- Talking With Strangers has been described as your “loudest love letter so far”, what does that phrase mean to you now that the album is about to be out in the world?
It feels like a celebration of everything I’ve learned about love, connection, and vulnerability. It’s loud, not just in sound but in honesty. Every song is me reaching out, unfiltered, really just hoping someone on the other side will feel seen. Now that it’s about to be out in the world, it’s exciting and terrifying in equal measure…. like opening a door and inviting everyone in.
- You’ve said Little Blue is “a soft place to land”, was it emotionally different writing something so intimate compared to your other singles?
Little Blue was about holding space for tenderness….both for myself and for whoever’s listening. Writing it made me slow down, sit with the emotions as they came, and trust that intimacy could hold its own power without anything dramatic or flashy. The song ended up longer than usual because the chorus became this extended conversation, leading to a pure moment of deep love. The line “I promise you, I’ll never let anything bad happen to you” is an opener, a promise: I’m here if you need me. It’s a soft place to land, written for my brother in a moment where all I wanted was to say, I’ve got you.
- There’s a real sense of community woven through tracks like Everybody, how important was collaboration in shaping this album?
Thank you. I’m really glad it came across…. Collaboration was everything. Music for me isn’t a solo journey… It’s a conversation, it’s curious, and it’s like being out in the world or at work or anywhere – it’s done best when we share space for others to shine. Every co-writer, producer, musician, and friend brought something unique that shaped the sound and the feeling of the album. Tracks like Everybody wouldn’t exist without that shared energy. It’s literally about connection, and making it was a living version of that. You can feel all our stories, hearts, and collectiveness. No matter our differences, we all need love and we all deserve love.
- A lot of the record touches on love, healing and honesty, was there a particular moment where you realised this album was going to be your “coming out” in more ways than one?
Yes, actually. This came to me long after the record was complete. I realised I had pieced together a long conversation with myself for everybody else about love… a journey of self-discovery through emotions that I only fully understood after picking myself up from the heartbreak of losing family because of my queerness. It’s not just about heartbreak or longing, although those are in there too, but about embracing my truth fully, publicly, and unapologetically for the first time – and saying, fuck it. In all these songs, I’m sitting here saying: You are loved, I am loved, and we can share it. Sharing these particular stories in the way we have made them feels like stepping into the light and saying, “This is me, all of me, in every shade of love and identity.”
- You’ve blended Americana, ’70s folk-rock and modern pop so seamlessly, who or what were you listening to (or avoiding) while making this record?
Haha, I love that you asked about what music was avoided… that’s great. I can actually be heavily influenced by what I listen to, so I take years of inspiration and only compile a short playlist that I share with my producer. But honestly, it all goes out the door when you make an album… Well, it did for me anyway. In this particular way we did it, with musicians coming and going and so much of Jono’s (producer) influence in there, we really just pieced each song together from the ground up, staying open to lay down whatever the song was asking for. They were really recording themselves, and we were just trying to fit all the puzzle pieces together. I think why I’ve called it Americana/’70s vibes in a modern pop skin is because all my influences are quite vintage or even ’90s singer-songwriter voices with this raw quality. And the record has this polished pop sense, but with raw and edgy guitar moments that shine through.
- The lyric videos and visuals feel really personal and behind-the-scenes, was it important for you to show that process and vulnerability to your audience?
At this point in time, I’m just trying my best at the whole content world thing, to supplement the album in whatever way feels most natural to me. In doing it this way, I feel like we invite everyone to be part of the story and connect to it in a very real way.
- You’ve mentioned using singing as a form of self-regulation, did making this album change your relationship with music in any way?
In so many ways it strengthened my relationship to the art of curating such a big body of work. it reinforced it as both a tool and a mirror. Making this album reminded me that music is a form of care: for myself, for the people I love, and for anyone listening. It’s a safe, powerful space to process, release, and celebrate. I felt very at home being able to use my voice and life experiences to create magical moments between people. Moments that will hopefully live on for decades.
- There’s a beautiful balance of joy and melancholy across the singles so far, how do you approach writing songs that hold both at once?
Thank you so much. I actually admire a lot of people who can write the sad stuff without inviting a turning point moment. I’ve always been a really positive person in a way… dramatic and emotional, haha, but I always approach life experiences and my music as lessons. Somehow that leans me into writing more uplifting songs or seeking out joy and empowering moments amidst the hardship. It’s honestly something I just do without thinking.
- You’ve shared stages with some incredible artists and played major festivals, how are you planning to translate such an intimate album into a live setting?
Whilst the album stories feel intimate, when you listen to it, you’ll notice there are so many moments to dance and feel good. It’s a big journey with a lot of emotional depth, but there are also plenty of movement-driven songs and upbeat pieces. There are sooo many layers too… one of the songs even has 250 tracks or something crazy! (I might have to check with Jono on that, but I remember thinking, “hundreds?!”) We have a 7-piece band for the album launch party happening on May 7th in Melbourne/Narrm, with lots of vocals, surprise guests, and audience participation. People are super keen to create a live version of Everybody as a choir, so we have that to look forward to in the shows as well. We’ll see what happens!!! 🙂
- With the album about to drop and more shows on the horizon, what does this chapter feel like for you, and what do you hope listeners take away after their first full listen?
It feels like a deep exhale. It’s taken everything I have to get this out into the world, and I’m sending it off with so much love. I’m just hoping it actually gets listened to at all, haha, let alone wondering what they’ll take from it. But this album is a love letter… to life, to connection, and to the messy, beautiful complexity of being human. And if even one person feels a little less alone after listening, that means everything.