Julie Schurr

Julie Schurr is a local live music talent in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community who is definitely worth checking out. She writes from experience, her songs are surprisingly honest and emotional, and although they are incredibly personal her charisma is like that of a good storyteller; she sucks you in with unlikely metaphors and imaginatively creates vibrant imagery that appeals directly to the senses. Not to mention, she is really fun.

Schurr proudly hangs her hat in St. Louis but do not ask where she went to high school as she originally hails from the home of Motown Records and the birthplace of techno. When you pop her preview CD into the stereo or catch her at a live show, do not expect Motor City music in the likes of Diana Ross, the Supremes, Kid Rock, Eminem, Ted Nugent, Iggy Pop or even Juan Atkins or Derrick Carter. And, refrain from even thinking about Madonna — Schurr is not your average material girl. Her relatively butch attitude coupled with a penchant for thrift shop clothing (shorts or jeans, T-shirt, and tennis shoes), gives way to a liberated gal who wears her sexuality on her shirtsleeves, and musically has a knack for being unique in the Midwest, especially in St. Louis.

Even though Schurr grew up in Detroit, she found playing opportunities there scarce. Girls with guitars were limited to the "Woman's Acoustic Night" at the Urban Grind, a coffee house. After returning home from college at Mizzou, she found her way back to the Midwest and to St. Louis. It is here that Schurr has truly grown as a musician, written most of her songs and played most of her shows, including a main stage performance at this years' Pride Festival where she released a well-received preview CD containing four of her popular songs.

Schurr's lyrical writing style is in harmony with her principle inspiration, Trent Reznor.

"Once I heard his music for the first time I was like, oh my god I can write about anything I want and I can sing about anything I want, this is so kick ass!" Schurr said.

As a musician, Schurr's guitar work centers around basic chords played on the acoustic guitar, but her unique voice, unabashed writing and live stage presence come together seamlessly to create a contagious vibe that easily rubs off on everyone in the room. She's not afraid to laugh at herself and share the irony found in the many moments that have created who she is — very real.

When asked about how she came to travel the path of the lone singer/songwriter Schurr smiled and said, "I was always interested in writing, I've done that pretty much my whole life I feel like. I was always musical. I play the flute, but it's hard to sing and play the flute at the same time!" she laughed. "So, I kinda got interested in the guitar — one of my friends got me interested in playing and threw the guitar at me. I got a beginner’s book and started teaching myself to play. That was a little bit over ten years ago."

In the song, "Drowning" Schurr opens herself up fully. Watching her play this simple three chord finger-picked song (her right hand technique is quite good), hearing her voice express the physical and psychological pain of being a cutter, "I collect scars/like kids collect fireflies" coupled with the emotional turmoil painted in the colorful language, (“treading waves"), brings home the universal anguish of waiting for "the one" without resorting to clichés. While she told me, "This song is for that person I love but it's mine until then," it seems everyone can relate to this period in her life when she self-inflicted physical pain, even if in another way, minus the razor blade.

The song, "Bitch" is the ultimate retort, a song any singer/songwriter would want to have in his or her bag of tricks just in case a special someone happened to come to the show. It's eerily fun, bouncy and deliciously catchy. After all, why resort to petty name calling or giving the "bitch" that stole your song "a black eye" when you can write a few choruses and inspire your audience to sing a long?

Schurr recently performed for National Coming Out Day in Tower Grove Park, in Soulard for the Twilight Hayride, at the Red Sea and at the Ground Floor in Bellville Illinois. She is also involved in a soundtrack project for an upcoming independent film being produced in Los Angeles, "The Myth of Color" by Jay Scott Hull. Schurr has a monthly show at her favorite venue, SPOT on Manchester, that she says is always a good time. Her upcoming CD is to be released in February, depending on funding.

Stop by her Web site to check out her song downloads and live performance calendar, and feel free to browse (and buy) the merchandise that is for sale via Paypal in order to fund her album project: http://www.julieschurr.com.

To get a preview of Schurr, including live performances of her songs and an in-depth interview, go listen for free on the Web at: www.nestormusic.com/schurr.htm.

- Nestor Wheelock - The Vital Voice

Watching Julie Schurr take to a stage is a beautiful thing. She is a performer whose simplicity – she’s just a girl on stage with a guitar with sometimes only a single light– is key to her success. She sings her own songs and takes the audience on a ride with her.

Schurr’s songs are her own original creations. She doesn’t do any covers, and that adds to a mystique for her crowd. They are all in on the secret, you see. This emotional, funny woman is telling stories with her music and words; and people are lining up to hear her do it.

Schurr’s on-stage presence is best defined as personal. It’s the stage equivalent of sitting around somebody’s house during college, singing songs. And it works for her; she leads into the songs with a bit of a story and then launches into tell-tale songs with verses that are often telling in themselves. It’s a folk-art tapestry of song that weaves emotionally through her audience.

She’s honest. She’ll tell you where the inspiration from her songs come from, and isn’t afraid to have fun with her audience, or herself. And, most importantly, Julie Schurr can sing. It’s a show that is as entertaining as it is unconventional. Julie Schurr is back on stage, at SPOT, on October 22nd.
- Tom B.- EXP Magazine