Nikki Thorburn
Nikki Thorburn is a powerful and unique Australian singer songwriter with an amazing unique voice that writes such beautiful music that is a breathe of fresh air when you hear it. I loved what I had heard when I first discovered her and her ep To The Place is one of the best of year, so read and find out why this talent is one of rising stars on the Australian Music Scene.
1. How did you get into music?
My Dad has always been my greatest musical influence
and I guess why I got into music from a very early age. When you are surrounded
by someone so musically creative always playing guitar and writing songs,
everything seems to come naturally and so music is just what I always did. While
other kids were reading books or playing sport I was tucked away in our little
home studio putting down tracks with Dad and working on my music.
2. How did you get involved with Ollie McGill of The
Cat Empire?
His partner was my good friend’s sister and had always thought that Ollie and I should collaborate together. Anyway, he heard some demos of mine through her and the next thing I knew I was flying down to Melbourne to produce a record with him and a bunch of incredible musicians. I was so young so the whole thing was pretty overwhelming!!
3. What inspires you when writing music?
Being on the road travelling – I spent a lot of time
travelling around London and Europe last year, playing shows but mostly
focusing on my writing. It was probably my most creative time. There were
always so many fascinating and bizarre stories to be told and strange and
wonderful people to meet. I think I’m a bit like a child in some ways – I
wander around with these wide eyes hoping to see and feel and take in as much
as I possibly can!
4. What was like it playing with Diesel?
You know it didn’t really hit me until afterwards when
I was sitting at home thinking my god did I really just play with Diesel…and
one of my own songs too! It was an awesome feeling.
5. How has AirIT helped you get your music out there?
AirIT has been great in getting my music out to
community radio stations which is extremely important in generating interest particular
for my single ‘Walking In Circles’.
6. How has the internet helped you as an artist?
The internet is such an important tool for artists to
really put their music out there. There are so many sites now helping unsigned
music get heard which is great, and of course blogs and social networking sites
like facebook do wonders in attracting new fans too.
7. What has been the highlight so far?
Something that will always stand out for me I think was
shooting a music video for ‘To The Place’ in Paris with an amazing film
producer there. It was an incredibly creative time and the footage we captured
is beautiful and really captures something quite special. When I write my
music, there is always a visual I create with it – the footage we captured in
Paris was the vision I created in my head the night I wrote the song.
8. What was the inspiration for the new video clip?
(by this I’m assuming ‘Brave Like A Lion’)
I wanted to do something different… something really
raw and spontaneous that really captured what I think my music is about. So I
got my band together with a few friends and recorded ‘Brave Like A Lion’ in my
favourite little café in Manly. No one had actually played the song before but
I think that was part of the charm. I was so happy with how it turned out!
9. What advice can you give to some one who wants a
career in music?
Don’t wait around for anyone else to make something
happen for you because in this industry no one is going to do that. Put
yourself out there and just keep plugging away!
10. What is next for yourself?
I have a lot of shows lined up for the rest of the
year and will also be releasing another EP in November which will be exciting!!
Joni Mitchell. For me, she wasn’t just a prolific
songwriter and incredibly talented musician but she was such a fiercely independent
woman. She held her own in a male dominated industry and always did her own
thing. She was definitely one of a kind.
