Where are you currently based?
I’m on the Sunshine Coast in QLD – the perfect place for the beach and waves this summer!
How did you first start playing music?
Pretty soon after I could talk, I was singing in the back of the car on every drive. I’d always be singing random things, and mum and dad bought me a tape recorder when I was five to record my first ‘song’ (something about going outside and then coming back inside). From there, my school had us learn ukulele and guitar and I fell in love. I was always strumming away at home and writing songs to play for my parents and whoever came over to the house in little concerts. I was hooked.
What’s been happening recently?
I’ve been out at my Grandmas place a lot recently. She’s got two and a half acres out in Cooroy and she’s letting me make some gardens out there, so there’s been some home grown cucumbers and a bunch of other veggies like corn and eggplant coming on. I also convinced her to get chickens, which has been very cute. They follow her around everywhere! They’re also laying heaps of eggs.
Your latest single ‘Ride Along’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
‘Ride Along’ was written on the acoustic guitar at my place – a fairly regular way for me to write songs. The next step was taking it in to Sam Cromack for production. In its acoustic form, the song already had a bit of drive to it, but Sam really brought this out with some cool production. Sam made his production magic while I nudged us in the direction the song took. We wanted to make a more fun/upbeat kind of track than we had together before, and that’s how it turned out.
How did Ride Along come about?
Ride Along started as just some chords I liked with me singing some throwaway lines, but I quickly realised I was starting to write about an experience I had with someone dictating too heavily in my career. I’m a fairly softly spoken person, so it’s been a learning curve to start taking charge of things myself. ‘Ride Along’ is a reminder that you don’t have to fit into the expectations put on you by other people, or society, or even yourself.
Where and when did you record/produce/master and who with?
Sam Cromack produced Ride Along in a little studio in Stafford that Ball Park were renting. It was in an industrial area, behind a roller door, with rugs and a beautiful slightly-out-of-tune upright piano. We recorded it probably two years ago, but ended up releasing two other tracks in between. The production was finished off by Sam Thomlinson in Sydney, mix by the incredible Peter Holz and master by Steve Scanlon.
You’ve signed to Italy’s Ego Record’s for the release of Ride Along, how did this come about and how has the experience been so far?
I worked with EGO previously, on the very first single I released, ‘Wish I Was’. They were keen to work together again on this track, so we made some arrangements and it’s great to be working together again! They are in the European market, so there’s a focus on remixes, and it’s been really cool to hear some of the remixes of the track come through. One of these, by Super-Hi, has already been released.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
There’s a groovy little disco-esque band called ‘Young Gun Silver Fox’ that have some pretty cool tracks I’ve been playing lately. Odette’s version of ‘Magnolia’ on Like a Version and James Blake’s new tune featuring SZA have also been on my rotation.
What do you like to do away from music?
This summer I’ve been back in the water attempting to surf, which is a lot of fun! I also just like catching up with friends and getting up to different things like playing pool and going for walks. It’s great going out to Grandma’s with the garden and the chickens too!
What’s planned for Ride Along and 2022?
There are a few more remixes yet to come, which is exciting! This week, Ride Along was also added to rotation on triple j – which has been incredible. 2022 will see some more releases soon, and I can’t wait to get back to playing live!
Favourite food and place to hangout?
Mac & cheese and anywhere camping!
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