top 30 EPs of 2022 - Gorilla vs. Bear

“a promising work of striking lyrical vulnerability and universal storytelling, tracing yearning coming-of-age stories amidst magnetic pop songwriting.” - Under The Radar

“alt-pop with the driving rock rhythms of Liz Phair and other stars from the 2000s” - The Line of Best Fit

“breakout Juliana Madrid is a singer you need to know” - Alternative Press

"Her breathy vocals make the song shine, and the lyrics... are haunting and evocative and linger after the song finishes.” - Uproxx

Today, Juliana Madrid releases her first single “Afterlife” from her upcoming sophomore collection to be released later this year on Neon Gold Records. After releasing her self-titled debut EP, she returned with a more expansive, deeper sound on “Afterlife”, with lyrics “Hey! I’m not great but I might be alright. So kiss my perfect afterlife goodbye”. See “Jules” in her official lyric video HERE.

Juliana Madrid explains: “In "Afterlife," I am sort of flirting with the universe in hopes of getting more time. I’m often living in my own head, so I tend to get into these ruts where it feels like I’ve been putting my energy towards the wrong thing or not working hard enough or not using my time to my best advantage. Throughout the song, I attempt to understand these thoughts and try my best to find a middle ground with my own fears."

Juliana "Jules" Madrid is a 21 year old singer/ songwriter hailing from Dallas, Texas. Juliana combines elements of folk, alt, and pop to write sardonic, coming-of-age tales that are relatable yet uniquely her. Madrid started in music at the young age of 9, learning guitar at the encouragement of her parents. Soon after, she enrolled in a local program called School of Rock. There, she began to find her voice while realizing she also had a knack for songwriting, using music as a creative outlet to express herself.

Since then, Juliana and her guitar [which she named “Earl”] have been inseparable, working tirelessly to refine her craft. In August of 2022, she released her self-titled EP. Written by Juliana and produced by GRAMMY-nominated artist Benjamin Ruttner [ of The Knocks], the EP explores themes of relationships, religion, and the existentialist feeling associated with growing up. With additional instrumentation from the likes of Griffin Goldsmith [Dawes] and Matt Chamberlain [David Bowie, Pearl Jam], the EP received critical praise from the likes of UPROXX, V Magazine, and The Line of Best Fit. Gorilla vs. Bear listed it as one of the best EP’s of 2022. Additionally, the lead single, “Pretend” was featured in the hit Netflix movie “Do Revenge,” resulting in more than 20k Shazams in one week.

Juliana toured North America supporting The Knocks and indie band Cannons. She has also graced the stage with Anna Shoemaker, Matt Maeson, Juliana is now set to release her sophomore EP later this year.

https://www.tiktok.com/@julesmadrid?
https://www.instagram.com/madridjules
https://twitter.com/julianamadrid_