Q&A with Vera Blue
Vera Blue has been making serious headway in the Australian music industry over the past 12 months. Her debut EP Fingertips and singles 'Hold' and 'Settle' have seen her music skyrocket up the charts, landing top spots on Spotify and iTunes.
Interview with Chelsea Heaney.
All this follows a recent name change for the artist, formerly known as Celia Pavey, and a move away from her folky roots, embracing a more electronic sound. From performing to a crowd of 25,000 with Flume at Splendour in the Grass, the Sydney-based singer-songwriter heads to Darwin this September for a comparatively intimate gig at the Darwin Entertainment Centre. She recently had a chat with Off The Leash ahead of her visit to the Top End.
You’ve had a huge 12 months. How has the journey been so far?
It’s been an incredible and exciting year. I am so blessed to have all of the opportunities that have come up and the amount of support I’ve had for my music.
What can people expect from your upcoming new album?
I think people can expect the album to still be really personal. There’s going to be a lot of stories about my life and experiences from the last few years.
What has been the biggest moment in 2016 for you so far?
Jumping up on stage with Flume at Splendour and singing ‘Never Be Like You’ was definitely a big moment for me. I’ve never played in front of 25,000 people before, and it was such a thrill to have that many people dancing and singing back all the lyrics. My Fingertips Tour in May was also big for me. I was so overwhelmed with the amount of support from my fans. They’re incredible.
How have you found shifting from your more folky style as Celia Pavey to this more electronic sound as Vera Blue?
I think the shift came naturally with the new music I was writing. My life always inspires my writing. Sometimes I come up with a melody or a lyric first, then the rest comes naturally. I can’t write about something if it hasn’t affected me personally, I need to be able to connect to the music I write.
What inspired you to change your name?
It definitely evolved from the music I was writing at the time. Myself, Gossling, Thom and Andy Mak were coming up with music that was so different to my folk roots, so I felt it was only right to give the music its own project name.
You’ve worked and performed with some amazing musicians and producers recently; do you have any highlights from these collaborations?
It’s been an incredible couple of months. Working with Illy on ‘Papercuts’ was really special for me. Performing it with him live at Splendour the same day it went number one on iTunes was a moment I’ll never forget.
After this national tour, what has the rest of 2016 got in store for you?
I’m going to be working on writing and recording new music. There’s a lot on the cards and I can’t wait to share what I’ve been working on.
