This time, ReVamp magazine interviews exclusively with Australian multi-platinum, Aria-nominated singer, Vera Blue. We discuss about prospects for the future and her latest single, ‘Mermaid Avenue’, with the lyrics depicting a bitter reminder of what could have been within a past relationship.

First of all, thank you so much for talking with ReVamp magazine! We’re delighted to get to know more about you as an artist. Tell us, when was the moment for you that you decided that you wanted to pursue the music industry? 

Thank you for having me! I started writing my own songs when I was 15 years old, it was then that I developed a true obsession and passion for expressing my feelings and emotions in songs. When I finished school I had no idea what I wanted to do but I knew I loved writing and performing. When I was 18 I decided I wanted to take the leap and move to the big city of Sydney to give music and go, it was scary and intimidating but I’m so proud I made that decision and feel so blessed that my parents believed in me to do so. It’s a scary thing for parents when their child wants to pursue music, the music industry is a wild and unforgiving world for a teenager to launch themselves into.

Your latest single ‘Mermaid Avenue’ has some very personal lyrics to it, especially with the quote “Maybe it’s for the better, we only lived there in our dreams, that way we’d stay forever”. Can you say that this is a subject matter that you speak from experience?

Absolutely. Sometimes in relationships, the idea of it, the dreams we have made up in our heads can be way more pleasant than the real thing. And if that’s the case, as much as it hurts, it’s much better to move on and one day find someone who can provide a love and life that you truly deserve rather than counting on something that is only causing heartache and the feeling of being let down. I have been through this multiple times.

As an artist, when you get that instinctive feeling to express what you’re feeling in the moment, you just can’t ignore it until you become completely consumed by your work. Tell us, which topic gets your creative juices flowing the most when it comes to songwriting?

It depends on what I’m feeling in that moment and how raw the emotions are. The period where I was falling in love again after heartbreak on this album was very powerful and all I wanted to do was write love songs or songs about how it felt either too good to be true or that it was like nothing I’d ever felt before. It’s like I couldn’t stop writing love songs, and even a few of them were waaaay to clucky and cliché, but I just had to get it out of my system! A lot of songs start with an emotion or something that has happened but sometimes songs can start with a simple beat or chord progression or synth sound which then conjures up a feeling depending on the vibe of the sound. I always like when that happens because it leaves it all open to imagination, then we link it back to something relatable and real.

Now, we have to talk about the exciting announcement of your second studio album ‘Mercurial’. Talk to us about what the process was like from concept to completion.

It was very interesting how it all came about. I didn’t have a pre-conceived concept or idea of what I wanted the album to be about. We started writing at the end of 2018, I had just been diagnosed with depression and anxiety and was dealing with all of the emptions that came with that but at the same time I was falling in love again and feeling pure excitement and euphoric emotions, so inevitably I had to write about it all but didn’t know where to start, it was all so overwhelming. As time went on we were writing songs about new love, learning to trust again, feeling manic and unhinged, not knowing how to cope with my mental health, feeling inspired by what my friends were going through and the tremendous growth and understanding of myself that came from going through all of this. The title and concept of the album wasn’t realised until it was finished and id taken a step back to listen and visualise what I was actually saying. It then became apparent that this album was about so many different things that were all happening at the same time, chopping and changing from one feeling to another. When I stumbled across the word “Mercurial” it was almost like an epiphany; it just perfectly summed up the whole mood and personality of the record.

With that being said, can we expect to find you on an album tour this year? Do you have any dates confirmed as of yet?

Yes! And I can’t wait! The tour starts next week in Queensland and I’m taking my band with me all across Australia to visit our favourite cities and towns. It’s been so long since I’ve done a headline tour so we’ve put together a fun and energetic, colourful show with loads of dancing.

Vera, it’s been a pleasure! We just want to ask before you go, what has been the most memorable part of your career so far, and why?

This is such a great question! For me the most memorable part of my career so far has been touring with Flume around the world and having our track “Rushing Back” hit #2 in the triple j hottest 100. To be able to perform at venues like Red rocks and play festivals like lollapalooza performing to new crowds has been mind-blowing and gets me so excited to be able to tour the world with my band doing my own shows!