We’re premiering ‘Cocaine Soul’ and ‘From…To…’ — they feel like very different sides of your songwriting. Was that intentional, or just how the songs came out?
Writing them wasn’t intentional — I don’t really think or plan before writing (I edit as I go when needed), so it’s basically just how they came out. They’re two of my favourite songs from the new album, and I liked the idea of releasing them together as they’re so different from each other. I’ve always liked that I’m quite diverse with the types of songs I write (within the indie rock genre), and these two hopefully showcase two of my main styles, moods, and emotions in songwriting.
‘From…To…’ feels really honest and reflective. Do songs like that usually come from a specific moment, or are they built from a lot of different experiences over time?
I think generally my songs come from a build-up of different moments, feelings, and experiences. This is a heartbreak song (with moments of hope), and I tried to be as honest and as unfiltered as I could, whilst adding some bits of fiction.
‘Cocaine Soul’ has a lot of energy and feels very story-driven. When you write songs like that, do you start with the story or the music first?
I liked the idea of the verses being mini stories, but held together with a big chorus, which is hopefully anthemic and catchy. I’ve always kept notepads and notes in my phone with lyric ideas, words, sentences, phrases, and I used a word, phrase, or name to start me off. I remember the verses being a trail of thoughts that just came out. I had the guitar chords and chorus phrase for a while — “A cocaine soul will steal your rock and roll.” Two of my favourite songwriters, Bob Dylan and Bright Eyes, both have an amazing ability to spew out incredible verse lyrics (especially in the early parts of their career). They were an influence on me, amongst some other artists.
Do you remember where you were or what was happening in your life when you wrote these two songs?
I was living in Edinburgh in my early twenties when I wrote ‘Cocaine Soul’ — it’s one of my earliest/oldest songs. I wrote ‘From…To…’ a few years ago, so I’m a little older now and I’ve been living in Brisbane since 2019.
You’ve lived in a lot of different places over the years. Do you think moving around so much has shaped the way you write or the way you see things?
Yeah, I think it has, even subconsciously. The diversity of styles has definitely been encouraged by moving, experiencing different places and situations, and meeting lots of different people. One of my previous songs, ‘Home is the Hardest Place to Find’, is partly about this feeling — not really having a fixed home or that strong sense of home. A more positive way to look at it is that a few different places feel like home, but no one place feels like home in a strong, permanent way.
When you listen back to your earlier releases now, do you feel like you’ve changed a lot as a songwriter, or does it still feel like the same person writing the songs?
I feel partly the same and partly like I’ve changed and matured. The punk aggression, attitude, and visceral rawness has mellowed as I’ve got older, which is totally normal. I feel like I’ve improved at finding more interesting musical backdrops and sections in my songs. I do think the rawness and punk edge is still there, but it’s more subtle now and comes out in different ways.
Do you write pretty regularly, or do songs tend to come in bursts when you’re feeling inspired?
As I’ve gotten older, it’s more when I have the time — so more in bursts when I want to start a new project. When I was younger I was writing pretty regularly. That feels really normal, as we get older and naturally busier in life.
When you were putting the album together, did you have a clear idea of what you wanted it to be, or did the direction reveal itself over time?
The direction revealed itself over time. Like my songwriting, I don’t really like to plan what a song or album is going to be about — I let my gut naturally lead me. I’m pretty happy to be patient with it all.
What do you hope people feel when they hear ‘Cocaine Soul’ and ‘From…To…’ for the first time?
I just hope they enjoy one or both of the songs, and if they do, they’ll listen to the new album when it comes out on 29 May and spend time with my back catalogue. Like we were saying earlier, if you enjoy raw, visceral punk rock and roll you should enjoy ‘Cocaine Soul’, and if you like gentle, introspective, honest and heartfelt songs you should enjoy ‘From…To…’.
Looking at the album as a whole, what do you think this record says about where you are in your life right now?
I think it shows I still have that early-20s version of myself in me, and that I’m still improving and exploring ways to get better as a songwriter — to convey feelings and experiences that we’ve all had or can relate to in interesting and different ways. I’m generally happy and settled in Brisbane, so hopefully it has a solid foundation, like I’ve found in my life here.
