In Conversation With - Odette
Odette celebrates the arrival of her debut album ’To A Stranger’ today, out via EMI Music Australia / Caroline International. She chats to us about the inspiration for the release and about being able to express yourself.
Your album is called ‘To A Stranger’, what the inspiration behind the title?
I was gifted a Walt Whitman book by my best friend just as we were finalising the project. I couldn’t think of a title but I read this poem of his ‘To A Stranger’ and I felt very connected to it.
Where was it recorded and are there any behind the scenes stories
Damian Taylor and I recorded the album up at a studio called ‘The Grove’. A gorgeous place. I have a fun story about felt! So essentially we wanted to give the piano a soft and textured sound and initally we put one sheet of felt in it. It ended up not being enough so me and the sound guy Jackson set out to spotlight to stock up. The end result was a piano filled in and out with pink and red felt then covered with a sleeping bag. It sounded wonderful.
Your single ‘Lights Out’ from the album was co-written with Sarah Aarons and Alex Hope, how did that partnership come about?
I can’t even remember it was so long ago. I remember the session though. I hadn’t done a lot of cowrites before and I was working with two really accomplished and talented women so I felt really motivated to write a good track with them. It taught me a lot about how I write with others and also how to be vulnerable around others especially with subjects that are very intense.
You are rather honest with your lyrics, do you feel musicians should be more honest when it comes to their music, especially with things like lyrics?
I think musicians should be true to themselves. I write the way I do to reach a catharsis but some artists don’t do that and that’s totally their prerogative. I think each person should feel comfortable expressing themselves in their own way.
You are heading out to SXSW this March, are you excited? Have you ever been before?
I’m incredibly excited! I’ve never been to Texas and I am ACHING to go!
The UK and European tour kicks off this month also, what is the best bit about taking a record on the road for people to hear?
The best part, I believe, is seeing a song in its raw form. I perform a few songs solo with just me and keyboard and I love that. I want to show people how it sounded when I wrote it without any production around it.
Odette’s debut album ‘To A Stranger’ is out now, and she is set to embark on her first headline UK and EU tour this month, which includes a London gig date at St Pancras Old Church on February 18th.