Julia Holter on her latest album, 'Something in the Room She Moves'

Courtesy of the artist

There are things about Julia Holter’s music that you may not understand.

Her lyrics can be cryptic, evading attempts to decipher them. Her song structure is experimental and unpredictable. Instead of trying to intellectualize Holter’s music, perhaps the trick is simply to feel it.

Something in the Room She Moves is the latest album from the Los Angeles-based musician, and in this session, Holter talks about how she tries to create moods in her music, how the album is a physical experience, and the way she focused on capturing a childlike playfulness inspired by her infant daughter.

You will also hear her play songs live in performances recorded at Webster Hall in New York City.

This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Miguel Perez. Our senior producer is Kimberly Junod and our engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.