|
Where are you currently based?
I live on the Mornington peninsula in Victoria!
The boys are also originally from the area and Yara lives in Kew! It’s so nice being away from chaos of the city at the moment and having some calm!
What’s been happening recently and how has you Covid experience been so far?
It’s been challenging hey.
There have been lots of ups and downs but I feel that we are incredibly privileged to live in this beautiful part of the world and have access to all of the assistance and resources that we do.
I’ve taken this time to centre myself and write lots of new tunes.
Your new single ‘7Hundred25’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
The subject matter of 7Hundred25 revolves around realisation and acceptance. We wanted an extremely gradual build and to make the song fee like it was forever growing.
7Hundred25 has this simplistic and raw energy to it and we wanted it to really develop during the recording process!
How did you go about writing the track?
For this track in particular, I created the foundation with a simple two chord progression. The melody had already came to me and I wanted to incorporate numbers into my writing. Once I started jamming it out in my bedroom, I recorded a demo with harmonies – this is when the magic started to happen and the tune really came together!
Where and when did you record and who with?
We recorded with Quin Grunden, partly at Boxhill Institute and partly in his studio.
This track is a part of a compilation album released through Cousin Will Records so we are stoked to be a part of it!
How did you approach the recording process?
I think this song had a really solid structure coming into the studio. We knew which elements that we wanted to incorporate but hadn’t fully refined them yet. 7Hundred25 was recorded over roughly six sessions and we had lots of time between our studio visits to evolve our ideas even further.
What programs/equipment did you use?
A stand out piece of equipment that we used for recording was the E-Bow. Our guitarist, Alex Marko, made the track shine with its beautiful, meditative, layered drone – it almost sounds like a violin!
Please tell us about the track vocals and instrumentation/harmony layers:
Vocals have always been at the forefront of our music. I resonate most with raw, powerful and emotive voices and lyricism.
We had so much fun adding all of the layers to the track and really adding that dynamic build.
I wanted the vocals / harmonies to become more emotional and prevalent as the song progressed and I feel that we achieved that.
We layered different sounds on Yara’s nord, had about 8 guitar tracks, a grand piano track, 2 bass tracks, a cymbal track, about 8 harmony tracks and the lead vocal track.
You run a charity organisation called Flo Events, please tell us about this:
Flo Creative Events is a not-for-profit events company that I co run with my beautiful artist friend, Shan Primrose. I guess our main focuses are creativity, community and charity.
We create various opportunities for people of various artistic backgrounds and local businesses. Shan and I put on wholesome events and quarterly magazines with each project donating money to important organisations. Flo is such a lovely community and we are super blessed to be a part of it!
What is your role in Fem Jams and what is Fem Jams all about?
Fem Jams is a project that I co run with Yara Alkurd and Pia Nesvara! These queens and I decided to create an empowering and inclusive jam space for all womxan.
Fem Jams occurs once a month at the Night Cat (out of isolation) and we curate an all female house band performance, paired with open jams once the energy is there!
We encourage woman to network and support one another in this space and in the broader community!
You also book gender equality driven nights at the Night Cat called ‘Sonic Textures’ please tell us more:
I miss Sonic Textures so much.
Tuesday nights (pre Covid) I hosted events at the Night Cat that always had equal female representation for an entire year.
It was such a beautiful space and I can’t wait to get back into the swing of things to discover more incredible emerging artists and showcase their talent!
Who are you listening to at the moment?
Lots of Lianne La Havas, Nasty Mars, Raveena and Lief Vollebekk!
Also heaps of local Aussie acts like Dulcie, Great Gable, Rissa, Benjamin Trillado, Indigo Mckeon and many more – what a great time to soak up all of the music!
What’s planned for the remainder of 2020 going into 2021?
We are planning to record and release an EP over the next 9 months. Unfortunately our national October Tour with Great Gable was postponed but we hope that we can get something going in 2021.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
At the moment I really miss The Night Cat – being able to work at or watch a stunning performance then head to Shawcross Pizza on Brunswick street to get a late night slice was always such a good time!
https://www.facebook.com/velvetbloom.music/
https://www.instagram.com/velvetbloom.music/
https://velvetbloom.bandcamp.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLsOjd3he7oB58TqtCDNkgg?view_as=subscriber
With recent news that their Big Grief tour would only be going ahead in a limited format, Brisbane heavy hitters WAAX, while crushed to have had to take these measures are committed to make it up to their loyal fans with a special streamed performance.
WAAX will perform selections from their amazing debut Big Grief within Brisbane’s famous Tivoli in front of an intimate (and socially distanced) live audience.
Big Grief explores the very definition of the word grief in universal terms; it’s a mourning that as sentient beings in the modern world, with all its technological trappings, we should all be able to relate to.
As the band’s firebrand vocalist Maz DeVita states, “the whole album is about grief for so many things that I felt when we were writing the record. The way the world is at the moment, the environment, I talk about coal, I talk about problems in the past with my body image, and it’s almost like a big mourning. It’s definitely an outpouring of grief in every sense of the word.”
The show will be streamed live, and will not be available to view online following the event. Please note during the event you will not be able to pause, rewind or fast forward the stream.
“We are thrilled to be able to create this experience, we love our community so much. We want to still give something back to the rest of Australia since you’ve all supported us so much over the years. We’ll come back and visit as soon as we can, but before then please enjoy this live stream from the comfort and safety of your home.” – WAAX
OCTOBER 29TH, 2020 – 9:00-10:00PM AEDT
https://www.momenthouse.com/
|
Released today, ‘TOMMY’S IN TROUBLE ft. CLYPSO + Phil ‘TOMMY’S IN TROUBLE ft. CLYPSO + Phil Fresh’ is the third track to be released from Kwame’s forthcoming EP, Please, Get Home Safe Out Friday October 30th The new single speaks on the warped perceptions and boundaries of society that an individual face often being villainized when being outspoken and providing voices on the unheard. The piece highlights two separate perspectives showcased through fellow Sydney artists CLYPSO and Phil Fresh. Both perspectives draw different themes and translate them through the musicality of the piece. “Table’s set and the tree is lit, TOMMY got himself in trouble”, as performed by CLYPSO in the song’s chorus, represents the movement against the parameters imposed by a society that limits creative output and the unity of race. The addition of Phil Fresh in the second half of the song to which accompanied by Kwame elevates the piece to a place where it’s no-holds-barred. The energy, character and conviction of both Kwame and Phil Fresh through their carefully thought out lyrics showcase the artists speaking out on the unheard, refusing to be villainized and oppressed. Whilst the piece may be from the point of view of Kwame’s personal experience, it acts as a voice to others who may face similar trials and tribulations irrespective of race, gender, sexuality and creative outputs. ‘TOMMY’S IN TROUBLE ft. CLYPSO + Phil Fresh’ follows ‘schleep.’ – a surprise flex track that dropped in March and further showcased the 22-year-old Ghanaian-Australian producer, writer, rapper, engineer’s unpredictability and flow. The track which won’t feature on Kwame’s upcoming EP has gone on to amassed over 1.5m streams and was performed live on day of release when U.S. rapper A$AP Ferg, whom Kwame supported in Melbourne, pulled the young artist up on stage during his sold-out Sydney show. |
|
|
Sunflower Bean return with their first new material of 2020, ‘Moment In The Sun’. Written about realising what’s most important in life is spending time with the ones you love, ‘Moment In The Sun’ resonates now more than ever.
“‘Moment In The Sun’ is about finally recognizing what is important in one’s life, the people you decide to spend it with,” Sunflower Bean explains of the track. “All of these things we distract ourselves with, the neverending mountain of career climbing, the pursuit of financial success, and the hope that after all that trying you could finally be cool. All of that is meaningless in comparison to one great day, hour, or moment with someone you really love.”
‘Moment In The Sun’ premiered overnight as Hottest Record In The World with Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1. Produced by Dave Bassett (Vance Joy, Bishop Briggs) and Jacob Portrait (of Unknown Mortal Orchestra), the song comes with a video made with VMA-nominated directors Andy DeLuca and Sarah Eisman.
The band further explains of the video, “while quarantining together upstate this summer we decided to make a music video for ‘Moment In The Sun.’ We thought the best way to visually represent the meaning of the song, while also taking inspiration from this isolating time everyone has been forced to live in, was to create two separate worlds. One world which exists totally inside a home, mostly in a lonely bedroom. The other world exists completely outside in the sun and is made up of memories of a summer love. We invited Marquis Rodriguez (When They See Us), to co-star in the video, and he was crucial in helping us tell the story of summer love and show those potent memories of tenderness coming to life. While living alone, the character Julia is portraying becomes flooded with memories and moments from the past summer, and as a result her bedroom starts to transform into the outdoor world. We built up the entire bedroom using real sod and flowers. Her memories are brought to life, just like the room.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dutch duo DROELOE have been showing the breadth of their sounds for years, but new single ‘Sunburn (Reimagined)’ could be one of their most glorious crossover moments yet.
‘Sunburn’ was a massive hit for them back in 2017, and has picked up over 43 million plays to date. Combining sweet vocals with razor-sharp synths, it was a track of stark contrasts and it helped them to find fame the world over. DROELOE now decided to revisit their breakout hit by crafting a new version.
“At first I was a bit overwhelmed by the thought of remaking our most listened to single,” says Vincent. “Can I make something that’s on par and does not take away from the original? But then I realised that the whole point of doing this is to create a different point of view, therefore everything goes. As soon as I started working on it, it all clicked pretty quickly and fell into place. So for me this reimagination reminds me, among other things, to let go of limiting thoughts while making music and just try to embrace the flow.”
This new version is indeed very sympathetic to the charms of the original, but it tones things down to a slightly softer feel. Flecks of acoustic guitar replace the big synths, and intricate, crisp percussive rhythms help give the track an optimistic feel. Gentle music box style chimes and another cute layer of feeling. “It reflects on the memories and mindset that created the original at the time. With a lot of our work being so personal and often inspired directly from memories that we had or events that took place around the time of creation this reimagined version kind of feels like a trip down memory lane, but in a new light so to say!” says Vincent.
The artwork is as important as the audio where DROELOE are concerned, and that’s where the Duo’s visual artist, Hein Hamers, takes charge. “The idea was to take the original artwork and put it into a different perspective — quite literally with turning the camera upside down this time” he says. “But also by making it take place at night. I often feel that different places — especially places that are kind of public domain like a train station — have a totally different function and vibe to them during the night then during the day.”
‘Sunburn (Reimagined)’ is out now on bitbird!
Parisian musician, composer and producer Saycet today announces his fourth album, ‘Malaparte’. Set for release in Spring 2021, first single ‘Mother’ is now available to stream and purchase.
Five years after the release of his album ‘Mirage’, Saycet has consistently championed a blend of powerful, melancholic sounds across his discography of experimental electronic productions. Inspired by the art of scoring music to moving imagery, ‘Mother’ presents a progressive sound narration and conjures highly emotive audio storytelling – A trait which Saycet has become so widely famed for.
Written, produced and recorded alone in his Persian studio, ‘Mother’ is the first taste of Saycet’s forthcoming album, which promises to strike an ideal balance between minimalism, melodic electronic music and club production. The track will also appear on the soundtrack for the upcoming Canal + documentary ‘Bastard Lion’, which has been produced by Bonne Pioche along with featuring previously unreleased tracks and co-scored by revolutionary techno producer and DJ, Laurent Garnier.
At first glance, Saycet’s journey may seem peculiar but in reality, it is extremely fluid. A backward evolution away from our current era, which churns out artists non-stop – a path that has made Pierre Lefeuvre, the brain behind his Saycet project for the last 15 years, a key figurehead in the French electronic music landscape.
After release his first album, 2005’s ‘One Day At Home’, Saycet built upon a genre that had fallen into relative disinterest. Deliberately melancholy, errant electronic music made somewhat more accessible by pop melodies and experimental sounds. An outsider by nature, he was nonetheless spotted by influential media outlets, finding an international fanbase that would remain faithful to him through the years.
With time, Saycet’s creative work became more refined and his influences merged into a highly personal approach that succeeded in linking cerebral music with an opening to a wider audience. 2010’s ‘Through The Window’ and 2015’s ‘Mirage’ continued the project’s evolution towards a more timeless sound that shone through its arrangement work and an asserted versatility. Tours of Asia and collaborations (with Juliette Armanet and Yan Wagner among others) helped Saycet grow further (yet still outside of the mainstream’s radar) nonetheless finding his niche on the international music map. His approach to live performances cemented his place as an innovator, always in search of new aesthetic grounds, with stage shows that implemented video projection as a source of lighting rather than as mere visual illustration, creating a truly immersive experience in the process.
Somewhat accidentally, Lefeuvre opened the doors to composing via images – a logical, uncalculated continuation for this production artisan, whose composition work is nourished by visual art and cinematic culture. He created his first score for the 2019 feature ‘Un Vrai Bonhomme’ and started making headways into the circle of pop music composers who collaborate with filmmakers. Forthcoming, Saycet has composed all of the music for ‘La Révolution’, a French series produced by Netflix (to debut in the fall of 2020,) as well as the soundtrack for the Canal + documentary ‘Bastard Lion’. Saycet is also slated to be in residence in 2021 for a one-of-a-kind creative project built around the Château de Versailles’ architectural heritage and instruments.
Saycet ‘Mother’ is out now on ‘Météores Music’ via ‘IDOL’
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Australian producer Torren Foot today drops the vocal version of his mighty single ‘More Life’ featuring Tinie and L Devine. Unveiled alongside a Meji Alabi-directed video, ‘More Life’ sees the two UK stars come together for a surefire summer hit. The visual, starring both Tinie and L Devine, follows an elder male character as he consumes a ‘More Life’ energy drink in order to get a little more from life…
Speaking on the record, Torren Foot said –
“It’s still wild to me seeing Tinie & L Devine on a record that I produced, but 2020 is a crazy year, right?!! To have the opportunity to release a track with these two amazing artists is truly humbling.”
L Devine added –
“I’ve been working with Tinie on a bunch of songs over the past few years so I’m so glad we could finally come together with Torren Foot and release something. It feels so good to step into a world of music I’ve never touched before. I’m a huge fan and listener of house music so it’s sick to be able to show some love to it on this record.”
The original version has already racked up over 6 million streams to date and was the #1 most played song on triple j. One of Mistajam’s Future Anthems; the single has had props by the likes of Pete Tong, Danny Howard and Joel Corry and has already been added to both the KISS Fresh and KISS Dance playlists.
Setting streaming services alight when it was dropped earlier this year; ‘More Life’ hit the #1 spot in the Australia Viral Chart, #5 in NZ and was in the Top 40 in the Netherlands & Belgium. It topped the Beatport overall chart as well as peaking in the Shazam chart in AUS #4 and has had over 211k Shazams to date.
Melbourne-raised Torren Foot is one of Australia’s most in-demand touring club DJ’s. The ARIA-nominated producer and DJ has received A-list radio support across triple j and international support on Diplo’s Revolution SiriusXM US, MistaJam, Danny Howard, Studio Brussels, KCRW LA, SLAM FM and 538 NL.
One of the most successful and decorated artists in British pop music with a career spanning 15 years, Tinie has scored three top ten albums and seven number one singles to date, as well as racking up a roster of genre-pushing collaborations with globally renowned artists such as Calvin Harris, Wizkid, Stormzy, Swedish House Mafia, 2 Chainz, Chase & Status and Zara Larsson.
Championed by Charli XCX, Dua Lipa and Lewis Capaldi, supported by Radio 1 and Beats 1, and GAY TIMES’ Elevate Emerging Star in Music award, L Devine’s CV shows a young artist heading towards future iconic status. What’s more, she’s doing it her way – offering her unique take on life experiences through a prism of pioneering pop.
Torren Foot’s vocal version of ‘More Life‘ featuring Tinie & L Devine is out now via Sweat It Out, Warner Music UK (FFRR), and Big Beat Records.
For more info on Torren Foot, visit:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | SOUNDCLOUD
For more info on Tinie, visit:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
For more info on L Devine, visit:
TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK
First introducing themselves last year with the sweeping shoegaze infused dream-pop track ‘Never Change’, Sydney band Grids & Dots are back with new music for 2020. Their latest single, ‘The Great Divide’ continues to establish the group as a dynamic musical trio; utilising a strong handle on their influences in creating a sound completely theirs.
Though it is a track about connections, loss and absence, ‘The Great Divide’ is a song filled with warmth. Rhythmic and rich in vocals and harmonies, it’s a striking release from Grids & Dots, who are charging ahead for the second half of the year.
Recorded at Hercules Street Studios in Surry Hills with Wayne Connolly (Paul Dempsey, Boy and Bear), ‘The Great Divide’ came together later in their sessions together, but became a strong frontrunner. “Wayne liked the demo so much that he insisted we get it down along with the other songs. The band was completely unprepared for it at the time, and we worked a lot of the rhythm section parts and song structure out on the spot in the studio. Nevertheless, Wayne was right and we thought it sounded sweet and dreamy enough to be our second single.” Grids & Dots
The song itself has a sad and nostalgic tone to the lyrics, as Carmen Minikus and Daniel Handaru’s voices weave dreamily around one another. ‘The Great Divide’ is a look into relationships gone wrong, and the journey back to finding yourself. “It’s a really sad song about absence and how it can leave you feeling less than whole, but it’s also about being freed from people who can make you sad.” Grids & Dots
“The video takes the topic of distance between people and has fun with it. It’s about three people who are barely friends in the real world but once they leave this reality via virtual reality and suddenly become great buddies, band mates living out their fantasies in wonderful places. But what happens when they come back to the real world again?” Grids & Dots
“Melodic and with elements of shoegaze, their sound captures their busy inner-city lives with guidance through romanticised melodies. Influenced by both 80’s synth-pop sense of harmonies and noise driven shoegaze bands, Grids & Dots balance themselves in an indie pop surrounding that still hits the mainstream mark. A wonderful debut from a band we’re looking forward to hearing progress.”
Clout Magazine
“Grids & Dots glide through a concoction of shoegaze, psych-pop and noise-rock to deliver something uniquely their own.”
Happy Mag
With ‘The Great Divide’ marking their first release for 2020, Grids & Dots will be returning to performing (in an online sense, anyway) in September. Supporting fellow Sydney shoegaze lovers Trillion, Grids & Dots will be featuring on a special livestreamed show on September 13th.
‘The Great Divide’ is out now!
Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Triple J Unearthed
Where are you currently based?
I’m currently based out of beautiful British Colombia, Canada.
How did you first start playing music?
I switched schools in grade 3 to a school called Fraser Academy where my music teacher handed me a guitar. It was later that year I started singing and the rest is history.
What’s been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been so far?
I just released my latest single “The One” so my time has been revolving around that. otherwise its been nice spending time with my family and honing my craft.
Your new single ‘The One’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
We were going for a modern power ballad appeal with the sound and feel of the song. As for the songwriting the inspiration came from a little bit of heartbreak and of course.. a girl.
How did you go about writing The One?
I sat down with my co-writers/producers Brian Howes and Ryan Stewart, and opened up about being hung up on girl that had moved away. But she had helped me hold my head up and look for the good in people and experiences. It’s a bit bitter sweet bitter sweet but im thankful for the experience.
Where and when did you record/produce?
‘The One’ was recorded at Ryan Stewarts studio in North Vancouver, late summer of 2019
How did you approach the recording process?
We demoed the song right after writing it. When we went to record the official vocals we got some solid takes, But the emotion and execution of the demo vocals were just so raw and ended up being what we used for the final cut of the song.
Please tell us about the music video that’s on the way:
-The video was filmed around my hometown at some of my favorite places hangout. Due to covid-19 everyone on set was in my little bubble of people and was overall a day for the record books. The video plot is just as the song says.. a journey of heartbreak and finding the one.
You have a debut album in the works, can you give us an idea of what we can expect?
‘Richard’ is my introduction to the world. I just wanted to show people who I am and give them something to sing along too, maybe even something to sit back and think about.
What do you like to do away from music?
I love exercising and being outdoors! If I’m not at home or working on music, you can find me at the gym, in the mountains, or on the motorcycle.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
I’ve had Sting, The Fixx, and The Kooks on repeat all summer.
What’s planned for the remainder of 2020 going into 2021?
Hopefully releasing more music, maybe a couple shows, and putting time into mastering my craft.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
I love sushi, and I love riding my bike to the park I used to go to as a kid.
“Velvet Bloom consistently gives me shivers. Her music is enchanting and laidback. It’s always a pleasure finding out what’s in store with this artist.” – Nkechi Anele (Triple J Roots N All)
– “Your voice is stellar. It’s got so much character and soul to it. It’s so clear and it just oozes with star power.” – Claire Mooney (Triple J Unearthed)
Hailing from Melbourne, Velvet Bloom releases a slinky new single ‘7Hundred25’ encompassing the very essence of longing and the prospect of loss.
Oozing with lush vocals and honey dipped stripped back acoustics, ’7Hundred25’ takes listeners on a journey, subtly introducing elements until you realise that you are in the midst of an electronic strings section with choir like harmonies, rolling cymbal crashes and droning bass notes.
The single speaks to the fact that an acoustic style song can be entirely full without a major drum and bass section.
Velvet Bloom is a neo-soul, alternative-pop and jazz-rock music project with captivating ballad style vocals. The project is fronted and founded by Maddy Herbert, she performs solo and with different variations of her live band “The Vito Collective”.
This intricate single will be released as a part of a ‘Cousin Will Records’ compilation album with artists like ‘The Grogans’, ‘Auntie Leo And The Backstabbers’, ‘Polly And The Pockets’ and the like.
The band had a huge 2019 with the re-release of Maddy’s debut EP ‘Bitter Sweet’, as well as the release of singles’ ‘Isobel’s Song – Live At Box Hill’, ‘Teach Ya’ and ‘DM ME’ receiving praise and airplay from Triple J/Triple J Unearthed. Velvet Bloom also won
Listen Up Music Org’s 2019 national ‘Songs That Heal’ competition. In early 2020 saw the release of ‘Standards’, an up beat alternative-rock, soul- pop track that showcases Maddy’s raw and powerful vocals.
During COVID-19 Maddy was accepted into the MIME mentoring program through Boxhill Institute and is currently being mentored by Kylie Auldist.
If that’s not enough the band has also supported many established Australian acts like Kim Churchill, Josh Cashman, Death By Denim, Dulcie, The Grogans, Great Gable, Ben Wright-Smith, Zoe Fox And The Rocket Clocks, Teenage Dads to name a few.
https://www.facebook.com/velvetbloom.music/
https://www.instagram.com/velvetbloom.music/
https://velvetbloom.bandcamp.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLsOjd3he7oB58TqtCDNkgg?view_as=subscriber
“This song is about transformative, loving friendship. It expresses the moment in Thelma & Louise when all of their money gets stolen, they’re on the run and Louise has lost all hope. This awakens a fierce commitment in Thelma to change her passive nature and find a solution for the two of them. It is about caring enough for a friendship that you can allow it to change you, as you both grow together.”
Taking the stage, Whitehead guides the audience through a series of country songs – each lending their own narrative to the powerful evolution of Thelma’s character from the 1991 cult classic – Thelma and Louise. Not only do the songs capture key moments in the characters journey – but there is also a visual element where clips from the film will be interspersed with the music to further highlight important moments of Thelma’s feminist awakening. From innocence and confinement, to independence and an outsider life – the evolution is simultaneously beautiful, strange and heartbreaking as we are taken for a ride with Whitehead into the deep dive of Thelma’s relationship to Louise as she becomes both stronger in herself and closer to her partner in crime.
What’s been happening recently?
I just released my debut single “10 Out of 10”. I have been extremely fortunate to spend a lot of my time creating and collaborating with other artists on exciting upcoming projects.
How has you Covid experience been so far and how has it affected how you create?
So far, my COVID experience has been a complex and fascinating process. Initially, I was entirely unnerved by the lockdown. Pre-pandemic, it had never occurred to me how much of my work and lifestyle in general revolved around the gathering of people. This April was a time of deep reflection and re-evaluation. I took the opportunity to be honest with myself and take stock of which activities I was sad to miss, versus which activities I was relieved to be excused from. I have had to let go of a lot of stressors and instead focus on things which are in my control. I have been inspired by artists and arts organizations who have taken on trail blazing roles to transition musical opportunities into online/ COVID friendly experiences. Every day, I challenge myself and choose to think about what I can do rather than what I cannot do.
How does living in Argenta, BC affect your creative process?
Living in a remote mountain paradise is a big part of my story. I was raised to respect the environment and appreciate spending time in nature. Many of my melodic and lyrical ideas are revealed to me whilst walking forest trails or swimming in Kootenay Lake. I have always valued how much the space, quiet, and freedom of my surroundings have contributed to my creative process.
How did you first start playing music?
Singing has always felt like the most natural way of expressing myself. When I was fourteen, my dad bought me my first guitar and I started teaching myself chords; I was inspired by the fantasy of being musically independent and accompanying myself with a travel friendly instrument.
What instruments do you play?
Guitar
How do you usually go about writing and recording music?
I use acoustic guitar and my voice as the main tools in my writing process, improvising until I land on something that resonates. Typically, first come the chords and melodies, then I begin negotiating the lyrics. When I record, I like to start with acoustic guitar and vocals as the bones of the song. I’ll listen back and sing along to discover ideas for instrumentation and parts. Sometimes it’s fast, and other times it takes longer, but sooner or later the arrangement takes form through trial, error, and experimentation.
Please tell us about any current music and or music that you have on the way:
My new single “10 Out of 10” is freshly released! This has been an incredibly inspiring season for me. I can barely keep up with all the songs I have been writing and reviving. There is so much music to come and I am so excited to share it.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
If the World allows, in 5 years, I see myself touring internationally, perpetually writing songs, and collaborating with some of my favourite musicians.
How are you dealing with no live shows?
I do find it difficult. Despite all the incredible efforts to present performances virtually, I really miss connecting with audiences in person. There is no substitute for the magic of live music. One thing I have learned is I will never take an audience for granted ever again!
What will you do once all the Covid restrictions are lifted?
Travel and tour internationally!
Who are you listening to at the moment?
Lukas Nelson, Lianne La Havas, Kacey Musgraves, Taylor Swift, William Prince, Ruby Waters, & Khruangbin
What do you like to do away from music?
I love travelling, meeting new people, seeing new things, hiking, and spending quality time with friends.
Who or what influences your sound and style?
Joni Mitchell has been the single-most influential artist on my singing, playing, and songwriting. My sound and style is a culmination of the folk music of my childhood, my choral background/ affinity for vocal harmony, and elements of jazz music from my college education.
What’s planned for the remainder of 2020 going into 2021?
So far on the agenda for 2020/ 2021: a handful of intimate and socially distanced concerts/ livestreams, and as much audio and video recording as possible!
Favourite food and place to hangout?
I could talk about food all day; it’s impossible to choose just one favourite! My list includes spanakopita, quinoa salad, traditional thin crust margherita pizza, and tacos! I like to hang out at a secret beach or a trail with a view.