A Quick Chat With Piper Butcher

Newcastle-based indie pop/rock artist Piper Butcher, who made it to Australian Idol's top 24, has released her new single, 'Turn The Key'. When on Aus Idol, Piper received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the likes of Amy Shar, Harry Connick Jr, Kyle Sandilands and more. On top of that, over the course of her career she has supported a stack of massive artists including Kav Temperley (Eskimo Joe), Diesel, Kasey Chambers, You Am I, Robben Ford (USA), and Mia Dyson. Now, 'Turn The Key' showcases her soulful vocals and storytelling, capturing the suspense of wanting to be more than friends. We hit up Piper with a bunch of Qs to find out more.

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Can you tell us what this track means to you and what you want people to take away from it?

This track means so much to me for many reasons. It is my first single since 2022, after a hectic amount of time on the road and doing lots of musical projects in between. It's finally time for me to get myself back out into the wild world of releasing!! I want people to take the flirtatious energy, and empowering guitars that we were able to capture in the song, to help convince yourself to own up to your feelings, cut through the tension and open your heart to that special someone!!

Who are some of the band's influences, and why?

This is such a tricky question. For this song I went in with a vibe of Fleetwood Mac and Sheryl Crow, but modernised tones of artists like Holy Holy, Miley Cyrus, and Maggie Rogers. But to be inspired by and listen to, I love Ocean Alley, Lime Cordiale, Paolo Nutini, Lizzy McApline, Marcus King & Chris Stapleton- and first got into music because of the Foo Fighters!

What's the creative process for the band, from writing through to recording?

This is sort of an inside scoop hahaha but I'm going to be as anonymous as possible! I had the opportunity to be on a TV show last year, and I met so many amazing people through it. Some connected more than others, and that's just exactly how I was inspired for this tune...some people REALLY connected *wink wink*...need I say more. When it got to recording, I knew I wanted a fresh flavour, and I sought after Andy Mak to produce it. When we were in the studio, he brought out this creative side that I had never felt in a studio setting. I did all of my own guitar work in this, and I have him to thank for boosting my confidence!  

What do you think makes a great song?

I truly believe that music and emotions are deeply connected. There's such a dynamic shift in your soul after hearing one of your favourite songs. Whether you chant every lyric, dance to the beat, or shed a tear alongside the most beautiful sounds you've ever heard- it's a magical sensation that feels good. For me, a great song is one that speaks to someone. It doesn't have to be in the way you intended, but it makes you feel. That's art. 

If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?

This is another tough one. With any artist? Damn. It would have to be John Mayer. He is one of my favorite all time musicians and it would be an honour to collaborate with him. Whether it was songwriting, touring or in ANY other format, I think this would have to be one of my biggest life goals. I have listened to him since I could remember, and I love how he has crafted his own pop genre with an influence of blues-rock, and I hope that I can create a similar path for myself.

When not working on music, what other creative outlet/s do you have?

I LOVE to cook! It is something that I can fully set my mind on and shut everything else out. And I love being able to share a homemade meal with the people that I care about most! I've also just hand drawn my most recent artwork that is on my merch, which was something I had never done before and I thoroughly enjoyed! I really want to get into embroidery, but I'm too scared to hurt my fingertips and then I wouldn't be able to play my guitar..

Who are some local bands we should check out?

OOOOFF...the scene is endless!! I wouldn't want to pinpoint one and forget another, because I feel so lucky to be in a city with so much talent. I am thoroughly grateful to know, and absolutely adore Sir Archer, The Appointments, Amy Vee and Cormac Grant, amongst a diverse array of musicians that blow me away.

Winter or summer and why?

WINTERRR!! Logically you can put on more layers of clothing than you can take off, so in my head I am theoretically likely to enjoy it more because I can stay warmer, rather than trying to cool down, lol. And plus, I'm a huge snuggle upper-er...is that a thing? ON the contrary- I love swimming in the Summer, sunbaking, the longer days and all of those things, but I can say that nothing hurts more than sunburn.

What else do you have planned for 2024?

I'm itching to get back into the studio already, and release more. After such a long hiatus, all I want to do is release, tour, release, tour!! I'm looking at new places to play and am eager to find more festivals, bands and other opportunities to explore-. It's a big and scary place for an independent musician, but I'm really keen to speak with anyone and everyone about performing! I'm also gearing up for a couple of awesome announcements in the next few months that I can't say too much about yet... But I'm so thrilled that this is only the beginning of releasing this year for me, and I can't wait to show every single person all of my stories in song. 

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