Interview by Carol Wright
Growing up were you always interested in performing?
I started singing lessons at the age of 5 before I could really read music. I was studying classical music and opera at first, for 12 years. Then as I got older I was really drawn to musical theatre, and luckily classical is a really great base for all singing. So I graduated high school at 16 and went on to the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts where I studied both musical theatre and contemporary voice, and eventually landed on contemporary voice.
For so long people would ask me “what do you like to sing?” and “What do you want to do?” – and I never really had an answer for them. I just knew I wanted to sing, I didn’t know if I wanted to be on Broadway or singing cover songs in a band… I just knew that my passion was always there, I just wasn’t sure who I was in it. Does that make sense?
Music was my identity, but I was still unsure of exactly what that identity would be. Then about 3 years ago, I started writing my own music, and through doing that, I developed my own voice and my own singing style, which spread through every aspect of my life and made it so overwhelmingly clear that this is 100% what I should be doing and what I was born to do.
You studied at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. What did you learn during your time there that you carry with you into your career today?
Growing up my dad used to listen to music from the 50s and 60s – that was what we would have playing in the car every time we would go out. So I always had an appreciation for a wide variety of music. But it wasn’t until I went to WAAPA that I learned about the history of music, and was performing so many different styles, that I truly understood and valued music from various decades. Playing/singing live with a band is a skill that we learned there also, which is one I am eternally grateful for. There is no greater feeling than performing live (and that increases tenfold when you are performing your own music).
Tell us about your new song “Wanna Be.” What inspired the lyrics?
“Wanna Be” is a song about inflicting change. It’s almost like a rebirth – which is why I wanted it to be released on January 1st, a time when people make their New Years’ resolutions and look forward to the year ahead and bettering their lives. I am a creature of habit and I tend to find myself sacrificing my happiness for the comfort and safety of the sameness. This song was written at a time when I realized that staying in something that no longer serves or betters me, was harmful to my happiness and my life. For so long I took the names and blame that was thrown my way in a relationship because I wanted it to work, and I trusted those feigned words “I will change, it won’t happen again.” I let things cycle around and just spiral into this miserable place, and mask it with the rare good times. These lyrics are so personal to me and are basically a journal entry of me telling myself that enough is enough and I am better off walking away. It’s a song of strength and confidence in the hope for my future self.
Do you have a particular songwriting process?
It honestly varies – sometimes a lyric will spring out at me and I will write it in my notes app, and sometimes I have a melody swirling around that I record into my voice notes… My notes and voice memos are full of random little bits and pieces that I go back to and build songs from. But, sometimes, and it’s the case for this song and for a few of the songs on my 2019 album Find Me Lost, like “You I Need” and “Armed”, they were written in full within an hour on my piano at home. I tend to write when I’m in a place of turmoil or misery, which is pretty evident in the number of ballads I have written hahaha… But no, I definitely write most of my music from a place of pain.
As we gear up for the new year what is something positive that you can take away from 2020?
2020 has given me ample time to work on my own mental health and what I want for my future. I have spent a lot of this year in a really dark place mentally, and definitely allowed the circumstances to get the best of me, but I am learning and have learned new ways to deal and cope (Including getting a therapist! YAY for therapy). 2020 has given me the opportunity to hone my skills and prepare myself for a big 2021. While I genuinely miss live performance, this year has given me the opportunity to focus on writing music.
What advice do you have for aspiring singers?
Learn to read music, and learn music theory – it is so much easier to write and perform live/talk with the musicians if you have even a basic knowledge of music theory! And Don’t be closed-minded to different music genres. Singing and music are all about inspiration and evoking feelings – so allow yourself to be open to them. Drawing inspiration from different vocal qualities and styles is extremely important and can help you to shape and find your own voice. And finally, something I’m still learning to do – have confidence in yourself. You are constantly going to be told no. Only you can pick yourself up and keep going, no one else is going to extend a hand to you.
