belong. release scheduled for December 2026

Julia Lougheed has just finished recording sessions for her latest album, belong., scheduled for release on Clairvoyant Records in December 2026.

"belong." is the culmination of a ten-year exploration of my artistic voice and my place within the classical music community.

Through this project, I present the clarinet in unexpected and deeply personal contexts, collaborating with electronics (both live and fixed), voice, and avant-garde turntable artistry rather than the traditional clarinet-and-piano format. These works explore aspects of my identity that long felt incompatible with my preconceived notion of what a “classical” clarinetist was supposed to be.

Sassy as Hell highlights both my irreverent, outspoken personality and my love of dance club music. Dying Saguaro incorporates field recordings from the Sonoran Desert — the landscape I have called home for the past decade — placing the clarinet in dialogue with the natural environment. Lost/Found/Lost/Human pairs clarinet with voice and draws from poetry written by my father. Improv 17 combines bass clarinet with experimental turntable sounds, distorting recordings of the Brahms Trio and Mozart Concerto as a playful commentary on the restrictions embedded within the idea of “standard repertoire.” Neurodivergent, a polystylistic work for bass clarinet and electronics, reflects on living with an ADHD diagnosis -- something I was resistant to embrace because of the stigma I associated with neurodivergence, particularly within classical music culture.

Ultimately, "belong." challenges narrow expectations of classical performance practice and musician identity. It argues that artistry is not dependent on conformity:  one does not need to only perform well-known masterworks in floor-length gowns to be a serious musician.