Indie-pop chameleon Georgia Fields and live-looping wunderkind Phia are hitting the road for their Sky and Sea Tour, as they re-imagine songs from Fields’ Astral Debris and Phia’s The Ocean of Everything albums. Ahead of their tour, Forté got the two lovely girls to interview each other.
Georgia: Phia, one of the things I love about your live shows is that you have such a distinctive sound – and your kalimba and loop pedals are a huge part of that. How have these instruments informed your songwriting?
Phia: It’s forced me to keep it simple! Which is ironic, given that the loop pedal is anything but simple. When I found the kalimba (which only has one scale) I was forced to focus on melody, and it was life-changing. On the topic of songwriting, I love how you weave tales of the domestic in with imagery of the cosmos. Has space always fascinated you, or is it a recent theme?
Georgia: I have always been fascinated with space! My dad used to take me on camping trips to visit the observatories at Parkes and Coonabarabran. I can still remember the first time I saw Saturn through a telescope, I was eight years old. I wanted to visit these faraway places, to travel.
You lived in Berlin for five years, where you toured relentlessly and recorded your debut album ‘The Ocean of Everything’. How has the European music scene influenced your approach to music-making in Australia?
Phia: I met an incredible international crew of D.I.Y folk artists when I arrived in Europe, and I learned so much from them – how to book an indie tour, how to command a room full of drunken Icelanders… All this helped me hit the ground running back in Australia.
When you and I first met at that Paris open mic night in 2011, I’d been following your career for a few years and was impressed by how clear your creative identity was. Who were your idols starting out?
Georgia: Feist’s breakthrough second album ‘The Reminder’ was a big influence on my work, also Laura Viers. In 2009 I had the good fortune of supporting Angie Hart (of frente! fame), and we became great mates. I adore the way Angie can sing such simple melodies, but inject them with so much pathos. There’s such power in voices! And I am so in awe of Melbourne Indie Voices, the community choir you founded. What’s it like being the Creative Director of such a kick-ass choir?!
Phia: It’s such a wonderful part of my life here in Melbourne! We recently filmed our version of Ali Barter’s ‘Girlie Bits’ and it went viral. The choir is a lovely counterpoint to my work as a solo artist, and arranging for it is a treat. You’re pretty busy with arranging yourself – you composed your first film score for ‘Winter at Westbeth’ last year. How does composing for film differ from pop songwriting?
Georgia: I guess the main difference is: with songwriting, I’m trying to tell a complete story. With composing for film, I’m supporting Rohan’s story – enhancing a mood, or creating some momentum in the narrative. Speaking of narrative, what’s on for you after our tour?!
Phia: For the past few months I’ve been working on a new EP with Josh Teicher [producer of ‘The Ocean of Everything’]. It’s somehow more raw yet more developed, full of grit and also glitter. We’re touring it back to Europe in September and October. And you?
Georgia: I’m heading back into the studio to record an EP too! It’s a new collaborative project with an ensemble that I’m SUPER excited about… I can’t say any more, but there will be news and more gigs announced in late-July.
When & Where: Suttons House of Music, Ballarat – July 6, Major Tom’s, Kyneton – July 8 & Old Castlemaine Gaol, Castlemaine – August 6