Where are you currently based?
I am currently based in Brisbane, about 30 minutes north of the city.
What’s been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been so far?
My Covid experience has been a bit rocky. I play gigs for a living, and have done so for the past 4 years, and I took a big hit during Covid. I also ended up being lost and unmotivated with nothing to do. But after a while, I picked myself back up and made the decision to figure out and reinvent myself. I also had loads of free time to work on new music.
But things are starting to pick back up. And for all the bad of Covid, it did have some positives in there.
How did you first start playing music?
When I was 5 my mom enrolled me to get piano lessons, which I continued till I was about 11. But when I was 16 is when I first picked up a guitar, and got serious with my music.
You’ve changed up your sound to more RnB pop style, why’d this come about?
During the lockdown I had endless amounts of time to listen to a wide range of genres and experiment. I was unclear about my direction with my music and so I tried heaps of sounds with my guitar and loops to arrive at my current R&B/ Pop-esque style. I also made changes to my look with the blonde hair.
Your new single ‘Crazy Crazy’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
“Crazy Crazy” came about during the lockdown period. When I write music, I usually lay down a beat and chord progression using my looping rig. The chorus was the first thing I wrote in that song. This was when I was experimenting with my new style.
After getting the live version of the track complete, I headed over to the studio where myself and Josh Beattie added the crazy elements you hear in the song. For example, there is a percussion section in the song where Josh plays on two glasses using a fork and a spoon. After putting the studio version together I did a rewrite of some of the lyrics, which resulted in “Crazy Crazy” as you hear today.
How did you go about writing Crazy Crazy and what is the story behind the track?
The track was based on a past relationship. Where everything seemed great at one point, but this was just the honeymoon phase. You turn around a few days later and its over, just like that, with no warning whatsoever. Makes you wonder if the signs were always there.
Where and when did you record/produce/master?
“Crazy Crazy” was recorded with and produced by Josh Beattie at his studio in the Gold Coast, and afterwards was mastered by Paul Blakey.
How was your experience working with Josh Beattie the producer?
This is the 2nd track I have done with Josh Beattie, and we have always had a good chemistry in the studio. We seem to have the same wacky curiosity for trying different things and weird sounds which we never think would work, but almost always end up making the final cut of the track.
Working with Josh is a blast because he is great at filling in the missing pieces, as well as encouraging artists and making them feel at ease. I know this for a fact because I recorded my first song with him and was very nervous heading in to record.
We recorded “Crazy Crazy” over 2 days, and this was the first track recorded in his new studio. Plus he also lets me sleep in the studio, so I don’t have to commute back and forth from Brisbane, which is a bonus.
What’s the Brisbane live music scene like post Covid?
I think things are slowly starting to pick back up in Brisbane. The first few weeks back playing live gigs were a bit tricky, with the “no dancing” rule. I’d see people vibing, only to be approached by venue staff who inform them they need to be seated.
However, things seem to be returning to a state of normalcy. I believe that there are still less live gigs going around, and still some limitations, but hopefully in the next few months we will be back to the usual.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
Someone asked me recently who my favorite artist was and I said something along the lines of “I don’t think I have a favorite artist of all time, but if you asked me who my favorite modern artist is it would have to be Khalid”. He has a unique style, which is unmistakable. Some other artists I’m really vibing with right now are Childish Gambino, Bruno Mars and Daniel Caesar.
What do you like to do away from music?
When I’m not working on music or related material, you can find me at the gym. I train in mixed martial arts (Kickboxing & Jiu Jitsu) which I personally believe improves my focus, discipline and drive in other aspects of my life.
I also love the occasional binge, with my most recent being “The Queens Gambit”
Any new music on the way?
I have another track set for release early next year, potentially in February/ March. Don’t want to give out too many hints just yet, but I thought I would start the new year by releasing something a bit laid back and chilled out.
What’s planned for the remainder of 2020 going into 2021?
Well, I just had my sold out single launch show at the JunkBar, Brisbane. This show was set to be my final big event for this year. I will be releasing a couple of videos from my show, as well as a little animated video & lyric video over the coming weeks leading into January.
Apart from that, I have a radio interview at Juice FM in the Gold Coast set for Friday the 11th.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
Korean Fried Chicken is hands down my favorite thing to eat.
The favorite place to hang is kinda a tricky one, theres a couple because I drive around a bit for gigs. But once in a while, my housemate and I (also a musician) would go to Shorncliffe pier and have a late night jam sesh at like 2 AM.
