Julia Biel

Julia Biel

Julia Biel is a London-born singer and songwriter whose work sits across jazz pop, jazz vocal, soul and contemporary jazz. Her debut album, Not Alone, is self-produced and self-financed and appears in 2005. It features her songwriting partnership with guitarist Jonny Phillips.

Early career and debut album

Not Alone gives her a significant profile and builds a loyal following. She tours extensively in 2006, with headline shows at venues including London’s Pigalle Club and St. George’s Bristol, as well as Cheltenham Jazz Festival. Her live performances draw strong reviews, and Jazzwise magazine describes her voice as combining qualities associated with Billie Holiday and Björk.

Broadcast, awards and recognition

Biel appears in a Nokia advertising campaign. In 2006, she receives a nomination for Rising Star at the BBC Jazz Awards.

Collaborations and guest vocals

Alongside her solo work, Biel contributes vocals to other projects. She appears on a Unity Collective EP released on Buzzin Fly in 2004, which leads to work with Ben Watt, formerly of Everything but the Girl. With Watt she records the 2008 deep house track “Guinea Pig” for Buzzin Fly, and in 2010 she works with Watt and German producer Stimming on “Bright Star”.

Polar Bear

She also performs with drummer Sebastian Rochford’s Polar Bear project, which receives Mercury Prize recognition. Biel appears on two of the group’s three album releases.

Follow-up release

A second album is in production, with mostly self-written material planned for it.