// Carly Rae

All
C

GENRE

Alternative
Folk
Pop

FAV ARTISTS

- Brooke Taylor - Creatures of Karma - Oh Pep! - The Sea Will Decide

ABOUT

Bantering lemurs, boardgames, bad dates, biker gangs... With her penchant for storytelling, Carly Rae's quirky melodies behind the keyboard have been likened to Kate Nash pop-ramblings peppered with Joni Mitchell blues.

Q&A, with Carly Rae

Define your genre in five words or less:

Fairytales under a piano lid.

How long have you been writing and playing music? Was there a song or moment that first inspired you?

When I was 9 I joined my family on a road trip from Melbourne to Adelaide. A few hours into the drive I looked out the window and spotted a crow sitting on the back of a cow. I wrote a song about it on the spot, and my family was trapped in the car with me wailing about the intricacies of that crow-cow relationship for the next twelve hours. ...I'd like to think my listeners are more willing these days.

If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why?

Definitely Joni Mitchell. I would write a song to sing, asking all the questions about her life and music that I have always wanted answers to - just one really long line of 'lyrics'. Sort of like a Barenaked Ladies song.

What are your favourite venues?

Toff in Town, Northcote Social Club, and Forum for the greek statues. Doubles the intake of culture.

What are your top 5 favourite albums?

Joni Mitchel - Songs to a Seagull Phoebe Snow - Self Titled Alan Parsons Project - Eye in the Sky Fleetwood Mac - Tusk Soul Coughing - Ruby Vroom

What is your most memorable gig (playing or watching)?

Tough!! I'd have to say Bjork playing in Plymouth 2008. That hall was filled with the most diverse crowd, but when she sang Hyperballad - regardless of age, gender or eyeliner density - the every single person stopped in time. Amazing.

Where do you usually draw inspiration from as a writer? Do you have a process? eg music first, lyrics first etc

My songs usually rear their heads when I'm either very very uncomfortable, or very very irritated. I like to imagine what other inanimate objects/people/critters/creatures might be feeling at those times, and often I end up envying a caterpillar for this incredibly exciting love affair I've just fabricated for him. I always hear the music and lyrics at the same time as I write music - then it's usually a process of going away and learning how to actually play what I've just heard in my head. Which can easily bring me back to irritation. And on goes the cycle...