A Quick Chat With Paige Barnard

With raw emotion and haunting beauty, Paige Barnard unveils her latest ballad, ‘Strong’, accompanied by a dreamy, nostalgic music video. Known for her rich vocals and deeply personal songwriting, the Naarm-based artist crafts a heart-wrenching reflection on love, loss, and the strength it takes to let go. Set against heavy piano chords and soaring melodies, ‘Strong’ captures the ache of moving on, making it a must-listen for anyone who’s ever been haunted by the past. We’ve caught up with Paige to find out more.

Can you tell us what this track means to you and what you want people to take away from it?
Writing this song was very cathartic for me, and I realise now it gave me a lot of closure from a relationship that had taken me a long time to move on from. It was the last of many songs. It helped me let go and dream new dreams alone and live my life!

Who are some of your influences, and why?
Missy Higgins has been my biggest influence! I had always wanted to be a singer when I was little but never thought it would actually happen, but Missy made it seem possible to dream. An Aussie woman singer who writes her own music—and really good music—made it seem possible. I also love everything Missy stands for outside of music too!

Meg Mac definitely gave me the push to move to Melbourne and start playing my own music. 🥰

What's the creative process for you, from writing through to recording?
It kind of happens differently every time! I don't have a set formula. But for ‘Strong’, I had been feeling big emotions. I’m often walking along or humming in the shower and get one line that sticks, and then I go and sit at the piano and see what else comes out!

It all rolled out within a couple of days, but I couldn’t find a bridge section. One day I was playing around with something I had written that I loved but thought would be a chorus or verse, and then it clicked—"Ooohh, I could use this as the bridge for ‘Strong’"—and it worked!

What do you think makes a great song?
I think people can just feel and hear a good song! Whether it be the chord progression, the melody, or the harmony, sometimes it all clicks into place and makes something beautiful. But I love songs written from the heart!

If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
Meg Mac! I love Meg’s music, and I think our voices could be epic together! She also just seems like a genuinely fun and nice person to hang out with and make music with.

When not working on music, what other creative outlet/s do you have?
I'm a nature gal—I love going to the beach! A recent hobby of mine has been paddle boarding along the river with the dog. 🙂

Who are some local bands we should check out?
Sidney, Kat Edwards, Sian Fuller, Merpire, Kaitlin Keegan.

Winter or summer and why?
Summer! Daylight savings is my favourite thing! I just love the sun and the way it changes the mood in the streets of Melbourne. I love the beach too!

What do you have planned for 2025?
I'm releasing my debut album in June this year, which I'm very ready and excited for. I've been sitting on it for a while, so it's nice to finally get it out into the world!

I’m just wrapping up a tour I did down the East Coast, with my last show in Melbourne at The Catfish (Fitzroy) on March 15th.

Interviewsaustralianmusicscene19 February 2025