Richard Julian

On a hot summer morning on Manhattan’s west side, the sight of a debutante in a black dress, wearing what appeared to be a most uncomfortable pair of high heels, planted the seed for the title track on Richard Julian’s latest, Sunday Morning in Saturday’s Shoes.  Julian recalls, “There was no way she’d gotten dressed that way that morning.”

Such attentive observation is a staple of Julian’s songwriting, on full display in his fifth full-length album (and second for Manhattan.) When asked for a reference point for his style, the songwriter mentions filmmaker Alexander Payne (Sideways, Election) before mentioning other musicians. Julian’s screenplay-worthy craftsmanship is a skill that’s earned him entrance to a mutual admiration society that includes artists like Randy Newman, Norah Jones and Bonnie Raitt.

Recording with Norah Jones and bouncing ideas off Bonnie Raitt is a long way from playing Vegas cocktail lounges, which was how Julian began his musical career. But after four records and logging thousands of road miles, this mild-mannered and disarmingly charming, bespectacled artist can stop loitering in the corner of the public’s eye and takes his rightful spot front and center.

Richard currently plays a custom sunburst gmodel with a LR Baggs pick up. All photos of Richard courtesy of Dylan John Western. You can view Richard’s site here.