By Jessica Micallef
What is your connection to Sunbury and/or the Macedon Ranges?
I grew up in Gisborne my whole life, I went to school in Kyneton and I moved over to Sunbury in 2018. So it’s fair to say it’s in my blood. It’s where my family is from and so in that regards it’s definitely impacted how I create music.
What are you passionate about?
First and foremost I’m a songwriter. I love creating music and lyrics, producing them and performing live. It’s a bit of an obsession for me I guess. I spent my first four years out of high school studying musical theatre in Melbourne and it’s ingrained in me this notion of telling stories. I’m passionate about the importance of the arts in society and the significance it plays in people’s lives.
How long have you been singing?
I started singing lessons in 2011 when I realised how much I enjoyed it. I think I just loved the feeling of being on stage and singing was a part of that. Guitar was my first instrument and I was 10-years-old when I started learning so it is very much second nature to me. I play bass guitar and piano as well and I’d say they all help me significantly when developing the nuances of the voice.
What do you enjoy most about it?I love sharing my songs with people and connecting with people. People love so many things about music – the unrelenting energy of a great live performance through to being effected emotionally by a great piece of lyric writing. There’s so much power in singing and I love sharing that.
Your debut song Polka Dots is set to be released next month – tell me about the song?
Polka Dots is really a party song. It’s about meeting someone new and hoping it lasts. At its core, there is so much uncertainty in Polka Dots from the point of view of someone who doesn’t know where this new relationship is headed. It’s about diving into a relationship and hoping the other person is going to reciprocate.
How long did it take to write?
Generally when I’m writing a song, it spawns out of a story I want to tell or an idea. I usually find myself working on lyrics first with a generally vision of how it will sound, before exploring musical ideas and setting the lyrics to music. Polka Dots was actually one of those rare songs where everything came together at once. I had a friend tell me about a new relationship they hoped will last. I quickly got an idea and after embracing that feeling she had, the song came together quite quickly. I came home that night and a few hours later the song was written.
Where do you hope to take your singing?
After the release of Polka Dots they’ll be some live gigs coming up and a lot more songs coming in 2020. I’ve written hundreds of songs and can’t wait to share them with as many people I can. That’s what I aim to do with my music – tell stories of joy, love, faith, death, hate, and every emotion that encompasses me and the authenticity of being who I am. Who knows where it will take me, but I love that and I’m pretty excited about the prospect.
