To call Julien Baker an old soul barely scratches the surface of her deeply evocative music. The young songstress has a way of effortlessly filling the void of a full band setup, needing only raw emotion, simple strings or keys. Not to mention, her pipes. We could listen to her debut LP Sprained Ankle all day. In fact, we have been, but we can't wait to see her at El Rey and at FYF this week, we just can't get enough of this enormously talented, tiny musician.





Where do you like to eat in LA? What do you normally order?

The number one must-go spot in L.A. is Donut Friend. Unifies my love of emo music, puns, and vegan treats. I love everything there but my go-to is either a "FudgeGazi" or a "Rites of Sprinkles".





What is your coffee or juice spot in LA? What's your drink?

Intelligentsia, and a Cold Brew





If you wanted to spend zero dollars, how would you spend one day in LA?

I would probably go down to the beach and walk around that area; unfortunately I have only ever gotten to explore within the city and haven't had much time to stroll around the natural attractions, which is something I love to do in a new city.





Where did you buy your last record? What record was it and why did you select it?

The last record I bought was a live recording of Nina Simone and Billie Holiday singing together, performing "Strange Fruit". I am a fan of old soul and blues, I keep an eye out for old T-Bone Walker and Charlie Christian stuff when I go to other places; there was an incredible vintage vinyl place in Portland called with a huge soul selection. Nina Simone has always been one of my favorite artists of that era, and that song in particular is so powerful and full of musical and historical significance, so I had to own it.









If you could collaborate with any other artist (dead or alive), who would it be and why?

I think I would want to collaborate with Paul Simon. When I was younger, my mom would spin Simon and Garfunkel records and I think those records are some of the best examples of balanced songwriting. Every month or so I take a break from consuming new music and revisit old records, like Cohen or Springsteen or Simon & Garfunkel, and one thing I appreciate about Paul Simon is his talent for making a song complicated and simple at the same time.





