First single or album you ever bought?
Taking the Long Way – The Dixie Chicks
“This is also half an answer to a song that reminds me of my childhood, but it answers both! Every time I do something like this, some amount of country music ends up on the list. I think this is the first album I bought, but to be honest I’m not 100% sure. But the most notable track off this album ‘Not Ready to Make Nice’ is one that really stands out from growing up, and is still one I really love. It has an incredibly political backstory, that message of standing your ground and being ‘mad as hell’ is something that really stood out to me as little girl in Texas and still does.”
A song you listen to when you’re sad?
Rainbow – Kesha
“I’m not even sure if this is the song ‘Rainbow’ or the entire album, because if it can be the whole album, then it is. My job is incredibly stressful and quite emotionally draining, and there are days where I listen to this track on repeat for hours. The album is such an honest collection of really personal stories, and manages to capture an incredibly broad array of emotions. I don’t think I’ve ever heard an album that so fully captures all the emotions I’ve ever had. ‘Rainbow’ itself is what I put on over and over because it captures this amazing amount of hope while still being honest about how bad things can be.”
If you were a song what would it be?
Liability – Lorde
“My best friend, after hearing this for the first time, said it made her think of me. And I promise that’s not nearly as mean as it seems – it really is one of those songs that felt all too relatable from the first time I heard it to listening to it now. I’m incredibly high strung and honestly a lot to handle, so a lot of what Lorde is describing feels incredibly real to me. The track is so self-aware, to the point of using third person, which really highlights that feeling of knowing you’re the ‘liability’.”
Best gig you’ve ever been to?
Vance Joy @ Emo’s, Austin – October 2014
“I’ve seen some pretty amazing shows, but this gig was really small and intimate and Vance Joy is one of my favourite artists, so nothing has topped it yet. My favourite song off ‘Dream Your Life Away’ is ‘Red Eye’, and I can still remember getting chills listening to it live.”
Favourite album ever?
Let’s Be Still – The Head and The Heart
“I love every album they’ve put out, but this is the album I’ve seen live so it has a particularly special place in my heart. There was some serious competition for this question (see above about ‘Rainbow’) but I came back to this one because it’s one of the few albums I can play all the way through endlessly and not tire of. The title track is one of my go-to songs on stressful days, and ‘Summertime’ feels like summers in Austin, Texas, where I grew up.”
