Why Did You Make It?

Lexe, multi-instrumentalist, and emerging pop-soul super star. She believes in musics ability to comfort others and wields the pop genre for heart-felt connection with a wide audience.

We talk about the transition between high school to full time work and balancing that with creating music. She told me about the heavy pressure she was putting herself under to get high grades so she could obtain a scholarship and the hindsight she had after she quit high school. We also talk about the inspiration behind her debut song Empathy, which has been a byproduct of having therapists as parents.

- Listen to Empathy by LEXE here.

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- Learn more about the host here.

Timothy Fairless, multi-instrumentalist composer and producer. Much more prolific than myself, all the while incorporating enviable audio visual performance and exhibitions. Timothy and I talk about the importance of balancing music creation and socialising. Engaging with other musicians can be more than networking. It can be the single best part of making music. We also talk about working in bands in comparison to solo work and remote collaboration.

- Listen to Timothy Fairless here.

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- Follow Timothy Fairless on Instagram.

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- Learn more about the host here.

Julia R Anderson, musician, engineer from Meanjin (Brisbane). Known for their self titled solo project. Beautiful art rock recorded on a portable 4 track with Julia's vocals soaring throughout. Their approach to production is a part of the ambient, lofi, acoustic world I often love finding myself in. She's now drumming with alt-country band Camping and working on more noise experimental music as well.

We talk about the grey in everything when balancing life decisions from working part time to support your creative outlets, to choosing to walk away entirely from music to pursue a white collar career. There are sacrifices to be made in life especially when the creative field is your destination. Toward the end we hear Julia's suggestion to relight your creative fire when it starts to go out.

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- Follow Julia on Instagram. 

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- Learn more about the host here.

Henry Reese, the human vessel for Lite Fails;  scrappy ambient music which "could fall apart at any moment". We have an enlightening talk about breaking rules in music and the often overlooked but strong experimental practices of musicians in Meanjin. It's a big deep dive into Henry's brain and some observations they've made from the past decade or so.

- Access exclusive content via Patreon.

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- Learn more about the host here.

James Halstead, Meanjin (Brisbane) based producer who goes by the name Tejavu. Known for their creative pop sensibilities which has helped WIGZ and BRIA release a handful of well listened singles. A ball of good energy with a touch of chaos.

- Listen to TEJAVU here.

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- Follow TEJAVU on Instagram. 

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- Learn more about the host here.

John Russell is the owner of 4000 Records. He's the legs for many musicians and a helping hand for our community in general. Humble, and often hidden behind the admin curtain; I was very excited to have him agree to come on the podcast.

- Listen to 4000 Records Catalogue.

Andrew Tuttle, our own powerfully self confident experimental folk artist. Andrew is well known to the musicians in Meanjin as the familiar, bubbly banjo playing, APRA/AMCOS representative. In the Autumn of 2020 Andrew released his fourth studio album through Someone Good, with the help of Aidan Hogg, Chuck Johnson, and Lawrence English. An album which immediately takes me to a distinctive Australian dry Eucalypt forest, with a light sweat on my forehead, and cicadas surrounding me.

Kate and I talk about keeping a kind perspective when it comes to self reflection. Realising the hurdles young artists are facing due to pandemic study, shifting performance styles and bands, continuing to do what you do while remembering that it's not about being the 'best', it's about just doing a little better than you did yesterday.

Millie and I talk about their experience living in New York and how people connect to music. Millie warns of falling in the trap of writing for someone else rather than yourself, and the physical damage that can have on someone.

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Kirra and I talk about their experimental vocal recording approaches, musical burnout, and creative tourism.

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