Anousha Victoire
After 10 years away from music ABC Music Award winner Anousha Victoire has returned with a brand new album, and upcoming live shows in Sydney.
Victoire’s new album, Precious Things, sees her using her world and life experiences from the past decade to further push her music with a more matured folk/bluegrass/world sound. When describing the new record Victoire told City Hub that she feels this record has “something for everyone” from new fans to old fans alike.
“There are some older songs that I’ve reworked with new instrumentation and there are more recent works which show how my songwriting has matured with life experience.”
One song in particular showcases Victoire’s progression as a songwriter and musician explicitly. That song being Fuzzy’s Song, which was initially released before her hiatus and saw her win the ABC Music Award. For this new record though Victoire explains that this is the first time she has released the song in a version she is “not embarrassed by.”
“This is the first time that I’ve actually recorded [Fuzzy’s Song] and released it on an album in an arrangement that I like. Back when it won that award and was getting airtime on ABC radio it was just a little demo that I almost cringed hearing because I knew I needed to record it properly.”
The catalyst for the break away from music and subsequent maturation of her sound was a desire to “try a few other things” and travel the world doing aid work.
“I went overseas to do some aid work with an organisation in West Africa,” explained Victoire. “Then life got busy. I had kids. Got sick. Life happened.”
This all meant that when she returned to the studio there were nerves but also a new mindset in her approach.
“I’ve come to a place with my songwriting where I don’t need to prove anything to anyone now. I know I can write songs and I write them because I want to share something with the world,” Victoire said. “What was really great though was that I didn’t have any pressure on myself to get the record out in any particular time frame. I just thought if it’s taken this long it’s not going to matter if I take a little bit longer to get it exactly how I want it.”
As she now gears up to step onto the live performance stage though Victoire says there are once again nerves creeping in, “I feel like ‘oh it’s been a while, does anyone still remember me’, ‘Am I going to be able to play the way I normally play?'” Ultimately though the excitement to once again be performing is the biggest emotion though.
“It’s all a bit of a challenge but I’m really looking forward to it because to me completing the process of writing a song is when you get to play it in front of an audience and see their reaction in their body and face.”
When asked if there will be another big gap between releases Victoire responded with a hearty giggle by saying, “I’m not going to wait another 10 years, I’m back on a roll now. I think this is just the beginning.”
Nov 1. Leichhardt Bowling Club, 88-92 Piper St, Leichhardt. $26+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.leichhardtbowlingclub.com.au
Nov 22. The Gasoline Pony, 115 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville. Tickets & Info: www.gasolinepony.com
