Joanna What sparked your interest in pursuing a career in music initially? Was there a specific moment or experience that fueled your passion?
I’ve been into music since a young age, but it was around the age of 18 that I really felt it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was in college in my second year of clinical exercise science at the time and realized that as much as I was interested about what I was learning it just didn’t give me the same spark and excitement as I was getting from performing and writing songs. Therefore, I decided to pack my bags, change direction and go study music in Sydney.
Could you characterize your musical style and the genre(s) you associate with? Are there specific artists or musicians who have played a significant role in shaping your sound?
I think that’s one of the toughest things to do as most of us artists tend to change sounds and styles at least to some degree over time. I guess my roots are more indie folk/pop but also have some reggae and rock influences. John Mayer, The Paper Kites and Ben Howard are major influences of mine especially when I first started making music. I also have to mention Bob Marley, the 1975, Coldplay and Matt Corby.
Share with us the inspiration behind your most recent single. What triggered the creative process for this specific piece?
My latest single ‘Seasons’ speaks about how lonely it can feel living in a
big city filled with millions of people. I wrote this song at a time I was feeling trapped in this city and needed to “get out and run away from here”. The upbeat feeling of the song touches on hope and the power of dreaming and letting go.
In what way do you anticipate your latest song resonating with your existing fan base and attracting new listeners? What message or emotions do you aim for listeners to glean from the song?
I think this new single is very current to what I’ve been releasing recently so they should hopefully enjoy it.
It’s an upbeat and catchy song which I think has the potential to reach a lot of new people. I hope it brings them joy and comfort and it becomes one of these feel-good songs they turn to whenever they need a boost.
How does this track contribute to the overarching narrative or theme of your upcoming album or project?
I started working on this record about two years ago and I’ve been extremely close to it for a long while now. As an independent artist, I’ve been involved in the entire creative process, and I consider these songs and stories some of my most honest work to date.
I would be lying if I said my life has only been made of highs these past twenty-four months; it’s been a rollercoaster which I think a lot of people can resonate with. I like to call these segments as different seasons of life and through each season I’ve drawn inspiration. Furthermore, I feel these past few years our society has been getting more and more divided, however; we need to reminisce the fact that there is a lot more that unites us than divides us.
Maintaining creativity and motivation can be challenging. Do you have any rituals or habits that you find instrumental in sustaining your artistic drive?
Traveling is a big one for me. Whenever I feel uninspired, getting away and discovering new places as always been the best way to reset for me and light the inspiration candle back up.
Listening to new music, learning a new instrument and working with new people also often helps me with that too.
Do you have any upcoming projects or releases that you’re particularly enthusiastic about? Can you offer any teasers or details?
Yes, I’m actually finishing up a couple songs right now for the summer. They’ve been super fun to work on in the studio and can’t recall feeling this excited about new music. I’ve been wanting to make a reggae pop record for some time now, so I guess this is sort of the sound you can expect for me this summer.
