Hello Blair how are you?
I am very well! Thankyou for having me.
Congratulations on the release of “Beautiful” how does it feel?
It always makes me excited to bring something new to the table. This song is very personal and something I am very proud of!
What’s the story behind the song?
Beautiful is about self reflection and discovery I would say. Questioning how you could feel valuable to others if at times you don’t see the value in yourself. Such an important thing in life. Some people may interpret the song in other ways and of course I welcome that too!
What was the easiest and most difficult part of writing it?
The easiest part was probably the instrumentation. That all came very quickly and kind of put itself together almost. The hardest part was trying to find the words that justified how I was feeling at the time. It’s hard sometimes to fit all of it together. I feel happy with how it came out in the end though.
You’re an artist from Sydney, Australia how did it all begin for you?
I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember.. I started writing songs as a way to express myself and things I was going through. From there I never stopped and just fell in love with all aspects of the creative process.
What did you listen to growing up?
A lot of my parents’ influence has rubbed off onto me I think. 70s and 80s music has influenced my writing for years. If I had to pick an artist I grew up with though it would have to be Michael Jackson. From a very young age I was always copying his dance moves and listening to his music.
You were in SEGANA, what are your favourite memories of that experience?
I look at SEGANA with very fond memories. I enjoyed everything about it but especially the relationships I formed throughout the time we were making music. I still enjoy listening to all of the songs to this day and would like to think the SEGANA journey will continue at some point down the line!
You like to tell stories with your songs, how does a typical writing session begin for you?
It begins differently all the time. Sometimes songs can just come to you without really thinking and it’s always amazing when that happens. Usually I have an idea for a catchy hook and build the song around that. A lot of voice memos on my phone. I can tell you that.
You’re a keyboard player who are your top 3 favourites?
With the piano I picked up the skill in order to help with my producing. It’s massively helpful to be able to play everything in real time rather than drawing it in with MIDI. I wouldn’t really have 3 favourite piano players.. I do love watching Elton John play and sing when he performs. He’s someone who inspired me to want to incorporate piano playing into actual performances rather than just using it as a production tool.
COVID impacted the creative industry in a big way, what kept you motivated?
COVID has been a rough time for everybody. I think taking the time during COVID to step back and think about what music I wanted to make was a big thing for me. Re discovering my passion for creating songs that mean something to me rather than just writing for the sake of writing. It’s something I needed to do and I think I have benefited a lot from that.
The last couple of years have been a time to reflect, what did you learn about yourself?
I learned a lot about the things that really matter to me. I think we take a lot for granted in this life and everybody now knows what it’s like to have everything change over night. I think for me it’s about being okay with things that happen out of my control. Focusing on what I can control and being the best version of myself I can be. From my point of view.
Did you pick up any new skills?
I picked up a lot of movies on Netflix.. I wouldn’t say I learned many new useful skills haha I just worked on my skills as a musician and tried to improve myself in that way.
What are you listening to at the moment?
My taste in music is very wide. I don’t really have any particular artist or genre that I gravitate too. At the moment I have been listening to a lot of Arctic Monkeys actually.. That will change again though to something new next week haha.
What’s next for you?
I think just focusing on building up more of an audience. I want to start doing live shows and continue writing new songs for people to listen to. At the end of the day that’s why I do what I do. Hopefully people can relate to my journey as we move forward into the coming years!
