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Artist Interview: Sometimes Julie

Featured on The Compassion Project: Songs for Animals, Humans, and Earth Justice


San Diego rock band Sometimes Julie, fronted by singer-songwriter duo Monica Sorenson and Rick Walker, brings a fiery anthem of resistance to The Compassion Project with their song “I Won’t Go Quietly.” Fusing bold lyricism with fierce rock energy, the track confronts systemic injustice and empowers those who refuse to be silenced. Known for genre-crossing rock rooted in emotional honesty, Sometimes Julie has released several acclaimed albums — including Seven Wishes, Where Are You?, and Breaking. With Sorenson’s impassioned voice and the band’s electric chemistry, Sometimes Julie is a force for truth, empathy, and change.

Was there something or someone who was the "catalyst" for you to go into music? A number of things converged to set me on this path of becoming a creative musician. First, I had a very stressful job, and I discovered that singing and performing and being involved with music relieved that stress and brought a lot of joy back into my life. Next, I met partner Rick Walker, and we became creative partners almost immediately. We really feed off each other and complement the way that we create together. He asked me to start writing songs with him and it's one of the best things that ever happened in my life. We’ve been creating together for over a decade now, and Rick is an incredible partner.

After Rick and I had been collaborating for only a few months, an unimaginable tragedy in my family happened when we lost our son. He was a junior in college, and he was a very creative person — a musician, a photographer, a brilliant, compassionate, and unique person. My husband, daughter, and I were devastated by this huge hole that suddenly took over our hearts.

The best way for me to heal and manage my grief is through writing and singing about how important love is in my life – particularly my love for my family — and how hard it is to carry on through that kind of grief. But also, about how amazing it is that it is still possible to find joy in our lives despite tragedy. For me, a lot of my joy has come from being creative, performing, and getting just totally lost in music as I remember to keep everyone I love really close.

Being involved in the local music scene has allowed me to create a community of truly caring people around me. There is really so much love involved in creating music, so I guess I would say that for me, the overall catalyst has been love.


Let's get this out of the way. What is the craziest thing that has ever happened in your music career? After giving you so many serious answers so far, this is a fun and welcome question! I'm thinking about the time that we played this place called the Jumping Turtle. I've never been anywhere like that in my life. There were bars on the box office window, and there were fights and other shady things happening in the parking lot that I had not really been exposed to before. Then during the act that went on before, the singer literally snapped his pants off — they were those breakaway pants basketball players wear during warm-ups — and he was up there singing in what was a very small sort of Speedo costume. It was such a visual spectacle that I don't even remember anything about what he was singing, or even if he was any good. I do know that I didn't enjoy it! We were definitely not in Kansas anymore, if you know what I mean. I kept thinking someone would pop out and say that we were on Candid Camera because it was just surreal. The place was shut down not long after.

What has been the highlight of your music path? Well, it was not playing at the Jumping Turtle! I would say the highlights are usually those moments of brilliant collaboration. Often when we're in the studio, somebody will add a cool lick or sing something in a different way, a unique way that only they would do, or change this drum fill in a really inspired way. Somebody will do something that just takes one of the songs to the next level and just makes it sparkle and feel very magical. It's in those kinds of collaborative moments where you see somebody else's spontaneous genius and you feel like, oh wow, I'm just so glad I'm here to witness this. I think those are the highlights. It happens more often than I even could hope for. So, I love that part.


How do you approach songwriting or what is your creative process like? Our creative process can vary from song to song, but typically our pattern is that I create a melody and some lyrics, and I bring that initial seed of the song to Rick. From there, we'll start to talk through arrangements, rhythms, tempos, and just, you know, start to massage the song and see what direction feels right, what genre it might want to be. Rick will then lock himself in his studio for a few hours to add guitars, drums, and other instrumentation to create a demo. Sometimes those initial demos work, and sometimes they don’t, but at the very least they act as a springboard to what the song will eventually become.

Do you have a new release? Tell us about it. Sometimes Julie is really excited to have our song, “I Won’t Go Quietly,” included in the upcoming compilation, The Compassion Project: Songs for Animals, Humans, and Earth Justice. We write about social justice issues frequently. In addition to this song, we’ve had songs on past releases like Counterpart, which takes the perspective of people who aren't being given an opportunity to really find their place within a community. These songs are so much a part of me and when we have an opportunity to share them it's so meaningful to be able to say what's been foremost in my heart.

On the next Sometimes Julie album, planned for release in December, is a song that I love called Transition. It's about celebrating when people are given the chance to be true to themselves, say who they are and claim their own identity.

If you could share the stage or a song session with an artist, who would it be? Right now, I would love to be able to share the stage with Bruce Springsteen. He's brilliant and amazingly talented and he's having a huge impact on the world right now. He is one of the most influential musicians of our time. I love how a lot of his songs are very raw, authentic, and just go right for your heart. That's the kind of music I love creating.

For fans who have never heard your music, how would you describe your sound?We are primarily an “originals” band, influenced by rock and alt rock, pop, blues, and country and just so many amazing sounds. I would say we're probably closest to alt rock with some pop rock infusions and a little bit of country sprinkled in sometimes. So, if you listen to our latest release Seven Wishes you'll hear mostly straight-up rock and pop sounds.

What really drives our music is our need to be honest about the feeling that belongs in that song. Our tunes are very lyrically driven. It's just so important for that connection to happen with the meaning of the song and the feeling of the song. We are intentionally inviting our listeners to feel what we feel.

So, in our music you will hear prominent drums, multiple guitars, melodies with saxophone, keys, a lot of really great backing vocals with memorable harmonies, and a solid rocking or pleading lead vocal at center stage. When people ask me what our music is like, I'll ask “Do you like Fleetwood Mac?” When they say yes, and people invariably do, I'll tell them we're not a lot like Fleetwood Mac, but if you like them, you'll like us. That usually helps people find their way.


What is your favorite part about being an artist? My favorite part about being an artist is working with my friends to make our songs and our performances and our videos the best that they can be. The collaboration aspect of this band has been the most meaningful part of the journey.

When I start out writing the song I know that I'm going to take this little kernel that means something to me, and other people are going to say “wow, that's really something that I want to be a part of.” Then they add something to the song that gives the song even more life. It is just really exciting to watch a song grow.

When we finish the song and we’ve gotten it just right — and the feeling I get matches what I first heard in my head — that’s incredible. The very best thing, though, is when we’re performing the song live and I see someone in an audience singing my lyrics back to me. I wouldn't trade that for anything.

When you are not doing music, what else do you enjoy doing? When I'm not doing music I love hiking and being near water, being in the mountains, being in awe of the world around us — just, you know, being outside and reconnecting with nature.

What is coming up in the future for you? We will be releasing our new album in December, which will be a bit of a departure for us. Unlike most of our past music, which is very guitar-oriented, most of the songs in this new collection are much more piano-forward.

We also have several cool gigs coming up, and I think we're going to be doing a lot more collaboration with other bands in the upcoming year. I really love getting to know all the local sounds around town and appreciating their unique creative spirits.


Is there anything else you’d like fans to know? Prior to becoming a musician, I was a civil rights attorney, and I’ve stood up for people throughout my life as an activist writing letters and working for change. I have represented people who have suffered discrimination in the workplace. Currently I serve as a leader in the California Teachers Association .

When I saw what was happening to children and families at the border, I just immediately had to start writing I Won’t Go Quietly. I can't watch the people who have everything rip families apart and then do nothing. I am the kind of person who feels compelled to say something.

About Sometimes Julie Sometimes Julie is a genre-bending San Diego band blending raw rock with lyrical depth and emotional authenticity. Their track “I Won’t Go Quietly,” featured on The Compassion Project, is a passionate anthem of resistance, inspired by real-world injustice and personal conviction. The band’s award-nominated discography, including Seven Wishes and Where Are You?, showcases their signature mix of fierce rock instrumentation and soul-driven songwriting.

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