Following the iconic milestone of 5 million streams for her hit single “Subway Song,” indie pop darling Julianna Zachariou spent some time with KCR’s Jacob Chan to talk about not only “Subway Song,” but her new single “M.A.S.H.,” which arrived Oct. 24, and new album, Dreamer Dreamer (recorded in eight days in a beautiful stone chapel in Wales), arriving in the coming new year.
Zachariou got her start in Sacramento, surrounded by a vibrant indie and DIY scene, before bouncing to Nashville to attend Belmont University. She ultimately landed in San Diego, where she has taken up a more permanent residence, and become a fixture of the local music scene. Her new single “M.A.S.H.” has provided a new perspective on her spirituality, childhood, and perspectives on how one can find answers in life. And before you ask, “M.A.S.H.” is not referring to the 70’s TV show; rather a childhood fortune-telling game that serves as the metaphor with which she chooses to view her relationship with finding life’s answers.
“I grew up in an evangelical space, so there was a lot of thinking about what God wants for your life, and trying to decipher and discern that was really difficult and anxiety-inducing for me,” Zachariou said. “So the concept is playing mash with a mountain. It’s like playing the game with God.”
Zachariou introduces a fresh voice to the American musical lexicon, aiming to cement herself as a new influence in the queer songbook, citing the fortitude and integrity of the queer experience in modern popular culture. She is looking to carve out her own lived experience, one that represents authenticity and the desire for kindness and empathy in a world that no longer holds room for such things. In her words, she believes: “There’s a clarity about… how people are meant to be treated, and I feel like loving your mom is really punk rock, you know what I mean?”
As of publication, Zachariou’s single “M.A.S.H.” is out on Spotify and Bandcamp, and she will continue playing local shows until the release of her new album Dreamer Dreamer in the 2026 new year.
The full video format of this interview will be published by KCR following publication of this article.