Heartbreak Took Something. Country Music Gave It Back. | Julia Cole
Julia Cole knows how quickly the life you pictured can disappear.
After a called-off engagement forced her to rebuild her confidence and rediscover her self-worth, the Texas native poured that experience into her music — and into a community of fans that has become much bigger than herself.
When Julia joined Heart of the Gulch during CMA Fest 2025, we talked about “Day Late & A Buck Short,” healing through country music and the remarkable career she's built alongside her #ColeTeam.
Julia Cole during her Heart of the Gulch interview at CMA Fest in Nashville.
Inside Julia Cole’s Heart of the Gulch Interview
Welcome to Heart of the Gulch, a Nashville-based interview show and country music platform featuring artists, singer-songwriters and personalities shaping music and entertainment. Host and creator Tony Mendoza sat down with Julia Cole during CMA Fest to discuss “Day Late & A Buck Short,” heartbreak, self-worth, her Texas roots and the community behind #ColeTeam.
Turning Heartbreak Into Something Bigger
“Day Late & A Buck Short” came out of one of the hardest periods of Julia's life.
After a heartbreaking called-off engagement, she found herself rebuilding the confidence she'd lost. Family and country music became two of the things that helped her find her footing again — experiences that shaped both Day Late & A Buck Short and her previous project, Life After You.
Instead of hiding that chapter, Julia turned it into music for anyone else trying to find themselves again.
Heart of the Gulch host Tony Mendoza interviewing Julia Cole during CMA Fest.
500 Million Streams Without a Record Deal
There's another part of Julia's story that makes what she's built particularly impressive.
She did it independently.
By this point, Julia had accumulated nearly 500 million global streams while building #ColeTeam into a worldwide fan community centered around sisterhood, healing and confidence. Her career also included a Grand Ole Opry debut and recognition as a CMT Next Woman of Country.
Her current official bio has since surpassed that milestone significantly, listing more than 700 million streams and 2.7 million followers — evidence of how much the audience has continued growing since our CMA Fest conversation.
Before Country Music, There Was Volleyball
Julia Cole discussing “Day Late & A Buck Short” and the personal story behind her music.
Before international touring and hundreds of millions of streams, Julia was a Texas 6A athlete.
Music actually grew out of sports. She began singing the National Anthem before her own high school volleyball and basketball games before eventually performing it at NFL, MLB, MLS, NASCAR and ESPN events.
That competitive streak never really disappeared.
It just found a different arena.
Watch Julia Cole on Heart of the Gulch
Watch our full conversation with Julia Cole as she discusses “Day Late & A Buck Short,” her called-off engagement, finding self-worth again, #ColeTeam and her journey through independent country music.
Tony Mendoza is the Nashville-based host and creator of Heart of the Gulch, featuring conversations with country artists, singer-songwriters and personalities from Nashville and beyond.
