Where are you currently based?
Eora / Sydney.
What’s been happening recently?
Lots. I’ve been preparing for this release and its launch party, working a few jobs whilst packing up my life to head overseas for the foreseeable future.
Your latest single ‘Light Up’ is out on the 23rd of February, 2023, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
I was listening to a lot of soul, funk, and disco music like Chaka Kahn, Patrice Rushen, and Luther Van Dross. I enjoy these classics to put me in a good mood; it’s the foot-tapping beat, driving kick drum, groovy bass lines and string arrangements in old disco records that I love so much and draw a lot of inspiration from. I also had it in mind to put a dash of R&B spin to the track which you’ll hear in the stacked vocal harmonies. A majority of hit feel-good soul/ funk/ disco songs are about love which seems to make up a large portion of what I write about.
How did you go about writing Light Up?
I wrote this song roughly three years ago. I remember sitting at the piano in my family home after a late night drinking wine and watching live concert DVDs of Sade with my dad. After spending a few minutes playing around some chords the chorus melody came to me so I started pulling lyrics to match the melody. I developed a basic idea for the verse, chords and structure from there. I eventually showed my dad and he helped with inspiring some more lyrics and chipped in some feedback. Over the next few years, the song would take on a few different versions but when the lockdowns ended my producer and I worked on refining it to the version that exists today.
Where and when did you record/produce/master?
My producer, LEN20 aka Glenn Hopper, and I recorded and produced this song over the course of 2 years at his studio in Enmore, Sydney. Lockdowns played a large part in the delays on this as we weren’t able to track instruments remotely. We eventually recorded violin, harp, bass and vocals, and then Glenn mixed the song before sending it off for mastering at Studio 301 by Andrew Edguson earlier this year.
How did you approach the recording process?
My songs are captured firstly by phone recordings, then I’ll create a basic demo and put it to my band. I like to play live gigs as a way of workshopping a new song and hearing how a song can translate from a live performance to a recording. I eventually took this to my producer Glenn, and we started creating demos before bringing in session musicians to lay down their parts.
What does this single mean to you?
It’s a stepping stone into new energy, literally speaking. This song is about taking a leap into love and the joys that come when you lean into those early sparks of romance which is quite fitting as I’m working toward new energy in my sound. This single is the last of a few songs I wrote pre covid so I’m ready to move on with new music and new releases.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
My summer 2023 repeats are: Judas by Sumer Vee, Time For Love by Maya Hawthorn, Our Love by Edge of Daybreak
Please tell us about any upcoming shows?
I’ll be playing one last show in Sydney on the 3rd of March at the Red Rattler as a launch party for this release and a farewell before I move to Thailand.
What’s planned for 2023?
I’m planning a trip to the motherland to learn Thai and spend some time connecting to my cultural roots. It feels kinda wild and exciting to have a one-way ticket to see the world but you can rest assured that there will be new music and new energy coming soon.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
This is a very tough call but I’ll admit I’m a sucker for banh mi’s at Marrickville Pork Roll. I’ve been exploring some new cool hang spots around Sydney and really love Camp Cove for a dip in the water, the Marrickville Hotel for a beverage and Yurulbin Park for a picnic.
