Julie Loyd

“As a soloist, Loyd commands even the tiniest venue. Her tone is precise, and her jerky dance-kicks reveal a wealthy resource of energy, even as her choruses rehash the tried and true themes of folk…”
- C-ville Weekley

"Julie Loyd, recently voted Best Folk Rocker by the Northampton, Mass., Valley Advocate, is an acoustic rocker with a powerful voice, poetic lyrics and a kick-ass stage presence... this charming Northampton-based out dyke acoustic spitfire from the Ani Difranco school of folk scores with [The Waiting Room.]" - Curve Magazine

Julie Loyd presents her musical peers with a real challenge on “The Waiting Room,” her third indie release. An acoustic-based collection of eleven new songs, Loyd walks the narrow path between folk and energetic pop music that characterizes much of Jonatha Brooke’s catalogue, pulling elements from Ani DiFranco, Edie Carey, and Deb Talan’s fem-rock style along the way. But Loyd pours such an enormous amount of herself into her music that “The Waiting Room” stands well enough on it’s own, stylistic similarities and all – it’s an impassioned affair. Because emotionally speaking, it rings true; there isn’t a moment in the entire collection where Loyd sounds insincere or is without conviction, and it’s so refreshing to witness an artist presenting herself in such self-assured lighting…Loyd is able to project her voice in an exceptionally powerful manner, and her guitar playing is plenty chunky and percussive… “The Waiting Room” packs enough muscle to back up her sentiments, resulting in something more likened to rock and roll than folk music – which is likely how she’ll be pigeonholed by onlookers who lack the natural curiosity to investigate further. (Grade: A)
- Edge Boston

"Loyd easily commanded the cozy art-filled mountain town venue and was a sight to behold in boots, halter top and thirties style red hair that matched her guitar. Her tunes are strong and memorable…Loyd’s strong voice captures fierce independence, self reflection, angst, and passion along with meeting impressive high notes…Loyd’s hard bass guitar strumming invokes the best of contemporary folk rockers…an artist to look out for."
- Performer Mag (Southeast)

Julie Loyd has an aggressive guitar style like Ani Difranco with songs and arrangements reminiscent of Lisa Loeb. Cool, crunchy guitar licks and other rock trappings surround songs like “Normal,” about defining average. “More Than I Meant To” is about getting dumped. The standout cut is “The Waiting Room,” a powerful piece outlining how women are always waiting for permission. - Sing Out!

"The third full-length from the Northampton, MA, wunderkind, The Waiting Room, captures the on-stage energy of the 23-year-old…Though categorized as a folkie, Loyd's new one defies that description by sounding a lot more like something you'd hear on a smart alternative rock station - which is the brass ring Loyd is reaching for, offering no apologies in the process." - Creative Loafing (Charlotte)

As the audience laughed and my face turned red, Loyd strummed her way through another witty pop song punctuated by spot-on vocals and the perpetual, endearing tapping of her right leg. Like the rest of her set, the song tackled big issues--gender politics, love and spirituality--but it did so in a lighthearted, major-key way. Loyd's songs may be love-torn, but they're still meant to be blasted from car stereos while careening down sunlit highways. And during a relaxed performance last Thursday in front of her old hometown crowd at Gravity Lounge, saving the world was the last thing on her mind. - C-ville Weekly