Possessing a talent that earns her many a lofty comparison, "Billie Holiday meets Bjork" was the catchphrase coined by JAZZWISE magazine of Julia Biel's voice at the time of her highly acclaimed debut album release, ‘Not Alone’ back in 2005. The self-produced, self-financed debut that featured her then songwriting partnership with guitarist Jonny Phillips, gained her some considerable profile and a loyal following, leading to extensive touring throughout 2006. Packed shows included headline dates in such venues as London’s Pigalle Club, St. George’s Bristol, Cheltenham Jazz Festival etc. and earnt her rave reviews for her live performances. A featured role in a Nokia advertising campaign and a nomination as ‘Rising Star’ in the BBC Jazz Awards 2006 capped what was a very significant year in Julia Biel’s early career. Lending her voice to other projects, Julia Biel’s voice cropped up on an EP release from the UNITY COLLECTIVE that came out on Buzzin Fly back in 2004 and led indirectly to her working with legendary musician/producer Ben Watt (ex-EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL) on the 2008 underground deep house hit ‘Guinea Pig’ (Buzzin Fly) and with Ben Watt and german producer Stimming on the 2010 deep house hit 'Bright Star'. And she continues to be the vocalist of choice of cult drummer Sebastian Rochford for his Mercury Prize nominated POLAR BEAR project, notching up featured appearances on two of the band’s three album releases. It is thought the highly-anticipated follow-up to 'Not Alone' (currently in production) will be released in 2011 and will feature predominantly self-penned material.
