Julia Jacklin

“I love to sing out loud there. No one can hear me because everyone is, well, underground,” says Julia Jacklin. And if that’s not the best reason for singing in a cemetery, I don’t know what is.

Walking is a daily and essential part of Jacklin’s process. “I’m obsessed with walking,” she says. There are two kinds of walks to Jacklin’s process. The first is when she goes with nothing on her mind; this is for filling the well with inspiration. The second is what she calls “intentional walking to get the lyrics right. I always get stuck on the second verse when I write, so walking helps me."

Now back to the cemetery, which Jacklin says was a “huge part” of the songwriting process of the new album. There’s one not far from where she lives, so she goes every day. There’s the flowers, the serenity, and of course the existential thoughts that accompany a walk through a cemetery. Quite simply, it brings her peace. “I’m always drawn to cemeteries when I’m feeling overwhelmed,” Jacklin says.

Julia Jacklin’s latest album is The Gem, out now on 4AD Records.

*photo by Jess Ellwood