From Gold Coast to global, Aussie artist Amy Shark has gone viral since the release of Adore last year and now set to perform at one of Australia’s largest music festival’s this year, it’s clear the possibilities are endless for this newcomer.
Amy Billings who goes by her stage name Amy Shark was once a long time local musician, but that all changed when she landed a major deal, kicking off her career with an indie pop record no one saw coming.
“Adore took me by surprise. I have been writing and releasing music for a while, so I never expected to ever get anywhere in the music business. I had already kind of called it a day and was just writing music for my own enjoyment,” says Amy.
“I will admit it was hard to digest all the epic stuff that was happening for me, but I feel like I always had the songs, and I had always worked really hard… guess it was just my time,” she adds.
Her time was definitely the year of 2016 alright, when much of indie cross talent surfaced from places most never imaged possible, as it heavily worked in this small city singer’s favour after years of hard work to get signed.
“I had to play a lot of gigs I didn’t want to play just to be able to afford to record my original music. I had to invest a lot of money to get zero return for the past 7 years. I had to endure some pretty negative emails from industry people telling me I was never going to get anywhere,” she says.
“I had to focus really hard on reinventing and creating my own unique sound. It was a slog, but I am a way better person and stronger musician for going through all that.”
And her support through such musical hardship from fans and musicians alike has grown stronger while the year’s past, as Amy prepares for her upcoming performance at Splendour In The Grass and first live tour set to hit Australia, Canada and America.
““It’s pretty incredible how passionate and supportive everyone has been. The only thing that’s really changes is my daily routine. I don’t see myself as anything different, I just get to see way more people at my shows, which is awesome.
“The shows are the most fun to put together and I love working out set lists etc.. I guess because I used to love theatre and also film directing I’m always thinking about cool and different ways to build a stage show, but at the end of the day it comes down to your performance as a musician and your confidence to be able to engage with the crowd.”
She describes her music as personal, raw, edgy, gritty, thug lovin’ indie pop and with a genre as mixed as Amy’s, it’s far from generic in an industry itching for artists as sublimely peculiar as she is who pack a real punch lyrically, as well as musically.
“The most challenging part about creating a song for me is being too honest and too raw, especially now that I have to talk about every lyric I release, but people are connecting because there’s no watered down bullsh*t.
“It’s all real life stuff that has happened to a real life person. People are smart and can smell a cheesy track that’s been created to make a buck. I think I’m appreciated because I’m being 100% myself all the time, in music, in interviews and on stage.
“The industry is tough, as there is sooooo much music out there now and to be honest there are some real incompetent dooche bags working in the industry. People who have no idea what a good song sounds like, which is sad and scary.
“Although I’m quite a private person, I tend to let you know all about my life in all my songs and I think it’s refreshing for people maybe.”
And her open invitation to her privacy is evidently the key to her connection with listens across many homes of many towns, but while touching hearts across the globe through her new EP, the Gold Coast girl will always call Australia home.
“This EP is some of my best work to date and I am so excited for people to hear it. The way everything has been executed in regards to this EP has been beyond my wildest dreams. I have the best team in the world and from the songs to the artwork – I am so proud of what we have created.
“Travelling a lot at the moment, I feel like the baristas at all the airports around Australia are starting to know my order haha. I do miss being home, but at least I get to do what I love and home will always be there when I return.”
