How do you cope with “post tour blues” as we like to call it, is it even a thing you experience?

i definitely feel the ‘blues’ after a run of shows. i actually love the routine of being on tour, it feels limiting and freeing in a way that’s more manageable than being ‘home’ sometimes. i’m always so grateful to be doing something i love, so when i come home, i do miss it. the best coping strategy for me is to have quality time with my cat ‘Margo’ who i’ll have missed heaps, and just to be grateful for the times passed. i can be a bit of a loner, so i do also need home and some quiet times to recharge - maybe play a bit of Zelda.

Being isolated when composing, writing a record, or just being on a computer in general is weird. What do you do to work through those mental challenges?

i love being isolated, or rather when i’m alone i don’t necessarily feel the negative elements of isolation. to be honest i find social stuff exhausting - i am definitely my happiest playing around with ideas and sounds. staring at a screen for ages is a bit strange though, but i am usually surrounded by books, so it’s not too bad. i love going for a walk, wandering and day-dreaming to keep my head semi-normal.

What’s one essential rider item you would recommend and why?

i love hot water - not the most interesting thing to have on a rider, but i feel lost without it hehe. so i always ask for access to a kettle. i always have my little herbal teas with me, and doing my warm ups with some warm water or tea is a daily tour ritual for me.

What existential thoughts or moments have you had on the road? What insights has it produced for you?

one of the weird feelings i’ll get is like major (but inconsistent) imposter syndrome. it’ll come on random days, and in windows of different songs, where i really think, “wow i am terrible and don’t deserve to be here doing this” or almost feeling guilty for taking up people’s time. this will be heightened by lack of sleep or eating and drinking rubbish (which i try to avoid). i’m still on the journey of believing i am welcome in these spaces, it’s an ongoing process and i just try to watch out for the warning signs and switch gear into gratitude and more a playful, beginners-mind approach.

Do you feel like you’re seen as childish for pursuing music as a career?

i hope so

How do we raise the value of music as a Society and what responsibility do industry people hold in that process?  

holy smokes… i’m not sure capitalism and art go well together, one seems to destroy the other in an effort to sustain it. making art should be more accessible to everyone, there are many barriers for entry, and lots of those are financial. maybe a universal basic income would help, or an obligation for companies who make all the money to reinvest in new artists, especially those from less privileged backgrounds whose stories are among the most important to be told. the imbalance is heartbreaking.

What do you want the audience to take away from your live show?

ideally all of the merch, so we can afford dinner the next day… hehe. i’ve never really thought about this actually, i just want to serve the songs as best as i can. sometimes i’ve chatted to folk after the show, mostly women of East or South East Asian heritage who’ve said they’ve been excited to see a women who reflects themselves playing music - it is the best compliment and every time i’ve had this chat i could cry.

Why do you create?

creating things is a more effective way for me to communicate ideas, feelings etc. than speaking. i'm dyslexic and i’ve always struggled to get my words out in the flow of conversations, so much so that i even dread talking to people sometimes. with songs though, i have time to collect my feelings and refine my message - and it can be really satisfying when you feel like you’ve done your best to bring the idea to life.

Who are you listening to currently that inspires you?

i’ve spent a lot of this year revisiting Ryuichi Sakamoto’s discography which is huge, i love getting the LPs and playing them on the slowest speed on my record player. it’s presumably not how i’m supposed to listen but it is so nice to hear all the sounds stretched out, so deep and cozy. i’ve also been listening to more spiritual jazz and Afrofuturism, so so much to listen to and learn from.