A Quick Chat with Soulty

What first drew you to songwriting, and when did you realise it was something you wanted to pursue seriously?

I have loved writing songs since I was a kid. As long as I can remember, I’ve written songs to process life and express what I’m feeling. It’s just always been part of me.

I started taking my songwriting more seriously after becoming a mum. My daughters are always watching me, and I want them to see that it’s important to pursue the things you love. I don’t want to spend my life talking about dreams without doing something about them.

You grew up surrounded by classical music and six siblings. What was music like in your household growing up?

Mum and Dad were classical musicians, and music was a big part of our everyday life. Music was something we did together. We grew up listening to classical music, singing hymns and harmonising around the house.

I was always singing with my siblings and eventually we created a rock, jazz and blues cover band which was so much fun.

Your sound brings together folk, pop, blues, soul, gospel and rock. How would you describe what you’re making today?

I draw from a lot of different genres, and I don’t try to fit my music into one category.

At its heart, it’s soulful folk-pop with honest, heartfelt lyrics.

All Black features more than 20 women from Hamilton and the surrounding rural communities. How did the idea for the pop-up choir come about?

When I recorded the demo for All Black, I knew the song needed a choir. The message of the song is that when life gets hard, you don’t have to go through it alone, and I wanted the sound of the song to reflect that.

I put a call out on social media, and more than 20 women from Hamilton and the surrounding communities came forward to be part of it.

It was a really special community response and added something to the song that I couldn’t have created on my own.

The song has been selected as a finalist in the Bendigo Songwriter Prize. What does that recognition mean to you?

It means a lot to have my songwriting recognised in that way. English is my second language, so it’s particularly meaningful to have a song I’ve written judged on its own merit and recognised as a strong piece of songwriting.

It has given me confidence to keep pursuing songwriting seriously and to recognise that it’s a special gift I have been blessed with.

You’ve got several festivals coming up, including Dunkeld Three Peaks and the Warrnambool Multicultural Festival. What are you looking forward to most about getting back on stage?

I love experiencing live music, and I really enjoy being on stage and sharing my songs with people too.

There’s something unique about hearing a song performed live, telling its story and connecting with people who have taken the time to come and listen.