9+1 Q&A with Estella Dawn

What inspired you to first start making music? And how did you come to be in your current incarnation? Or if you prefer, a brief bio about you.

From what my parents have told me I was singing my own songs from a really young age. My parents are both creatives and my Dad is a songwriter and musician, as was my mother’s father so I’ve really been surrounded by music my whole life. I started taking classical piano lessons at the age of 11 and picked up the guitar a little later, around 13. I started writing more structured songs at that point, banging away on the piano keys or strumming the three guitar chords I knew and it’s really just grown from there. Now I write in my own studio, using Logic! Recording software has helped me to expand my style and flesh out what I hear in my head. Having the ability to create beats and full song instrumentation has made a huge difference in where my songs are now.

Provide us with some info about your latest release…

I have just released “I Dare You”, it’s an anthemic pop/rock song. Powerful vocals with a hard hitting chorus. I’ve always been an I’m sorry kind of person. Step on me and I’ll apologize profusely, kind of person. Push in front of me in line and I won’t say a word, kind of person. You can leave hate, tell me I suck and I will say “you’re so right!!!” I’ve always bent my back trying to please people. But you know what, I’m done. Done apologizing for taking up space. So go on, push me one more time, ” I DARE YOU.”

Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?

Musically I have always been drawn to songwriters with interesting lyrics, or singers with strong vocal performances. Ultimately songs that make you feel something. I would say I draw inspiration from songwriters like Halsey, Jaymes Young and Dermot Kennedy. I also really love that someone like Billie and Finneas Eilish created such interesting and original music from their house. That they made every creative decision from the songwriting itself to the production and everything in between is incredibly inspiring. I also really admire artists like Sam Cooke , Etta James, Julie London, Ella Fitzgerald, their songs just hit you in all of the right places. It’s timeless music and you can’t beat the emotion they pour into their singing.

On the non-musical side I am really inspired by anyone that creates something to a high quality level, whether they make a living from it or not. It could be beautifully baked cakes, hand carved vases, or a successfully run business etc. People are so diverse and with that comes so many niche talents, anyone that puts their time, energy and love into something is a winner in my eyes. I am also a partner in a production company, Purple Star Productions and together we do everything from songwriting all the way through photography, video, marketing and PR work, I’m incredibly inspired by the people I work with, there’s nothing they can’t do when they set their minds to it.

In what way does your sound differ from the rest genre-related artists/bands and why should we listen to your music? In other words, how would you describe your sound?

That’s always a tricky question, honestly I think every songwriter is unique in the sense that it is their own thoughts, feelings and experiences shaping their songs, you can’t really recreate that, everybody views the world and their place in it differently. Obviously there are trends and genres that stay more true to certain themes than others but all in all everyone puts their own spin on it. That being said I like to think that my music is written from an honest place, not just in terms of the song concepts themselves but also in terms of the instrumentation and arrangement. I’ve never been particularly worried about sticking to one genre, what I’m feeling and what I’ve been listening to impacts the music I make on any given day, I like to roll with that, Sometimes it’s rock/pop other days it’s laid back indie, you might not enjoy every song I’ve written but there’s a wide range of styles so something might just tickle your fancy.

Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…

Alanis Morisette-Jagged Little Pill. My mom played that album when she was pregnant with me, on repeat. I swear it was imprinted on me when I was in the womb. I thrashed it as a teenager and I still love it now. The sass, the emotion, the lyrics, I just don’t get sick of it.

Jeff Buckley-Grace . I know that half the musicians in the world say that but ever since I started to produce my own music I have appreciated the sound, production and performance even more. I mean his voice is purely mesmerizing!!

Etta James – At last. This is just a beautiful album. Her voice is so soothing and yet so powerful. She has shaped music today in so many ways and she has also influenced countless vocalists, including myself, the soul, the emotion, the delivery, you just can’t beat it. Truly timeless music.

I’m not much of a movie gal but if I was on a desert island I’d probably bring an instructional survival video, one that covered things like “how to tie a basic knot” along with “how to craft sandals out of leaves” and last but not least “100 ways to use a coconut.”I’d also bring every documentary narrated by David Attenbourough. Mainly because I love nature documentaries but also because I think his voice would keep me calm while I was panicking in the wilderness. Or if it were an option, I would just take David Attenborough instead 🙂

My three favorite books are
“The Wee Free Men” by Terry Pratchett
“Skulduggery Pleasant” by Derek Landy
“Depression and other magic tricks” Sabrina Benaim

I’ve always been into fantasy and fiction, when the world gets a little heavy it’s nice to escape into a world of delight and magic. I also love poetry, it’s good for the soul.

Do you prefer studio or performing live and why?

I enjoy both! However I am definitely more comfortable in the studio. It’s easier to nail a vocal take when I’m not also trying to control my nerves. I’ve always been a pretty shy gal so I find my throat and voice do funny things when I’m performing live. I just have to work around it when I put my set together, I’ll start out with easier songs and save the big belting numbers for later on.

That being said, there’s truly nothing like being on stage, you feel so close and connected to everyone listening, you also get to set the tone and create a mood. I think there’s something incredibly special about live music, ultimately it’s an experience shared between the people there that night and the performer. Every show will be different, every crowd will react differently, every song will be sung/played a little different, you can’t recreate that, it’s like a snowflake.

Is there any funny-unique story you would like to share with us, always in relation to your music ‘career’?

When I was 15 I was a semi-finalist on New Zealand’s got Talent. It was really interesting being a part of the show as it gave me a real insight into how “live” television works. We had very little time to rehearse an original song I was performing with the house band, who were amazing. Anyway, the rehearsal went really well. Fast forward to the evening, I was pretty nervous, there was a pretty big live audience there and I had been at the studio for about 12 hours just anxiously waiting. We performed the song and it went without a hitch, I was so relieved and then the director, or someone, came over and said that we had to do it all again because the piano, which I was playing, wasn’t plugged in so it hadn’t recorded… So we had to go back out and pretend like we hadn’t just done it, at the time I was mortified but now looking back it’s pretty hilarious.

Which track of your own would you point out as the most unique and why?

Possibly “guilt is Good enough” it has quite a strange blend of genres, instrumentation and vocal parts. It also seems to be the song that divides people the most, they either seem to love it or hate it which I guess makes it the most unique? It’s definitely not a “one size fits all” song but I wrote it purely for myself and the emotions I needed to express at the time so I don’t mind if it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

Would you like to share with our readers your future plans?

I am still recording songs for my first full length album coming out at the end of this year. All the songs are written but they are being worked on and then will be mixed and mastered. So that is taking up almost all of my time. I had some gigs booked that have been cancelled or delayed so on the live front I am, like a lot of artists, waiting for some idea of what live performance will look like.

Free question!!! (Ask yourself a question) you wish to answer and haven’t been given the opportunity…

What’s your star sign?!

I’m a Capricorn.

Photo credits: Purplestar Productions

Curated by: Christos Doukakis

Recommended listening: