Julia Cumming x Miista

Julia

We are shooting the new campaign "Walk a Mile in My Shoes"—or "Don’t Judge Me Until You’ve Walked a Mile in My Shoes." We’re here to capture all the chaos that is modern beauty, life, work, and womanhood. And we’re not leaving anything out.

Julia

I was 13 years old when we started that project.

Julia

Well, there’s something about rock music, especially, where every single woman that has come before has paved the way. There were still a lot of moments where I faced challenges. Even today, girls come up to me and say, "You were the first woman I saw playing bass on stage," which is really surprising. It reminds me that change happens person by person.

When I was younger, I just wanted to be close to music and didn’t think much about the challenges. But as time passed, I realised how hard I was trying and how much sexism we were really experiencing. Still, I believe kids can make art. Kids are more tapped in than we give them credit for.

Julia

I think so. Being young means having less fear, maybe because we don’t yet understand mortality. In Supercute, we wrote about what mattered to us—food, pets, friendship, and the artists we loved. We even had a rule: no writing about boys. Then we wrote a song about not writing about boys. So, we had rules, but we also broke them.

Julia

Well, we broke the "no writing about boys" rule by writing about boys. But we mostly wrote about rock stars like Elliott Smith and Syd Barrett—not the usual ones. I did like Nick Jonas, though. Who didn’t?

Julia

Right now, it's crucial to take care of ourselves in every way. So much of what’s happening is meant to scare women and push us into old expectations. We need to protect our mental health so we have the strength and creativity to fight. Resistance requires creativity and resilience. Activism is a lifelong journey, and burnout is a real risk. The worst thing would be to stop caring because it becomes too painful.

Julia

I think it makes sense to be afraid. Violence against women is rampant, and we all do what we need to do to protect ourselves. But womanhood is a multi-dimensional experience that cannot be silenced. We have to trust that and not judge ourselves. What we’re doing today—embracing imperfections and being different—is a form of rebellion.

Julia

When I was 14, performing in Seattle, a group of men threw condoms at us on stage. I’ve been stalked, I’ve received threatening messages with people holding guns. But what can you do? That’s part of being in the world. You can’t let what others think define your life. If you listened to every critic, you wouldn’t build anything meaningful.

Julia

It’s a gift. Many people never get the chance to think on these terms due to circumstances beyond their control. I’ve been lucky—my family never judged me, and I have my bandmates and my manager, Crista, who make this journey full of love and friendship. There’s no reason to limit our experiences. I just hope that, in the end, I create something meaningful.

Julia

Meditation and writing. I love writing—I've been doing it more for fun, whether it's poems or stories—as a way to interpret life and time. Sometimes, forgetting can feel like a way to stay safe, you know? It's easier to push things down. But at this stage in my life, I'm trying to remember more—to hold onto both the good and the bad. That helps me find more peace with it.

Julia

Judgment from family can be the hardest. My immediate family is supportive, but extended family can be tougher. In New York, it’s easy to be a "freak," but outside the city, it’s different. Sometimes just a look can feel like judgment. Playing a show for five people can be scarier than playing for 10,000 because it’s more personal. But I choose to focus on the gift of not being confined to a box.

Julia

New York blends European influence with American ambition, creating a unique music history. DIY is the foundation of my career—there’s no college course for this. You just keep lifting amps until one day you don’t have to do it alone. DIY gives young people the chance to make rock ‘n’ roll, and that’s invaluable.

Julia

So many. Total Slacker, DIIV—who came out of 285 Kent. That whole Williamsburg block had venues like Ran Tea House, Death by Audio. It was a magical time.

Julia

Lots of new music with Sunflower Bean and beyond. I’m also working with Mutua, a group in New York, to take activism into the digital space. Tech is evolving so fast, and I want to find ways to connect and support people in new ways.

If there’s one takeaway, it’s that none of this should be gatekept. I’m just a regular girl from New York who’s very tall and has had big dreams. If I can get this far, so can someone else. Rock ‘n’ roll, DIY, and activism are about opening doors for others—especially for young girls. That’s the real gift.