RAGEFLOWER

by the partae

Where are you currently based?

I’m living on Gadigal land! Sydney, Australia. 

How did you first start playing music?

I started piano lessons when I was 3 or 4, I then went on to learn brass instruments (trumpet, trombone and euphonium) in highschool playing in orchestra and concert band. I was a massive band geek. I didn’t start writing my own songs until I was around 17, but I’ve always been making up little tunes to accompany my life. 

What’s been happening recently?

I’ve just come back from Byron Bay, I went up for Splendour in the Mud. Had a crazy time but now I’m home I’ll be getting back in the studio to finish off some new music!

Your second single ‘Years’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

I was very inspired by Joni Mitchell when I was writing this one, the way her melodies move around like swirling Van Gogh stars. When we got in the studio to put it down I wanted to find some heavier industrial sounds to accompany and contemporise the folk-style writing. 

How did you go about writing Years?

I’d just left a 4 year relationship. I put my guitar in open D tuning and started writing down everything I wanted to say to this person. It was very accusatory starting off, the first verse is basically just saying “you’re fake. I see right through you.” (window frames and such) But as I started writing the second verse, ; I realised all the flaws I was pointing out in this person I also held myself. I was lazy, I was stubborn, I also wouldn’t let things go. I had been in the same place for years, this toxic relationship, not just because of this other person but because I had allowed myself to stay there. 

Where and when did you record/produce/master and who did you work with?

So this song has been in the works for quite a while now. We laid down the drums (Daryl Chin) last year at studios 301 with my beautiful friend and incredible audio engineer Nicolas Mendoza. Over lockdown we put in guitars and bass in a home studio with Max Jacobs and Grace Labrum – this took a long time with restrictions but we got there eventually. The rest of the track was mostly me and Nico Scali (producer) in his studio in Marrickville, experimenting and trying to find something exciting for our ears after sitting on the track for over a year.

Do you have plans for an EP?

I do 🙂 I’ve been sitting on a looooot of music for the last 3 years so there’s a load more to come. I’ve really pushed the sound of RAGEFLOWER out of its box. My identity is fluid, so is my sound.

Please tell us about any upcoming shows/tours:

I haven’t got a lot of shows booked at the moment, I live with chronic pain so I’m trying to get healthy so I can go on tour one day. It does look like I’m getting better though and I’ll be playing a show with SULT at the Botany View Hotel in October. 

Who would you like to work with next?

Dream songwriting collab would be with Aldous Harding or Sevdaliza. But locally I’d love to get in a session with someone like Nick Ward or Carla Wehbe. They are both individually such unique, inspiring artists with huge spirit and great vision. 

What’s planned for the remainder of 2022 going into 2023?

Just recording and releasing! I wanna put as much music out there as I can before the world ends 🙂

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Pasta is life. I like to hang out in the park by myself or on a friend’s couch playing mario kart. 

Facebook  | Instagram | Youtube | Triple j Unearthed

You may also like

Leave a Comment