GoodLuck's Juliet Harding talks music, activism and life

Having released three albums, the Cape Town band’s chart-topping rendition of Londonbeat's ‘I’ve Been Thinking About You’ cemented their mark in the SA music industry. 'International act' soon became synonymous with the band's name after their first global release ‘Back in the Day’, which blew up on Spotify. Since then, the band has spent quite a bit of time overseas performing and creating new music and collaborating with various musicians. Such experiences have contributed to the fusion of diverse sounds to create a new take on electronic music. Their recent single 'Dear Future Me’ is also no exception to this.

Harding is not just about good music; as a female artist in the industry, her journey has not been without its fair share of challenges. This is why she and her band are dedicated to uplifting women – with a slight twist to their approach, and changing the world, on and off stage. 

Fresh from another overseas trip, Harding spoke with Music In Africa about her music, experiences and activism in the country.

MUSIC IN AFRICA: GoodLuck was formed eight years ago. How would you describe your sound then and now?

JULIET HARDING: I think our sound has evolved from being super experimental in the beginning to more connected and honest right now. We had no idea what we were doing when we started, and there is a magic in that, but right now I think that we are in a very good space of wanting to reach people with a message through music. We love to make songs with a positive message and energy. I think we have realised how much impact we can have simply through writing a song. It is very much intentional now.

Did you ever expect GoodLuck to become your vocation?

I always dreamt that music could be my career but I didn't believe it was fully possible. So when I left school I chose to study advertising and thought that music would just be a side passion. But when you really love to do something it can consume you. So I guess it must have been written in the stars long before I realised it.

You've said before that you strive to make music that changes the world for the better. What message do you want to relay to your fans?

We want to encourage people to be true to who they are and to be kind, connected and compassionate. We want to give people hope and be the hand on their shoulder that tells them everything is going to be just fine. I guess we just want to share some of the lessons we have learnt in the years we've had on this planet.

What are the most common challenges that you've faced as a woman in the music industry? How do you overcome such challenges?

Being a woman in the industry is still much tougher than being a man. There is still a lot of importance placed on physical appearance and youth, whereas a man is often scrutinised more on talent alone. But to be honest, I have always just ignored those elements of the industry because I believe that the cream always rises to the top, and if you are writing great music it will always shine through.

Your single 'Be Yourself' is inspired by women. Do you have any words of encouragement to share with aspiring female artists?

Go for it! The world is changing and more and more women are taking to the music industry, which is very exciting. I think in the past, women didn’t want to put themselves out there for fear of being judged, but now with so many examples of female performers who are just doing their thing without fear, there is a shift in the global consciousness and women are starting to emerge as powerful beings. This industry is mad, it takes grit and determination but if you are persistent it works.

What are some of the activities you've planned to empower women and female musicians in South Africa?

As a group, GoodLuck is passionate about uplifting women in society but we have taken a slightly different approach. We have been mentoring boys and men, through mentoraboychild.org and bridgesformusic.org, because so much of the dominance of woman and the violence against women comes down to men not having proper education and moral values to stand up for. So we are working on that front but I think that these changes in men will give women in South Africa more hope, especially those who have been abused by men. It is a real issue in South Africa at the moment so we are choosing to try and make a difference.

You’re also a Red and Yellow alumnus. Has the knowledge you gained from studying at the college contributed to your career as a musician?

Absolutely. Music has such a large marketing and design component to it. Studying at Red and Yellow taught me how to see things slightly differently and that has certainly helped in our musical journey.

What can fans expect from GoodLuck next?

We have just released a new single 'Dear Future Me' which is doing super well across Spotify worldwide.

Tell us more about the creative process in your band?

There isn't really a 'method' as such. We are always evolving out style and sound. We love to travel and always organise 'co-writing' sessions with other artists and songwriters so we can share ideas and collaborate. The key is to always be curious and never stop learning.

Have you considered going solo?

No not really. I am part of something bigger than myself and GoodLuck is also a part of who I am. It’s not something I am planning to do. 

Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?

Black Coffee, DJ Zinhle, Daft Punk (please!), Pharrell Williams... We could go on!

What are you listening to at the moment?

Listening to our awesome curated playlist on Spotify called 'Campsbay Sundowners'. Everything you need to hear is on there. We just discovered an epic artist called Cautious Clay – you should check him out!

Any other thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?

Just that we are grateful for supporting our music and South African music in general. Keep doing that! Also, we hope to see you at one of our upcoming shows. Music is cool but live music, well there is nothing quite like it!