While talking to the band members after the show I learned that ANA is actually based on an old Romanian folk tale which Julia said she translated and used as her inspiration. The tale is one of an Artist that is forced to give up the thing he loves most for the sake of his art.
It goes something like this; It seems that there was a master craftsman who was commissioned to design and build the most beautiful Monastery that ever existed. He has dreamed of such an opportunity his whole life and gladly accepts the job. While building the Monastery it is somehow revealed to him from some dark, shadowy source that he must sacrifice the thing that he loves most in order to complete the building. That thing is the love of his life, his wife. He is torn by this choice but his art wins in the end and that Monastery stands to this very day. On one of it's walls there is a plaque marking the spot where the Artist's wife was closed up forever, alive in the wall of the building... Knowing that story gives the listener a whole new understanding to the song which I think is hauntingly beautiful in it's own right.
The comparison that seems to hold sway among members of the media is that they have a sound something like Tool and that Julia is a lot like Bjork on stage with the same cuteness and almost childlike quality but without the weirdness. I guess that seems to be pretty accurate and holds for her off stage too. She is a lot of fun to talk to and has that sort of shyness when she speaks that is common to so many recent immigrants do who are not yet familiar with all of the intricacies of the English language and are being careful to understand what you are saying before they respond.
Article comments
1 - Tony Soprano
Mr. Enki, you're a little bit confused about JULIA'S ORIGIN...she's Romanian...and you called her Gipsy...please, do a little search before you write, ok?