Music can be like an old friend. Songs can be so familiar, so close and personal, that they create a bond with the listener, one that can last a lifetime.

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Julia Jenkins knows all about this relationship, so much so that her new show, Among Friends, is all about surrounding yourself with the familiarity of songs and their sounds.

‘To be honest with you, I’ve had a ridiculous amount of fun putting this show together,’ laughed Julia Jenkins as she explained to OUTinPerth. ‘I’ve never done a solo cabaret before, this is my first foray into it.

‘It’s just all the songs I’ve been really craving to sing over the years and I finally get a chance to put them in my own show. It’s a really diverse sort of repertoire.’

The likes of Bette, Liza, Barbra and even David Bowie pop up in this spectacular piece of cabaret, so much so you won’t be able to put the lineup into any one genre. Well… other than outright fun.

‘I’m very excited about doing a couple of Charles Aznavour songs in there that are very rarely performed,’ Jenkins explained further. ‘When I grew up, a really big influence to me was Liza Minelli, so I hadn’t really heard of him until I saw Liza do one of his numbers a few years ago.

‘It was just so incredible, and I just thought “Who is this man?” and so I went further into his works and there’s just some amazing songs that, of course, are all in French, but once they’re translated they’re really incredible. Really beautiful stories.’

But what of her cabaret styling? How does Jenkins perceive herself fitting in to the genre? ‘I try not to rehash the things that everyone hears, so even when I say things like Liza and Bette, it’s not the sort of songs you’d expect.

‘There’s a lot of really cool medleys in there as well – there’s a medley of the old war-time songs that I’m very excited to be singing – and also for the first time live I’m going to be doing a track from my new album, so it’s an original song that I’ve written.

‘I think with cabaret in particular, although I don’t play a character, it’s an exaggerated version of yourself in a way, so I’m really looking forward to sharing a bit of myself with everyone.’

Among Friends appears as part of Cabaret Soiree Downstairs at His Maj on Friday October 2 and Saturday October 3. Jenkins will be joined by accompanist Tim Cunniffe. www.bocsticketing.com.au