Could you share the story behind your latest song and what inspired its creation?
Fun and defiant, “Rebel In My Veins” is an anthemic groove about reclaiming your power, declaring a personal revolution, and flipping the middle finger to an abusive past. It’s our very first “explicit lyric” warning and the F-bomb in the 2nd verse represents genuine righteous anger. This came from reflecting on my teen and young adult experience, seeing with clarity just how much I had been bending myself to fit others’ expectations, rules and control.
How do you approach the process of songwriting, and are there any specific themes or emotions you tend to explore in your music?
I tend to lean into songwriting as a tool to excavate my own soul and share whatever I find there, whether it’s wisdom, humor, darkness or mystery. I am always asking questions with my songs, sometimes seeking answers, sometimes just allowing the questions to echo outward, unanswered.
Most often I have words or at least an idea of what I want to say, and then it finds its way into a melody, eventually becoming fleshed into a piano accompaniment. I record every step as a voice memo, then share the demo with my band mates. We arrange the song together and sometimes it ends up completely different from the original demo, because I am very experimentally minded at this stage and I like to try the songs with different styles and beats before settling on the final version.
As an indie musician, how do you navigate the balance between creative freedom and commercial appeal?
I’ve never aimed for commercial appeal because I believe its an elusive ghost to chase and I believe fame will find you if and when you are truly ready for it. The true aim is to be authentic and whole-hearted in whatever art I create and to take responsibility for doing the work that I can do to sell my songs in the marketplace. The songs do sell themselves but we still have to do the busy work to package and market them.
What do you find most challenging about being an independent artist in today’s music industry?
The industry is over-flooded with artists and there are so many ways for musicians to waste time, energy and money trying to be heard.
Can you talk about your experiences collaborating with other artists or musicians? How does it influence your creative process?
I love collaborative songwriting because it shakes me out of my own ways of doing the work and helps me open myself to a wider stream of influences and ideas. It’s brave work, especially for a private person like me, so I see it as an important practice to bring me to my growth-edge.
What role does technology and social media play in promoting your music and connecting with your audience?
Honestly I am becoming a bit jaded about social media as the algorithms feel like shifting sand, but I still try to stay light on my toes and post as much as I can without getting caught up in it or putting too much value on the numbers. Visibility is key and content creation is fun – I love to share my work and to connect with people who enjoy my music so I try to view it each day as a creative challenge.
I’m grateful for Patreon and for the crowdfunding campaigns that have enabled me to bring my creations to life.
Are there any particular artists or genres that have had a significant impact on your musical style?
Too many to name honestly, but in the past, when pressed, I would often site Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Rusted Root and other male performers who brought global sounds with poetic lyrics into my suburban teenage world. Lately though, with the new music I am writing, I am finding inspiration in female artists. Some of my favorites are Aurora, Birdy, Feist, Billie Eilish, Florence & The Machine, and many more. I find the depth and range of female vocal styling and the intuitive musical/emotional connectivity to be helping me expand my songwriting and performances more than ever before.
Indie musicians often have a close relationship with their fanbase. How do you engage with your fans and build a dedicated community around your music?
We have a community of fans on Patreon that we call the Bird House Club, where we share the intimate stories behind the songs and reveal song demos for works-in-progress, which is a very vulnerable connection to have with people that would otherwise be strangers. I feel very close to these friends and they are supporting me so much more than just financially.
I’ve been posting more video reels of songs on Instagram lately along with live show photos and selfies when I have something to say.
Could you describe a memorable live performance experience or tour that has had a lasting impact on you and your music?
We performed in Yokohama Japan at the Green Room Festival for around 10,000 people and there were fans in the front row singing along with some of the songs. It was such an incredible experience, by sheer volume of human energy, and I will never forget the electricity I felt all throughout my body as I sang. It made an impact on my mindset by helping me to scale up my vision in a way. I suppose that until I actually was there doing it, I couldn’t have envisioned myself on a global stage, and it gave me a level of joy and confidence to have experienced that.
In an era of streaming platforms, how do you feel about the changing landscape of music consumption and its impact on independent musicians?
I think that only time will tell what the overall trajectory is but from this vantage point all we can do is weight the pros and cons and continue to focus on creating music with quality and integrity, adapting our technology to stay visible and relevant to the audience that needs it.
As a woman who has been creating and performing original music for 25 years I would say it is more difficult to be heard on a large scale, but there are more opportunities to carve out a sustainable career in smaller ways. I also have to say that despite the challenges, there are many more female artists being represented and supported than ever before, so that represents positive growth for humanity.