Julia Greenberg Releases Hopeful Anthem Of Healing And Letting Go, Leaves

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best arts and entertainment magazine UK“, Julia Greenberg’s newly released single “Leaves” is a beautifully raw, alt-country-tinted masterpiece that offers a deeply comforting and hauntingly graceful reminder of the delicate art of letting go after loss.

Following months of anticipation, NYC-based singer-songwriter Julia Greenberg officially released her highly anticipated EP, Born Sentimental, earlier this month via New Jersey’s Magic Door Record Label. Anchored by the poignant lead single, “Leaves,” the project has arrived as a hauntingly graceful collection of songs that masterfully explores the delicate, necessary art of moving forward through personal loss.

Finding Hope in the Autumn of Loss

Written over several years following a profound personal tragedy, the standout track “Leaves” serves as the emotional anchor for the EP. The song functions as an acoustic meditation on the impossibility of holding onto transient moments, offering a beautiful juxtaposition of melancholy and optimism.

Lyrically, Greenberg tackles the friction between honoring cherished memories and finding the courage to step toward an unpredictable future. The track even features a clever nod to Kurt Weill’s classic “September Song,” with Greenberg gently mocking her own somber reflections while the rest of the world enjoys the fleeting summer sun. It stands as a soft, comforting reminder that heartbreak and rebirth are deeply intertwined.

Raw Chemistry and Organic Sound

To capture the true emotional weight of Born Sentimental, Greenberg took a deliberately raw, unfiltered, and anti-digital approach. Recorded live at Chrometop Studios, the music relies on the genuine, lived-in chemistry of a quartet that has spent half a decade touring the Northeast together. The result is a gorgeous, vulnerable blend of alt-country grit and the sophisticated wit of classic American Standards, free from the standard filters and digital polishing of modern music.

Greenberg co-produced the EP alongside Bob Perry (The Winter Hours), who also engineered the sessions. The final tracks were mastered by industry veteran Ray Ketchem at Magic Door Recording Studio in Montclair, NJ—a name well-known for his work with legendary indie acts like Guided by Voices and Luna.

The accompanying music video for “Leaves”—directed by Greenberg, edited by Nico Greenberg, and filmed by cinematographer Yumiko Takagi—visualizes these exact themes. Set in a small-town schoolhouse frozen in time, the lens treats the setting as a monument to the milestones and people we must eventually leave behind to keep moving forward.

A Career Rooted in the NYC Downtown Scene

Greenberg is a long-time fixture of the downtown NYC music scene, and Born Sentimental represents a deeply personal catharsis for the multi-talented artist. She has previously released two acclaimed albums, Past Your Eyes and Greenland (both produced by James Mastro). Her music has also been featured on This American Life—notably in an episode where pop icon Phil Collins evaluated a breakup song she co-wrote—and her songwriting has been recorded by the legendary Ronnie Spector.

Beyond her solo music, Greenberg is a celebrated theater composer and filmmaker. She co-wrote the off-Broadway rock opera People Are Wrong! and composed the music for the play Cavedweller alongside Hedwig and the Angry Inch composer Stephen Trask.

Recently, she directed the award-winning PBS documentary Dory Previn: On My Way to Where, which premiered at the SXSW Film & TV Festival. Having spent years as the foremost interpreter and archivist of Previn’s work, this new EP marks a vital return to Greenberg’s own unadorned voice and original storytelling.

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