Q&A
Tell us about your new single/ album/ tour?
The song Trigger kind of speaks for itself.. If I go into too much detail about what the lyrics are about you might have to put an explicit warning in the title! I wrote this song during a period of lust for a man with a wild side.. My album due out later this year is called ‘Cathedral Parkway’ The inspiration behind the title was due to the fact we recorded several music videos in this area of Harlem. In history this place represented a big divide between many things. I guess my album symbolises similar themes. Love. Loss. Good. Bad. I spent many years living in New York City and penned most of the album there! I’ve done a few support tours leading up to my single release & have a few things on the horizon but at this stage it’s all kind of hush hush. Will keep you posted. Until then i’m a mystery.
How would you describe your sound in food form and why?
[pullquote]I went on tour with the Rolling Stones through South America. I had been gigging in the UK in a very sleepy town where I became friends with Keith Richards daughter Angie who invited me on their South American leg of the Dirty Licks Tour.[/pullquote]Geez. A spicy laksa? It’s a discovery of treats the more you dive in. At times messy & a little unpredictable but momentarily good for the soul.. Laksa dependant on where you purchase it can have an after effect haha I would hope my sound has a lasting one!
Which song resonates most strongly and why?
The first song that springs to mind is a track from my EP called Danger Zone. I feel this song is a true reflection of me both musically in the way its produced & also lyrically. The high’s are high and the lows are low. It’s quite confronting and harsh in certain area’s of the track but the delicate moments are pretty precious. This song resonates with me because these extremes really are the blueprint to my life.
Any on the road anecdotes?
I went on tour with the Rolling Stones through South America. I had been gigging in the UK in a very sleepy town where I became friends with Keith Richards daughter Angie who invited me on their South American leg of the Dirty Licks Tour. I arrived to meet them at the Four Seasons in Mexico city with a guitar, a bashed up bag and feeling a little worse for wear. I was surprised they let me in the gates! I got to my room and the phone rang – there was a man on the end of the line with an english accent and a warmth to this voice.. “Penny.. Kief here. We’re watching Kill Bill – Forrest Gump – drinking margaritas and eating guacamole. Come put your feet up and hang out”. Seems like a dream now.. He’s such a lovely man as they all were. The days that followed were incredible but I’ve got to keep some things a secret!
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Love. Loss. Lust. Pleasure. Pain. As humans we’re all familiar with these emotions. These themes certainly trigger my creative side. I draw inspiration from my life. Im a nomad.
What’s next for you?
I’ve got an album to release lovers! After the recent release of Trigger life is definitely becoming more of a thrill. Im back and forth a lot between here the USA and the UK as I continue to write and share the story. Im really into fashion which is kind of dumb because my royalty cheques haven’t been able to aid this curiosity but i’d love to incorporate fashion and art into my music story as I continue on my journey. I look at artists such as Florence and Lana and though i’m not there yet incorporating beauty art fashion and music – emerging myself into that world is something i’d really like to explore. Until then i’ll be seeing you soon onstage in my thrift shop kit spilling out some tunes about the road thus far.
What’s your scene?
I’m in several scenes which I think means.. I don’t have one.
About Penelope Austin
Penelope Austin was born in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales and moved to her spiritual home, New York City in 2006 with a guitar and a hundred and fifty dollars in her jeans.
Austin wrote her first song at fifteen with a guitar stolen from her high school.
It was the year her mother passed and the young singer went to America for the first time. Finding herself in the desolate and alien landscapes of Oklahoma, travel marked the years that followed and she continued to compose, her guitar rambling with her throughout the world and even backstage on tour with the Rolling Stones through South America.
A true nomad at heart, this ethereal sense of Other begins with her voice. Delicate and raw, vulnerable and passionate, Austin’s vocal stretches into an invented landscape populated by elemental images: fire, flames, clouds and water.
Austin has just put the finishing touches on her debut album, produced by long time collaborator and writing partner, Robert Conley. The album was mixed by award-winning and renowned UK mix engineer, Cenzo Townshend (Florence & The Machine, George Ezra, Snow Patrol), due for release late 2015. Her intro single ‘Dynamite’ featuring up-and-coming rapper Baro stirred blog attention, with a bright, glittery video clip shot in LA introducing her natural swagger. ‘Trigger’ is the next taste of what’s to come, an addictive single written and shot in NYC with a seductive lyric that just keeps on coming…
The video for ‘Trigger’ was shot with a low budget in NYC directed by A-list commercial and video director, Caitlin Felton and edited by her husband, Whitehouse post editor, Barney Miller. Caitlin is a renowned TV commercial director, who started her career as a director for MTV in New York. Barney is an MTV award nominated director and editor. Barney has worked on videos for artists and directors as far ranging as Kanye West, Fat Boy Slim, Elvis Costello and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Following the release of her single Dynamite featuring Baro, Penelope Austin was invited to showcase at the 2015 APRA Music Awards where she performed on stage with Thief and M-Phazes, covering Kasey Chambers & Bernard Fanning’s ‘Bittersweet’ to critical acclaim.