Julia Shapiro: "Writing music isn't something you can easily define. It's this abstract thing that happens between just you and the guitar"

Julia Shapiro, multi-faceted musician and frontwoman, plays in a number of popular bands. She's part of the funny, acerbic Childbirth, the droning, often-heavy Chastity Belt and the vigorous Who Is She?, all while spearheading her own solo project. As such, she has many outlets for her vast talent. 

Shapiro is set to release her newest offering, her forthcoming solo record, Zorked, which is out October 15. The 10-song album, which was written during the pandemic, is themed on the idea that confusion abounds these days in a time when there is so much public and private upheaval. 

We caught up with Shapiro to ask about the origin of her new zoned-out record, how she used the guitar to create its heavy, layered soundscapes and what her relationship to the instrument has been like throughout her creative life.