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Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?
To be honest, I’m a little bit in limbo as to where I’m currently based, but Melbourne is always home. The Melbourne music scene is the perfect place to cut your teeth as an artist or a band. There are SO many places to play and learn how to gig and the community that experience builds around you stays with you for life.
How did you first start playing music?
I told my mum that I wanted to play the saxophone when I could barely walk and started playing the recorder soon after. Fuzzed out guitars and production felt like a natural progression.
What’s been happening recently?
I’ve just come back to Melbourne after a summer up north and am throwing myself back into writing and getting ready to go on the road again while trying to win back my cats’ love.
Your new single ‘Sucker For Punishment’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this track?
The song is probably my most political song to date. Ultimately, it’s about self delusion and catching yourself out for perpetuating the problems that we frown upon. The idea came to me when I found that I was way more affected by Instagram shutting off the ability to few likes that I thought I would be.
How did you go about writing Sucker For Punishment?
I was really, really lucky to write this tune with Isom Innis who is a member of Foster The People. We put it together between a small studio and his living room in LA mid last year. He was so enthusiastic and positive about the song from the get go, which is why I think it has the energy that it has. Sometimes it’s really easy to overthink and get entrenched in relatively superfluous parts of writing a song, but Isom’s vibe made the process really free and uninhibited.
Where and when did you record/produce and who with?
Isom got behind the knobs for this one. We basically wrote and recorded the song in two days. Sean Cimino, also from Foster, came in and recorded all the lead guitar parts, but other than that, it was myself and Isom who played everything – lucky Isom is a shit hot drummer!
How did you approach the recording process?
I don’t think anyone knew we were going to release the song – we just got into the studio, had a bunch of fun and came out of it with something that I could wait to put out.
What programs/instruments did you use?
It was a pretty basic set up – we ran Logic, recorded the drums in a vocal booth, I recorded the vocals sitting on the couch with a SM7, Sean had some gnarly delay pedals that we ran straight into a SSL strip, there was a jangly upright piano, a couple of teles and a hell of a vibe.
How did the concept for the ‘Lyric’ video come about?
I had always envisaged the song alongside a slasher movie vibe, so the font for the lyric vid really reflects that along with all the footage of I suppose real life slasher situations, like bomb drills and risk filled inebriation.
You have a huge Australian/UK/USA tour coming up, what do you have in store for these shows?
Sucker will get its first run on the road, which will be great! I have some of the best people I’ve ever met from around the world playing in my band and that makes for a huge vibe onstage – I’m a very lucky gal.
How do you prepare for live shows?
I try to strike a balance of being calm and relaxed while remaining super present and not letting the set pass me by.
What do you most enjoy about touring/playing live and what do you find most challenging?
Nothing beats a killer show – it reminds you why you do it. It’s hard being away from friends and family, of course. Also not being able to cook and do your own laundry as it suits you.
What do you like to do away from music?
Read, cook, go for drives and I’m trying to go to the cinema more
Who are you listening to at the moment?
RAT BOY, Jess Day, Your Smith, Haroumi Hosono and oso oso
What’s planned for 2020?
A fuckload of touring, writing, some sneaky releases and taking it all in.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
The kangaroo parma at the Napier Hotel.
