How would you describe where you’re at musically right now, and what led you there over the course of making this EP?
I’ve leant much further into a pop soundscape with this project, as I think is evident with the singles I have been releasing over the last year. This sound evolved partly from the collaboration of working with my co writer/producer Cam, as this sonic world is clearly a strength of his. The music naturally arrived in the overlap between my indie/folk influences and his talent for creating a pop banger.
What did your recording process actually look like day to day?
I was usually only in Sydney for two days at a time — so quite rushed, but a lot of fun.
I’d land on a Saturday morning, grab a coffee with Cam & resident studio dog Wookie, and head straight to the studio, only really emerging for coffee or dinner and often returning after dinner to finish up pretty late. Then it was back in the studio to do the last of the vocals Sunday morning — come nightfall, I was back on a plane!
Where did most of the recording take place, and how did those environments shape the feel of the songs?
For the most part we recorded in Sydney, except for track ‘Better’, which was made right here in Melbourne. Still, ‘Grocery Store’ is kind of the anomaly, being the only song I’d written alone and sometime before the others. Travelling back and forth to Sydney to record & write sounds cumbersome, but actually worked quite well for me. Having somewhere you’re visiting for the sole purpose of being creative is a luxury in its own right and sets up the right mental space to dive in deep.
How did you approach the songwriting for this project, and did that differ from how you’ve written in the past?
Actually yes, this is the first project I’ve had co writers involved in the whole way. Each of the songs felt like a single in their own right, but still cohesive enough sonically and topically to form an EP. I’ve come to really enjoy the collaboration of writing a track with the producer — it’s a form of creating that I can’t do as well on my own, but allows me to get into a different space.
When you’re building a song, what tends to come first for you, the lyrics, the melody, or the overall feeling?
It can change; usually the overall concept — but that might only become apparent after stumbling into a lyric. I think it can change over time. I used to start more with chords that would drag something to the surface I could then explore.
Was this EP written over a long period of time or in a more focused window?
Aside from Grocery Store, which still had a little workshopping, the writing was done within maybe 12 months total.
At what point did the project start to feel cohesive to you?
Cam and I started working together intending on recording Grocery Store, but we ended up writing 10 Seconds of Silence. After deciding to fly back to Sydney and finish 10SOS, Phase emerged when we had a few hours to spare. So pretty quickly it was obvious we were onto something that deserved to be followed through as its own body of work. Better was the sweet & moody final touch that, while maybe a little unique to the others, felt to me like the final touch to complete Rust’s narrative.
What challenged you the most while making this EP, either creatively or personally?
Distance was definitely a challenge we had chosen to take on, recording remotely or flying between states. Creatively speaking, I sometimes worried this pop focused direction might be too much of a departure from what I’d previously thought was ‘me’, but the production and arrangements we settled on I couldn’t have been happier with. I think the style does the music justice and walked the line beautifully between my previous releases and the more mature sound I was chasing.
What role did collaboration play in both the writing and recording process?
The whole project was collaborative! I went into these sessions more hands off than I had ever been before — meaning I didn’t come in with specific preconceived ideas for the most part. Showing up with some influences, maybe a concept or story to tell, and letting my collaborators shape the final product was refreshing & exciting.
Looking back now, what do you think this EP captures about you at this point in your life?
The title felt fitting for its imagery — how the presence of rust acknowledges a chapter of time is irretrievable or can never be quite the same. The songs detail a chapter of my life from start to end, of making difficult choices & finding the confidence to push forward.
When someone listens from start to finish, what kind of experience do you hope it creates for them?
If listeners really dive into the lyrics (which of course I hope they will), it’s partly my intention that they can find a piece of themselves reflected somewhere in the stories. The songs are ordered chronologically, so in a random order I expect they could sound a bit separate, but I’m really proud of the little world that lives within each track.
LAUNCH SHOW TICKETS – WORKERS CLUB – MAY 23, 2026
