Putting the Pep in Pepsi

Pepsi, if you didn’t know, originated in N.C., just like musicians Garrett Huffman and Julia Golden, who recently co-wrote the song “Born in the Carolinas.” The song is now featured in Pepsi commercials throughout North and South Carolina. Julia is a Moore County native and rising country artist. She has worked with Garrett on a few different projects in the last year or so, including releasing the song “Story Like Ours.” Garrett is originally from Gastonia but has played in Moore County, both with Julia and solo, several times.

Garrett partnered with the soda brand at the beginning of the year, knowing he would eventually write a song. In Nashville earlier this year, he and Julia met up to collaborate on “Born in the Carolinas,” which is also the brand’s slogan. “We are great writing partners. We wrote that song in one night,” says Julia, who also sings back up vocals on the track. “We were trying to capture being proud of where you’re from first and foremost,” says Garrett.

• The first line of the song is “Breathing in those whispering pines” so naturally, we asked Julia if that was a little love letter to the MoCo. She said “it was definitely an ode to my hometown. I wasn’t even sure if Garrett would get it, but it worked either way.”

Julia and Garrett have had similar career paths as 19/21 year olds breaking into the country music industry. Both have recently released EP’s and tour up and down the east coast. Listen out for the song on the radio or stream it here.