Georgia Fields Interview

Ever-engaging and perpetually cutting-edge, indie shapeshifter Georgia Fields once again wows with elegant ease on her bold new track Holding My Hands Out.

A magnetic showing of fearless art-pop and searing vulnerability, Holding My Hands Out marks another sublime insight into Georgia's upcoming third full-length album Hiraeth. The new track is accompanied by a bewitching, kaleidoscopic music video – in which we see Georgia ominously expel moths from her mouth – firmly reflecting thematic notions of rebirth, and the dark depths of the subconscious.

Georgia will be celebrating the single's release with an all ages matinee show at Wesley Anne on Sunday July 10.

Holding My Hands Out dazzles in textural dexterity, powerful melodics, and the compelling vocal stylings of Georgia herself – as she strides freely from breathy serenity to dauntless power. Brought to life by producer, engineer & drummer Josh Barber (Gretta Ray, Emma Anglesey, Gotye), the recording process saw Georgia and Josh experiment with found objects, crafting the track's distinctive snare sample by layering half-broken children's toys and vintage wood percussion. Terracotta pots were played melodically with felted sticks. Finally, with the addition of Georgia's string quartet Andromeda, it's little wonder the end result is otherworldly, immersive and lush; a perfect adjunct to the single's inspiration and narrative content, as Georgia elaborates: "It's a song about that primal desire we all have to be held. It's about reaching your hands out for comfort, but grasping at shadows. From a songwriting perspective, I was inspired by the simple yet anthemic choruses of artists like Sarah Blasko, Weyes Blood and Sharon van Etten. I was also hugely impacted by the novel Islands, by Australian author Peggy Frew. There's something about Peggy's writing that cuts straight to my heart – I've found all her novels deeply affecting. Holding My Hands Out is partly written from the perspective of her character June, as well as June's mother, Helen."

The video for Holding My Hands Out features the eleventh collaboration between Georgia and independent director and cinematographer Rohan Spong. Georgia emphatically stands front-and-centre, embodying the poignant lyrics and oscillating emotives, styled in striking, statement sleeves by iconic Australian label Sass & Bide and a custom piece from Anna Cordell Clothing. As to the video concept and final mesmerising end result, Georgia shares: "Something very special happens when I hand a song over to Rohan. His visual interpretation of my music always reveals a deeper understanding of my own songs back to me. I rarely present a video concept; I'm always keen to hear what the song sparks in his mind's eye."

"For Holding My Hands Out, we wanted to play with light, colour and shadow, referencing the lyrics 'you move like a shadow'. Rohan had this idea that I could cough up moths, and they would swarm above me like a cloud of unspoken menace. I loved this because moths represent transformation and rebirth, but also disguise, our hidden nature, and the night – the realm of the subconscious. To create that feeling of non-space, or the internal landscape (similar to The Void in Stranger Things), we filmed in both the cyclorama and black room at DCF Studios in Thornbury."

Since emerging onto the Melbourne music scene in 2010 with her critically-acclaimed self-titled debut album, Georgia has continued to sonically surprise her audience. Her solo show sees the genre-defying trailblazer swap between electric guitar, vintage keyboards, and textural live looping. Georgia is also regularly joined by her 4- piece band of multi-instrumentalists, and frequently collaborates with the Andromeda String Quartet in an ethereal, art music / chamber folk crossover. In 2020, she launched Mother Lode: an online community for self-employed musicians who are mothers.

Now, Georgia sets her sights firmly on the release of her third studio album Hiraeth; a follow-up from 2016's Astral Debris, which garnered airplay on Douple J, ABC Radio National and community radio nationwide. Inspired by the Welsh word with no direct English translation, Georgia's new body of work explores "a profound longing for a home you can't return to...the nostalgia/grief for the lost places of your past". Holding My Hands Out is a salient snippet of what's to come on Hiraeth, while ultimately offering Georgia the chance to turn her creative verve outward once more, as she concludes: "The process of songwriting and recording is quite an internal one for me – so I'm really looking forward to shifting my focus; sharing this song with the world, and seeing how it connects with people. It's a vulnerable feeling, but also quite joyful."

Interview with Georgia Fields

Question: How would you describe your music?

Georgia Fields: Melodic, pop songs with slightly weird art sounds.


Question: What inspired Holding My Hands?

Georgia Fields: I wanted to explore the primal urge to be held. I began writing it just after my son was born, during a particularly vulnerable passage of time, and finished it during the Melbourne lockdowns (enough said!). I was also listening to artists like Sharon van Etten and Sarah Blasko, and inspired by their simple but anthemic choruses. The song is about reaching for comfort but grasping at shadows. Producer Josh Barber and I had a lot of fun crafting the "snare" sample by layering vintage wind-up toys and half-broken wooden percussion – I wanted there to be a real juxtaposition between a gritty drum sound and dreamy, ethereal strings.


Question: Can you tell us about the music video?

Georgia Fields: This was the eleventh video I've worked on with filmmaker Rohan Spong – we've been collaborating since my first album, when we were both "babies". Something very special happens when I hand a song over to Rohan – his interpretation of the song always reveals a deeper understanding of my own writing back to me. I rarely present a video concept; I'm always keen to hear what the song sparks in his mind's eye. For 'Holding My Hands Out', he wanted to play with light, colour and shadow, referencing the lyrics 'you move like a shadow'. Rohan had this idea that I could cough up moths, and they would swarm above me like a cloud of unspoken menace. I loved this because moths represent transformation and rebirth, but also disguise, our hidden nature, and the night – the realm of the subconscious. To create that feeling of the internal landscape (similar to The Void in TV show Stranger Things), we filmed in the cyclorama and black room at DCF Studios in Thornbury. (I didn't have to eat any moths, btw).


Question: Is there a particular message you hope listeners take from your music?

Georgia Fields: There isn't a message, per se… I guess I hope that my songs give people permission and the space to explore their own feelings in new and special ways: love, longing, grief, desire, shame, joy… I write from my own perspective but I try to leave an open door, so people can interpret my songs in ways that are meaningful to them.


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Georgia Fields: They are both so different! Singing live is electric – it's a conversation between me and my guitar and a room full of people. It's hyper-exciting; there's always the element of creative danger, and there's the instant feedback. You know if you've hit the mark or not; you can sense in the moment if you're connecting with people. Recording is quieter, more introspective, it feels more like a "crafting" – you are performing in the vocal booth, but you have time to reflect on each performance. Is it telling the story? Is it communicating a feeling? You might be in the studio with one or two other people, and you're considering how this piece of recorded art will connect with one other person via headphones. It feels more cocooned. They're quite distinct, fascinating creative processes, and I love them both.


Question: What should we expect from your upcoming show?

Georgia Fields: A warm, cosy celebration of music – and our beautiful music community. It's been almost 8 months since I performed live, because I've been so focused on recording the album. So now I'm really excited to perform the album live, and bring the songs back to how they were written – on my guitar, keyboard, and live looping station. My longtime collaborators the Andromeda String Quartet are going to jump up and play a few songs, with some other surprise special guests, and indie-folk wunderkind Amelia Allen is opening. It's an afternoon matinee at The Wesley Anne, kids can attend with an adult, and under-12s are free.

Question: What motivates you most when writing music? Georgia Fields: Telling a story; communicating a feeling; coming up with a beautiful melody.


Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

Georgia Fields: Phia, Aldous Harding, and Methyl Ethyl.


Question: What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Georgia Fields: I grew up in a musical family (my parents were in a band in the 70s before I was born, and I have my mum's gold record under my bed somewhere). I always saw it as something that was possible. When I started out, I thought it'd be: play a few gigs, get signed to a major label, private jet. I think the naivety I had about the industry early on allowed me to get started with a sense of fearlessness; by the time I could see how much work and tenacity was involved in making a lifetime career out of music, I was in too deep! No regrets, though.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Georgia Fields: I'd like to write some music for dance. I also was in loose conversations with a jewellery-maker a few months ago, about making some responsive pieces together! I love the idea of moving beyond my own practice and working with other artforms. But if we're talking strictly music, I'd love to sing a duet with Weyes Blood. Or Father John Misty. Or both!


Question: What has been your favourite part of becoming a music artist?
Georgia Fields: Getting to "play" for a living! Also, I was talking to my friend Eva Popov (who performs under the moniker Hello Satellites recently), and we were saying how special it has been to be approaching the 15-year mark of being an independent artist, and growing up alongside our community – watching our friends create such beautiful, world-class works of art and getting to share in their journey with their music.


Question: What's a typical day like?

Georgia Fields: I don't have a typical day! I'm an indie artist with two small kids. Some days I'm at the playground or batch cooking for the week ahead, or doing the laundry (so much laundry)... other days I'm at the recording studio, or writing grant applications, composing string arrangements, or just the boring-but-necessary stuff like email and managing bookings. Being an artist means that for about 20% of the time, you get to do ridiculously exciting shit… and then for the remainder of the time, you're dreaming, planning, rehearsing, or coming back down to earth after doing the ridiculously exciting shit. It's a rollercoaster. I'm not saying that's a bad thing!


Question: What advice do you have for aspiring songwriters or artists?

Georgia Fields: Start!


Question: What's next, for you?

Georgia Fields: After this Melbourne show on Sunday 10 July, I'll be releasing a few more singles towards the album in November.


Question: Can you share your socials?



Georgia Fields: Instagram 
Facebook 
YouTube 


Interview by Gwen van Montfort