Julia Jacklin Drops New Song 'If I Had the Hand of God'

Julia Jacklin is a favourite here at The Note office, and with every new single she releases, our anticipation for her fourth studio album, The Gem, grows.

Her latest, 'If I Had the Hand of God', follows the wonderful trilogy of singles 'Get Away From Me (I Think I'll Love You Soon)', 'I Wish' and 'The Hardest Thing', and finds Jacklin expressing what it's like to be a touring artist in the modern world, inspired by a recent trip to Nashville.

Jacklin's upcoming album, the first released via her new label 4AD, takes its name from the Collingwood pub where she recorded the release.

The Gem was produced by Jacklin and Robert Muinos (Camp Cope, Didirri, Little May) and features guitarist Jacob Diamond, bassist Mimi Gilbert and drummer Jess Elwood.

"I want to love and be loved, but I also want to be free. The tension between those two things has been the central question of my life," Jacklin says when speaking about the record.

"The Gem felt like a metaphor for the whole process, because a lot of it did feel like digging. I felt like I was doing it almost in the dark, just trusting I was going to find something."

READ MORE: Arthur Hill Shares New Song 'Winning Formula'

Julia Jacklin has cemented herself as one of Australia's most impressive songwriters since emerging in the early 2010's.

The Blue Mountain product, now based in Melbourne, has released three critically acclaimed albums – Don't Let the Kids Win (2016), Crushing (2019) and Pre Pleasure (2022) – along with one album with her rock outfit Phantastic Ferniture.

The ARIA Award winner has announced a run of headline shows across North America for October and November, followed by UK and European dates in February and March 2027.

With nothing planned for January, here's hoping Jacklin announces a run of Aussie shows and includes a visit to little old Adelaide.

'If I Had the Hand of God' by Julia Jacklin is out now. Listen here. The Gem is out Friday 25 September via 4AD. Pre-order here.

Julia Jacklin – The Gem

1. 1Brand New
2. 2God Sometimes
3. 3If I Had the Hand of God
4. 4The Hardest Thing
5. 5Angel Vision
6. 6Real Life
7. 7Get Away From Me (I Think I’ll Love You Soon)
8. 8You Turned on the Tap
9. 9Walk on Me
10. 10I Wish [ft. The Maes]