Julia Bhatt Releases Video for 'Tall'

Genre-jumping indie artist Julia Bhatt has just premiered the video for her latest track "Tall" on Ghettoblaster. The bold pop-art-styled video compliments the track's rapidfire tongue-twisting vocals and fierce bossa nova backbone while also paying homage to Bhatt's love for her pet hedgehog Ernie.

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"'Tall' is one of my favorite songs and Ernie is one of my favorite hedgehogs, so it just makes sense," explains Bhatt about the debut single that finds the 17 year-old Miami native playfully experimenting with rhythms, melodies and musical time signatures. "Ernie patrols the song to make sure you guys don't mess up the words! I love this video and I couldn't be more grateful to Charlene Kaye for it. I doubt you'll find a better indie pop hedgehog crossover video."

Working with producer and mentor Elliot Jacobson (Elle King, Ingrid Michaelson, Verite), Julia's fresh and uniquely signature vocals (reminiscent of a youthful Amy Winehouse and Macy Gray) duck in and out of acoustic guitars, a heavy bass drum and an infectious Latin-inspired beat. "I originally wrote it as a sort of bossa nova," says Bhatt, whose mother spent years growing up in Brazil and imparted her love for Bossa Nova on her kids. "Elliot helped me transform it and take it to new levels. He brought an entirely new energy to it."

With an ear for unique sounds and styles, her music is infused with the broad array of influences from the music with which she grew up - her mom specialized in more of the classic rock side, whereas her dad showed her the smooth yacht rock of the 70s. Add to the mix modern influences like Rat Boy and the indie rock, pop and alternative that her older sister introduced her to, Julia's concoction is an ear-opening mixture that defies categorization. Writing engaging, fun hooks with great beats, she juxtaposes her honest storytelling that reflects observations about teenage life in the melting pot of Miami with deeply introspective lyrics on her on-going struggles with mental health.

Photo credit: Shervin Lainez