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New York-via-Sydney songstress Penelope Austin wrote her first song at fifteen with a guitar stolen from her high school. She’s a rebel and it’s that attitude that brought her to New York City in 2006 with only a hundred and fifty dollars in her jeans. Her care-free spirit parallels her delicate, raw and vulnerable vocals.
Austin has just put the finishing touches on her debut album due for release in late 2015. GroundSounds recently caught up with her to talk about her latest project, musical inspirations and more, check out the exclusive interview below.
For those just discovering your music, can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background and how you got started as a musician?
I’m a nomad. I’ve spent years traveling the world on a whim and a prayer, at times not so much living but surviving. But these years marked the making of me and despite a few tense times it’s been a thrill. I got started in music by default.. It was after the loss of my mother when I was younger that I found the guitar. I wrote lyrics to chords as a means of expression. Words only for myself. A coping mechanism. Perhaps it was fate or something unbeknown to us but these songs fell into the hands and upon ears that triggered the musical path.
Originally from New South Wales you moved to NYC in 2006, what was that transition like? Where do you currently call home?
The transition was a wonderful one. Although the Southern Highlands is the blueprint of my story I had a huge sense of relief leaving a small town to be enveloped into that city. New York. There was a beat. A constant one. It was inspiring. Nobody knew me or my story and that excited me. I loved that sense of freedom and it certainly opened a creative buzz in me. I currently live between Sydney and Canberra. Best of both worlds.. But in saying that i’m so constantly on the move I kind of exist nowhere!
We have definitely been digging “Trigger,” can you tell us about the creative and writing process involved with this track?
Big love – love that you dig! A bit of a dark horse this one.. As is the man it’s written about! I wrote this in my Potts Point apartment after my lover left which was a re-occoring theme between us due to our individual travel and lifestyle endeavours. He was one that left a good taste in my mouth and aside from the sexiness of it all I always missed him bad even though I loved independence just as much as his presence. It was written very quickly on the strings before I took it to my producer Robert Conley where we tweaked tweaked tweaked!
What was it like filming the music video for “Trigger,” can you tell us about this day(s)?
It was rad! So surreal to return to the city where I once felt pretty hopeless inside the industry with an entourage and a debut album. To be honest.. I felt like an angel on crack! The passer’s by certainly did.. I turned many heads wearing that kit on Harlem Street’s outside it’s churches.. I’d been up since 3am to catch dawn so by the time we hit the streets the stares didn’t so much effect me – I just went with it! I felt like a mad rebel on the subway as technically your not aloud to shoot without a permit but somehow we avoided arrest!
How does music make you feel?
It’s an escape mechanism.. A wonderful beautiful escape into wherever you want to be.
What musicians/bands are you currently listening to?
Im old school.. I love anything pre 90’s.. I’ve had almost the same playlist for a decade! I love Springsteen, Annie Lennox, Elton John, Stevie Nicks.. The Stones. I also really dig a strong female power ballad.. It kind of feels wrong at times listening to certain songs.. I’ll be doing something cool with Celine in the plugs.
What has it been like working on your debut album and bringing this project to fruition? Is there a concrete release date or title yet?
There’s no concrete release date on the album but I can tell you it will be named ‘Cathedral Parkway’. We shot a lot in this area of NYC.. In history this place was monumental in the divide of the city for various reasons.. Good versus bad. This correlates well with my interpretation of the album.. The highs are high and the lows are low down. It’s been an incredible experience seeing my album come to life with my right hand man Robert Conley. We have been developing a sound together for a while now.. It;s all kind of special.
Can you tell us about the inspiration for your track “Dynamite?”
I was loved up as fuck! It was a ‘joyful song’ written on a whim – Robert had this awesome pad and for kicks I just spat out my weekend feels.
What was it like working with up-and-coming rapper Baro?
He’s a cool kid. Way cooler then i’ll ever be.
What’s next for Penelope Austin, what can fans look forward to?
An insight into my world.. It’s coming! Aside from the release of my debut album following a few cheeky singles I’ll be back on the road.. Touring. Making more memories and meeting new mates. I’m quite intrigued by the fashion world so i’m keen to explore that through combining music with this. Ive not long returned from LA writing tunes with some pretty cool EDM cats but that’s to be continued.. Off to Europe soon to get the crowd familiar with my pipes before returning to the states to continue my love affair.. With the city that is New York.. Px
