22-year-old Athens, GA-based singer-songwriter Julia Barfield was raised in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains– an upbringing filled with the music that shaped her sound and the experiences that inform her songwriting. After relocating to Athens to study at the University of Georgia, Julia found herself immersed in the vibrant Athens music scene. She began making her way around local open mics and playing on small bills until the subtle magic of the Athens music scene pushed her in the direction of her first recording project.
Born out of chance meetings at the local guitar shop and the kindness of friends and strangers, Barfield’s debut EP, “Keep to Me” is a definitively southern patchwork of songs that is equal parts heartache and hope, delivering difficult truths with casual conviction and a warm sound that have become her signature.
Julia is joined on the EP by Ben Hackett (production, engineering, bass), McKendrick Bearden (guitar, keys, lap steel), Andrew McFarland (drums), and Arianna Petersen (cello). “Keep to Me” was tracked live at Chase Park Transduction in Athens, Georgia in November 2024 and released independently in February 2025.
Julia Barfield 