Q&A: Rising Indie-Pop Artist SERENDIPITI Gives Us The Goss On Her Deluxe EP Release, Handmade Merch + ‘THE CAMPUS REVIVAL TOUR’

Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind the ‘idealist (realist)’ Deluxe EP?
‘idealist’ is an ode to the magic of my first love! Each chronological chapter details the intoxicating highs and lows of a long-distance situationship (quite a #journey tbh lol).  The pain all felt worth it for the joy and love I let in. In every song, even in the heaviest moments – there was always still the silver lining of letting myself feel love that large. And the deluxe version – ‘idealist (realist)’ – is a tribute to the very real and raw roots it all grew out of.

I’ve always been incredibly inspired by dichotomy – light and dark. i truly feel there is as much light as there is dark in this world and vice versa – so with the deluxe EP I wanted to create a sense of this feeling. I really wanted this light/dark concept to be reflected both sonically (balancing the synthy sparkles of idealist with the raw, unpolished versions of folk songs that they evolved from) and thematically (e.g.. with the prod of ajar (alt) giving more space to sit in the sadness of the ‘ajar’ story rather than the more pop world we built around the original!) With the deluxe, I wanted to show the exposed edges of the whole journey, and to be as real with the process and unfiltered feeling as possible (hence – ‘realist!’).

Most of all, I hope that this EP can be a place people are reminded to look for the light, and simultaneously, to let themselves feel safe to feel all their feelings exactly as they are, as I really feel it’s only by being honest with the dark that we’re able to feel the light to its fullest extent! <3

Your songs create such beautiful, otherworldly atmospheres. How do you bring that same feeling to your live shows?
Aw thankyou so much! <3 I really try to put a lot of thought into making the shows feel like a whole experience! For me, all the magic in live music is in the way it brings you so deeply into the present – making you feel safe + connecting you with yourself, your feelings, the people around you – the moment! I try to really lean into this feeling with my shows – from the twirling onstage to the way I interact with the crowd. I try to bring everyone together so we can all share that magical feeling of the present.

I spend a lot of time thinking about the details of the show beyond the music too – to make sure the feeling transcends the music and that everyone spends the whole night feeling welcome and reminded of the light (in the name of ‘idealist!’) – for example, I’ve created a little sensory and gratitude corner for the headline shows. I also try to put a lot of thought into the show dynamics and making it feel as magical as possible – soft moments + builds, singalongs + bubble machines, and one of my favourite parts is when I climb into the crowd and we get to sing along to an acoustic version of ‘Distance’ together <3

You’re taking the ‘idealist (realist)’ Deluxe EP on the road as part of ‘The Campus Revival Tour’, supported by Creative Australia and Vermilion Records. What does this opportunity mean to you at this stage of your career?
I am! I’m actually truly soo very excited – this will be my first everrrr tour (yay!)

To be super real with you touring in this climate as an independent artist is such an overwhelming prospect in general – particularly financially – it’s so hard to be able to bring your team with you – so I am more grateful than wordsss to be able to have the opportunity to take my entire band of beautiful friends on tour for the first ever time with this support. I am so so excited to be able to take this show we’ve worked so hard on to the road and be able to share it with different cities in this way! I’m just so excited to be able to have the opportunity to share the ‘idealist (realist)’ show experience with sweet angels and friends interstate!!

Touring often gives songs a new life. Have any tracks from the EP evolved or taken on a different meaning since you’ve started performing them live?
Ooh what a lovely thought! It definitely does. Haha I have to say ‘Distance’ – it’s one that I feel I grow out of often, but I just have this knack of catching feelings for people who live in faraway places (oops) so it still manages to come back around and relate to me again in different shapes and forms. Also ‘Ajar’ – it was so sad when I wrote it first and now brings me so much JOY to sing because everyone knows the words (my dream!!!) and also we bring the bubble machine out for it hehe <3

What does it mean to return to QUT in this capacity after graduating just last year?
Aw it’s so lovely! I’m very grateful for my time spent at QUT – I met so many of my closest friends and collaborators there and learnt so much. I recorded the entire ‘idealist’ EP that we’re touring in the Z9 studios (especially the synth room!) with my dear friend Brian Butcher – after hearing one of his songs in a Music Creation workshop and working on an assignment together back in first year!  We’ve been making music together ever since – literally yesterday we were working on some new stuff in the studio!

I think I learnt such foundational skills of how to build a project and fall in love with collaborating at QUT, so it feels really special to be able to give back to the uni’s music scene with this tour!

We spotted some gorgeous handmade merch designs on your Instagram from the EP launch. Can fans expect to see more of that at the upcoming shows?
Yes! Absolutely!! I am so grateful to work with such gorgeous local designers and friends on our handmade merch! We have:

* ‘Idealist’ bracelets and earrings specially designed with and made by the angel @caley.leigh
* Badges, pins and stickers made with campstarstudios@gmail.com(featuring logo design by my tattoo artist @inkbykell + photos by @thattomvu
* Hand-signed ‘idealist (realist)’ cds (super limited!)
* Brown shirts, light blue shirts and cream crops printed by @sloshscreenprinting
* Serendipiti native flower seeds!! (free with T-shirts) by @papergoround

Now that you’re out on the road, what are you hoping people take away from the live experience?
I hope that everyone who comes to a show comes away feeling a little more human – a little more understood, and safe to feel BIG and exactly as they are. I hope these songs and these shows can be safe sanctuaries for people in this way. I hope people feel connected and alive and are inspired to look for the magic and light in the world! <3

‘The Campus Revival Tour’ is all about bringing live music back to university campuses. Why do you think initiatives like this matter, especially for students?
I truly believe music gives us reason. Live music creates communities and third spaces that are so essential to young people, particularly in the student scene – where everyone is unfolding and finding their feet, their people and sense of self in the world. It gives students a place to belong.

Especially in such an increasingly disconnected digital age, creating these third spaces where people can connect, find their niches and sense of community in the uni scene is so special. And it brings such joy, and a reminder of the magic in life to the often stressful uni lifestyles!

(truly, the gigs that I went to and the people I went with while I was at uni were so influential to me, and I think always will be! So to really foster that sense of third space connection feels really important <3)

Live music has become increasingly difficult for young people to access. What does it mean to be part of a tour that’s helping make live music more accessible again?
It’s everything!! I’ve grown up in a community centred around live music (my dad is a music teacher and runs donation-led acoustic music nights at our local regional hall), so I’m so grateful to have had an upbringing with music and feeling at the forefront. But I truly believe music (and especially live music) is an absolute necessity to people. It gives you that ‘oh that’s right this is what life is about’ feeling, it connects us to one another (especially in this aforementioned increasingly disconnected digital age) and it gives us a place to make sense of our feelings, and to feel inspired!

This said, the cost of living is intense and show prices can often feel like a luxury – especially to uni students. So to be able to be any part in creating a space where shows are able to be more affordable, financially accessible and create this sense of community despite it all is really special and something I’m very grateful to be involved in! 🙂

What’s the most memorable live performance you’ve ever seen, and what made it so special?
Oh what a divine question! Many jump to mind – but I’d have to say the standouts are AURORA and Gang of Youths. AURORA because she has just been my musical hero since childhood, and i remember seeing her onstage at my first festival in Groovin the Moo and feeling with certainty that that is exactly what I want to do. And Gang of Youths because their music also meant the world to me growing up. A More Perfect Union Festival in Sunshine Coast a few years ago was still one of the best nights of my life. Somehow their music live makes you feel the entire spectrum of emotions and that is everything to me – I was there with my best friends and we cried, we hugged each other, we ascended – it was raw and real and pure actual magic. So completely inspiring <3

Find Out More About ‘The Campus Revival Tour’
INSTAGRAM

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.

With thanks to Kick Push PR