Hiya folks! Thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today, grab a brew and take a seat.
What made you decide that music is a thing for you?
Music has always been a huge part of my life. I grew up listening to a lot of early 2000’s pop music as well as my Dad’s Paul Simon and The Corr’s CDs. I would listen to my Barbie tapes in the car when Mum would drive me to school and make up cute little dances in my room. And when I went off to uni, I would plug my headphones in and just listen to Spotify nonstop when doing assignments. There was never a defining moment of ‘oh music is my thing now’, I guess it was always there.
Can you introduce us to your musical history?
I played piano as a child and was in choir in high school, but I never actually thought I’d end up becoming a pop artist. It wasn’t until 2018 when I started living in Bristol and learned to produce music in my bedroom that I thought that maybe I could make my own songs and be played on the radio one day. I would make songs on Garageband and upload them onto Soundcloud and play them to my friends at house parties, and then once I moved to Melbourne I upgraded to Logic Pro, started producing music on there and released my first song in 2021. Fast forward a couple of years and here I am!
Name your 3 favourite albums:
- ‘Sparks’ by Imogen Heap. I listened to that entire album on repeat during my last year at uni so it’s very nostalgic for me.
- ‘Bop City 2: TerroRising’ by Terror Jr. This entire album shaped my experience of living in Bristol and they are one of my musical influences. Felix Snow’s production is insane.
- WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? by Billie Eilish. I just love her. The fact that she’s so young and has achieved so much is inspiring.
What was the first song you heard that steered you onto a music path?
Probably ‘Make Time’ by Mallrat. It’s such a beautiful song and I remember thinking ‘I want to make music like she does’ after hearing it for the first time.
The music industry is the hardest industry in the world to progress in. How do you feel you are doing?
I’m doing a lot better this year in comparison to previous years. When I first started releasing music it was during the middle of lockdown and I didn’t really know how to get my music out into the world. I’ve now had my music played on Triple J Unearthed, done DJ mixes for radio shows like KissFM and Area 3000 and have had the opportunity to do interviews like this one which is a bonus! But I’m going to keep on working at putting my music out there as I’ve definitely got room for improvement.
I’m seeing a lot of debate about women not feeling safe at music gigs. Any thoughts on what we need to do to help?
Men need to do better. That is all.
As you develop as an artist and develop using socials what ways do you get new ears on your music? Any tips?
I’m active on TikTok so promote a lot of my music on there, as well as on my Instagram (follow me at @imbindy). Also, don’t be shy to reach out to local radio stations and local blogs and ask for feedback on your music, as a lot of them are really helpful and provide good advice.
Tell us two truths and a lie about you:
I used to play badminton in high school, I once broke my arm by falling off a trampoline, and I have a Bachelor’s degree in graphic design.
What’s your thought on Spotify’s monopoly on the music industry?
The algorithm needs to not exist. It’s fine when you’re signed with a label and get over a million streams a month, but it’s a real struggle when you’re an independent artist and have to fight twice as hard for placement on official playlists. Also, Spotify needs to pay its artists more so they get the money they deserve.
Do you sign up for any conspiracy theories?
Ha! No, I don’t. Although my favourite one is that Juice WRLD is still alive, which I kinda wish were true.
Did you buy anything you don’t need during the pandemic?
Um, I bought an air fryer like everyone else. I can happily say that it has changed my life for the better.
What was your worst experience on stage?
During my first ever live show, I brought my Roland VT-4 (vocal transformer that changes the formant of my voice) along to use. I didn’t realise until halfway through my set that the pitch slider was off ever so slightly, causing my amplified voice to have this weird wobble in it. I knew something was a bit off but had to carry on and it wasn’t until I was about 15 minutes in that I eventually fixed it!
Tell us something about you that you think people would be surprised about.
I’m a massive introvert. I prefer staying at home and reading my Kindle to going out.
What makes you stand out as an artist?
The fact that I am my own hustler. I write, record and produce every single song in my bedroom. I create all my own promotional content too, which includes video editing, image creation for social media and styling, shooting and editing all my own photos.
I hear you have new music coming out. What can you tell us about it?
My EP is titled ‘dear diary’ and is based on the experience I had of going on my gap year and living in Bristol. The first track ‘contiki love song’ is about falling in love while I was traveling through Europe on a Contiki and all the happy, scary and vulnerable feelings that come with it. ‘late nights in bristol’ gives sad girl vibes, it’s very PinkPantheress-influenced and is the kind of song to listen to at 1am when it’s just you in your bedroom.
Talk me through the thought process of your new EP:
It’s interesting because I never noticed this before. But my previous single, titled ’harder’ is about a time when I was still living in NZ and had just come out of a long-term relationship. I wrote that song about learning to love myself and part of that journey was going on my gap year to the UK. I kept a diary the entire time I was over there and recorded my daily life and all the adventures I went on, so the ‘dear diary’ EP is really about what happened after the fact.
What was the recording process like?
Very simplistic. I recorded all the vocals in my bedroom, although it took a while to get all the harmonies and backing vocals down!
What was the biggest learning curve in writing your new music?
I overthink a lot when writing songs, so I’ve had to learn that it’s ok if the words aren’t perfect first time around. You can always rewrite the lyrics later on.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
There’s always something that every musician would change about their music after they release it, so probably. But I’m really happy with how the EP turned out and I hope you love it just as much as I do!
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
I’m also a DJ and you can follow me on Mixcloud to hear all my cool mixes! Oh, and remember to be kind and stay lit AF.
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