By: Jennifer Vintzileos
Q) How would you best describe your sound?
A) It’s a mixing bowl of soul, pop and bluesy Americana. I tried to serve each song the way the song needed to go. It has a life of its own and so I didn’t want to try to mold it into a particular sound. It was whatever the song needed to be. So, you’ll get some songs that are a little folk rock, some that are indie rock, some that are gospel Americana and some that are soul pop.
Q) Who are your top three musical influences?
A) I’m going to give you four…The Beatles, Crowded House, Steely Dan, 10CC – the key ingredients with these bands are melody, harmony and interesting musical arrangements. My head is constantly full of melodies and harmonies. I have them running through my head days at a time and I like to play with these melodies, adapting them, adding a little flavor here and there where it needs it. And I think that comes back to listening to bands and artists who have great melodies, harmonies and great counter melodies (10CC were the masters of this).
Q) You grew up in a musical household. How much of what you grew up listening to influenced the music you perform today?
A) It had everything to do with the music I create. Both parents being stellar musicians, played great music with their band and on the record player. I was lucky to be exposed to so much music (especially live music) from day one!
Q) What are the themes you explore on your debut album Out of the Shadows?
A) It’s mostly about moments in my life – what happened, my shame and my reflection around that. It was cathartic writing, but it was also tough to write. Having a mirror held up to me to inspect my shortcomings and flaws can be tough. No one likes to see themselves as flawed, but I embraced it with the help of my partner Helen who helped me look deeper and start writing about the reality of life and decisions. It’s been a form of therapy that’s for sure.
Q) Since its release, what has been the reaction to the album from fans and listeners?
A) I’ve had really great feedback and some really amazing reviews. It’s interesting how people view certain songs and what their interpretations are. Many people have certainly tracked with where I was going or what I was trying to do in many of my songs, but there’s been some other really insightful views that would never have occurred to me. It just shows how subjective music and songs can be.
Q) I absolutely love the title track “Dance the Night Away!” Which song was your favorite to write and record for the album?
A) I love that song, too. It’s so catchy and full of upbeat, uptempo energy. It’s a really hard question to answer, it’s like asking which is your favorite child. Each track has its own story and is special to me in its own unique way. From a recording perspective though, I think “I’m Gonna Change” is epic. There are so many layers on this song, I’m very proud of the final product and the sound and feeling we achieved. Have a good listen to it with great headphones, there’s more in there than you think.
Q) What is your songwriting process? Do you need music before you can begin crafting lyrics?
A) Usually that’s how it works for me, a melody usually comes to me, and I work it out from there. Sometimes I’ll be playing on the guitar or piano and come up with some chords and a vibe I really like, and I’ll write a melody to that. But there are times where I wrote some lyrics and then put a song together from that, but that’s not very often.
Q) How much of a hand do you have as an artist when it comes to the production side of the music that you make?
A) I was heavily involved in all of the decisions (except for gear; I let the recording engineer make these choices based on the feel of what we wanted to achieve) and Elliot Smith was amazing to work with. I worked very closely with a good friend of mine and a musical maestro, Phil Richardson. We spent many hours together crafting where I wanted the songs to go. He was a huge help in arrangement too.
Q) In addition to a new album, you also won an award for Emerging Artist and Video Clip of the Year at the 2025 Western Australia Country Music Awards. Being born and raised in Western Australia, what was your reaction to being acknowledged for having such a strong musical presence where you were raised?
A) I was born in Sydney, but came to Perth in 1987, so I feel like I’m now an honorary West Aussie! Any recognition, especially the emerging artist and video clip of the year, is a huge honor. It’s not what I do it for, but it really does help when you get recognition from such a great organization. It makes me feel like I’m doing something right, people are enjoying it and it gives me fuel to keep going and keep writing new material.
Q) While you had a couple of shows in June, are there any plans for more shows this summer, possibly a tour?
A) It’s been such an action-packed three years for me and my partner, singer songstress, Helen Townsend. Both recording and releasing an album each, filming seven music videos that run like a mini-series, which we turned into a short film. That’s been winning some great awards around the world at some great film festivals. As we are in each other’s band, we have toured her album nationally and have now finally launched my album. We both need to catch our breath before we continue on with shows. I want to do a regional tour around WA before heading east for a few shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane…but that’s an expensive exercise from Perth, so we’ll need to figure out how we can make that work! Know any good promoters??
Q) Which song is your favorite to perform at live shows?
A) There are a few…I love performing “Feel Good,” it’s such a great vibe on stage and I love getting the audience to participate and sing along. We get this question/answer thing going with them through the instrumental break and it’s just a blast!
Q) Who would you love to collaborate with on music in the future?
A) Neil Finn, that would be a dream come true! His ability to make you feel something in timelines is phenomenal. He’s been one of my favorites for over thirty years… But there are so many great artists I’d love to write with….
Q) What would you like to say to your fans and supporters of your music?
A) I appreciate all the love, support, and encouragement that you have given to me. Connection is what I love most about music, and I love it when you connect with me at shows and to my music when you’re listening at home. I’m so happy you’re loving the album, and I promise there’s more music in me to come