A QUICK CHAT WITH AMELIA ALLAN

CONGRATS ON THE NEW SINGLE! WHAT IS 'WON'T MISS YOU' ABOUT AND WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE AWAY FROM IT? 

Thanks! I was living in Brisbane at the time, and I wrote this song at the end of a friendship when it hit me that breaking up the friendship also meant I’d have to break up with everything tied to them, and I felt really bad about having those thoughts. I guess it’s a way give yourself permission to acknowledge that while you know you’re doing the right thing for yourself in leaving the relationship, there are some things attached to this person that you’ll miss and it’s okay to lament them, especially if they’re in the form of a beach house on the Sunshine Coast and a pet dog that you won’t be able to see anymore!

WHAT'S THE CREATIVE PROCESS FOR YOU, FROM WRITING TO RECORDING?

It varies with every song, but most of the time I write a bunch of lyrics down in the notes app on my iPhone and mull over them for a bit. It’s like a puzzle for me to solve, and I spend days, months and sometimes years slowly putting the pieces together until finally I feel it’s ready for music to be added to it. I then pick up my guitar and start working on the structure, and the music dictates where the song goes next. I’ll record a rough demo and invite collaborators to jam the songs with me, then take it to the studio when it’s feeling really good. 

IF YOU COULD COLLABORATE WITH ANY ARTIST, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

Probably Courtney Barnett because she was the first artist I listened to that made me consider songwriting and performing. Before listening to her, I was a drummer and I couldn’t really see myself in any setting where I was singing and playing guitar at the front. After listening to Courtney Barnett’s ‘Sometimes I sit and think and sometimes I just sit’ album, I found an electric guitar on Facebook marketplace and started learning how to write songs.

WHEN NOT WORKING ON MUSIC, WHAT OTHER CREATIVE OUTLET DO YOU HAVE?

I love sewing! I was lucky enough to find a sewing machine at an op shop and learned how to make tote bags over lockdown using recycled material. I sell my bags as merch now, and I’ve also started making my own clothes which has been so satisfying. One day I’d like to make a really cool outfit to wear on stage. 

WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR THE YEAR?

I’m so excited to be releasing my debut EP in July and following it up with a launch show in Melbourne. I’ll be filming a music video in the coming month or so to accompany one of the songs on the EP which will be heaps of fun. I’m also hoping to play more gigs this year and then head back into the studio at the end of the year to record the next single.