to achieving greatness. If someone else can do it, why can’t you?
Thank you Juls and Jacqs for taking the time to answer our questions. The sisterly bond between you two is incredible, and we really are excited to watch and follow Juls’ music career, her voice is amazing and she’s a total star!
Make sure you listen to Juls’ latest single “Heartbreaker” which was dropped back in September across all major platforms, via SPO Entertainment. Her addictive lyrics and incredible voice make her one you should totally add to your radar because she’s an outstanding artist and a rising superstar. Check out her other single releases too, we’re sure you’ll be adding her tracks to all of your playlists.
Let us know what you make of our exclusive double interview with Juls and her sisager Jacqs on Twitter @CelebMix.
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