Julie Belle, ‘You Were Younger’ [Exclusive EP Stream]

Raised in Detroit, Mich. and currently residing in Los Angeles, singer-songwriter Julie Belle is giving The Boot's readers an exclusive opportunity to stream her brand-new EP, You Were Younger, a day before its official release.

Belle's EP is set to drop on Sept. 18, but this advance first listen features all of the record's five tracks. Belle's ethereal vocals float effortlessly through the songs, tinged with moody blues.

"I couldn't be happier with how You Were Younger turned out," Belle tells The Boot. "Is that super cliche to say? Because it's true.

"I holed up in the studio for five days in the outskirts of Houston, Texas, with my producer to record this EP and emerged, somewhat delirious, with a collection of songs that I am truly proud of," she continues. "Those five days were probably the hardest I've ever worked on anything; it's physical labor, and it's soul work, and I can't wait to do it again."

The fringes of Houston are a far cry from the traffic and palm trees of Los Angeles, and for Belle, that's just what she needed to create You Were Younger.

"Taking myself out of my day-to-day context in LA to work on it really turned the tables: no luxuries of coming back next week to try that vocal part again, no going home early to get a good night of sleep, no time. Just enough time to be intuitive and capture what was happening," she explains. "As it turns out, I love recording in Texas. It's starting to feel like a second home. My EP release show may not be in Texas, but you better believe there's a Texan flying in to play guitar."

Belle was practically destined for a career in music, as her mother, a piano teacher, taught Belle how to read music by the time she was four years old. Her debut EP, 2014's Run, is a personal reflection on divorcing at a young age and uncertainty in how to move forward.

“I should have called that first EP Songs From a Tired Heart. I listen to those songs now and can’t believe how vulnerable they are," Belle recalls. "I was too tired to be anything but honest."

You Were Younger, is the followup to Run and is available for pre-order on Amazon. Information on Belle's upcoming shows can be found on JulieBelle.com.

Listen to Julie Belle, You Were Younger: