Julio Vellaré: "I want to create a world that people can step into, feel represented by"
Originally from A Coruña, Spain, Julio Vellaré brings together the electropop sound of the late 2000s and a deeply personal approach to songwriting. Lady Gaga’s work from that period is a central influence, particularly its combination of electronic production, strong melodies, and a distinctive visual identity. Drawing on these foundations, Vellaré revisits the era through his own experiences, emotions, and memories.
The project took shape in collaboration with an Italian producer whom he discovered through Instagram and chose for their shared affinity for 2000s electropop. Recording in his hometown added an intimate dimension to the process, reconnecting him with the places where the experiences that now inform his music first unfolded.
"2009" is deeply connected to your childhood and to music as a form of escape. What memories from that period inspired you most while writing the track?
The reality is that I went through some difficult moments during my childhood and adolescence because I felt different from everyone else. I struggled to fit in and often felt like I wasn’t the person people expected me to be, which was incredibly frustrating and painful.
I would come home from school, close the door to my room, put on music, and just disappear into it for a while. Music became a kind of escape for me. It helped ease the pain and, for a few hours, allowed me to imagine a version of myself where I was enough, where I was worthy, and where being different wasn’t something I had to be ashamed of.
Those feelings are a big part of what inspired "2009".
The song has a brighter and more nostalgic energy compared to the darker atmosphere of the rest of CRÓNICAS DEL DOLOR A MEDIANOCHE. Why was it important for you to include this contrast within the EP?
This song closes the EP for one reason: the pain and the trauma have been healed.
In an EP where pain is the central theme and darkness prevails, it was important to me that the ending showed where it all began, but also how I can now talk about those experiences not from a place of sadness, but from a place of pride in the person I’ve become.
“2009” is a reminder that those experiences are part of my story, but they no longer define me. There’s something beautiful about being able to look back at that version of myself with love rather than pain.
You intentionally used Auto-Tune to recreate the sound and feeling of late-2000s electropop. What is it about that era that continues to influence your identity as an artist today?
I’ve been surrounded by music from a very young age, but the sound of the songs from 2009 and 2010 really ignited that passion in me. That was when I first started dreaming about pursuing a career in music.
In fact, the concept for this song was born during those years. I didn’t have the tools or the knowledge to actually write and produce a song back then, but the idea stayed with me all this time. So, in a way, "2009" is something I finally got to create for the person I was back then.
Lady Gaga’s late-2000s work has been an important influence on your artistic vision. Beyond the music itself, how has her approach to visuals, performance and storytelling shaped the world you want to create around Julio Vellaré?
As a queer person, Lady Gaga was incredibly important to me because she introduced me to a community of people who understood me and accepted me exactly as I was. That went far beyond the music itself.
And then there was everything else she created around her music: the videos, the performances, the fashion, the imagery, the storytelling. She showed me that being an artist can mean creating an entire world around your music, and that every detail can become part of that story.
That’s something I want to bring into Julio Vellaré. I don’t just want to make songs; I want to create a world that people can step into, feel represented by, and hopefully find a sense of belonging in. And honestly, when it comes to Gaga’s visual world, performances and fashion… she’s just God.
You worked with an Italian producer you discovered through Instagram while recording the project in your hometown. How did that international collaboration influence the sound of the EP, and what did recording in A Coruña add to its emotional meaning?
The producer is incredibly good at capturing the essence of 2000s production, and when I heard this instrumental, I immediately fell in love with it. I wrote the song very quickly — I think I created it in less than an hour. It was one of those moments where everything just clicked naturally.
Recording the EP in Ferrol (A Coruña), the place where I grew up, feels like closing a circle. This is where everything started for me, both personally and artistically, so being able to create this project here gives it an even deeper meaning.
And especially with “2009". it feels almost symbolic. The song goes back to where a lot of my story began, and then it closes the EP. So, in a way, I’m ending the project in the same place where the story started.
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