Music Interview: Odette

Australian soul/pop singer-songwriter Odette is someone we’re VERY excited to see excel over the next few years. When we were approached with the idea of this interview, it was the very first time we heard of her. And trust, we get flooded with emails but Odette stopped us in the shuffle of it all. We knew this is someone we had to talk to after listening and watching her latest music video “Collide.” This track along with many others will be on her upcoming debut album via EMI Australia. And yes, we’re excited for it! We spoke with Odette to ask her about her highly anticipated album, her time opening up for Sam Smith, and we also realized how badass she is.

The Young Folks: You’ve spent the last two years working on your debut album. How has the process been? What has it been like in the studio?
Odette: The process has been wonderful. I write quite fast on my own so being in the studio and workshopping those songs has really given me a fresher perspective. Taking my time on specific details really has helped me evolve my sound.

The Young Folks: What can your fans expect to hear on the upcoming album? What do you hope they’ll take away from it after listening through all the way?
Odette: This album coming up I feel has really captured the last two years for me. They have been the most terrible and most amazing times. I’ve really tried to be as emotionally honest as possible and I’m excited to put everything out there. I don’t have any expectations for what the listener might take from it, I hope it can reach some people who may have experienced or might be going through similar things.

The Young Folks: Being that this has been a two year process, what has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned through it all?
Odette: Communication is power. The more I write, the more I feel completely liberated of my darkest thoughts, and really of any thoughts that have been weighing on me. It sounds cliche but through this I’ve evolved my story telling and my ability to put my experiences into words.

The Young Folks: You’re a beautiful songwriter. Do you remember the first song you wrote and what it was about?
Odette: Thank you so much! I wrote my first song and it was called ‘Best Friends’ when I was around seven or eight. I was a bit of a loner kid so I didn’t have many friends. I often fantasize about what it would be like to have someone like that so I wrote the song about what it would be like to have someone dear to me.

The Young Folks: I absolutely love and adore “Collide.” I had to watch the music video so many times. It’s so vulnerable as with your previous song “Watch Me Read You.” Have you ever thought whether or not the person you were speaking about has ever listened to your music and what you hoped they felt like after listening?
Odette: I couldn’t care less if he were listening or not. I’ve had moments where I would have enjoyed it if he knew these songs were in the world, but honestly this isn’t for him. This is for me, to communicate my experiences and to heal and grow as a person. He really is redundant in that process.

The Young Folks: Do you ever, at any chance, feel like you’re putting too much of your life out in the public? Or, are you more welcome to letting people know?
Odette: Nope. I’m a very open person. Of course there are many, many aspects of my life that people will never know about. I feel my music is an extension of who I am, I’d hate to be dishonest and I’d hate to be creating things that don’t have any truth to them.

The Young Folks: Will we be able to hear more spoken word on your upcoming album? Do you have a favorite poet of all-time?
Odette: Yes! There’s one other spoken word track called ‘Lotus Eaters’ which I wrote when I was around sixteen. I’m very excited that it’s on there because it’s the first spoken word song I ever wrote. I do also have a favourite poet of all time. That would be John Keats, although Walt Whitman and Sylvia Plath come a very, very close second.

The Young Folks: You recently opened up for Sam Smith. How. Was. That. Experience? That’s huge!
Odette: Oh my goodness. Very overwhelming in the best sense of the word. It was incredible. As soon as I walked off-stage I was just shaking, I was in shock. One of the best moments I’ve lived.

The Young Folks: Any plans on coming to North America? We would LOVE to have you!
Odette: Um yes. I would love to go. I want to travel and play my music to as many people as possible, the thought excites me a lot.

The Young Folks: How do you hope to envision your career in a year from now? In five years from now?
Odette: I would love to be working with more creative minds, with more artists. I want to be completely immersing myself in my writing. I have these songs I’ve been writing for about a year now so hopefully I can release those. I want to play to different people, I want to travel different landscapes. I could keep listing things all day there’s so much to do and beyond excited.