THEAUSSIEWORD.COM’s special interview with Bloom.
How and where did it all begin for you? What drew your interest to the music industry?
I was 4 when I did my first public performance. I still remember how nervous I was. I spent a lot of my time as a child in my room singing through different albums, learning the lyrics when they used to include them in the sleeve of the CD. I am not sure if I knew I wanted to be a professional singer then, I just knew I could sing and I enjoyed it. My first concert as a teen was Tina Arena in Perth. That blew me away and I think that was the beginning of wanting to be on a stage.
What motivates or influences you in your quest to make great music?
I find inspiration in everything, influences either come from other records or books or TV shows, telling a good story is motivation for me.
What are some of your biggest goals you hope to accomplish?
I’d love to perform at The Royal Albert Hall one day or one of the outdoor concert spaces in Italy. That would be a dream!
What can we expect from you in the coming months? Any plans to tour?
We are currently touring regional WA. We are pretty much on the road around Australia and New Zealand until November this year.
Tell us a bit about your latest release and how would you best describe your music?
Choices is the most positive, uplifting song I’ve ever written. It’s a POP track about finding the power in your own choices and not giving up.
Give us an insight into your creative process. What gets you writing songs?
Quiet space. As long as I give myself some time to just sit and be still, the song comes from somewhere and I’ve usually written the whole thing in about 10 mins or so.
Is there a hidden meaning in any of your music?
I wouldn’t say there is a hidden meaning, but you might not know the exact reason behind a certain song of mine, I sometimes like to keep that personal or sometimes I do share it. At the end of the day, once a song is out there, it’s for everyone to interpret and connect to in their own way.
Success, what is the secret to it?
Not giving up. And not to waste energy on stuff that doesn’t matter, stay focused on what you want to do and don’t worry about what other people are doing. There is room for everyone’s success.
What has been your biggest career highlight so far?
This WA tour that I am currently on is the biggest scale we have ever produced, so I am pinching myself along the way, the huge lights and sound is amazing. We have a great team.
Singing our National Anthem on TV worldwide at big sporting events was also a huge honour.
Which stars of the music industry do you find inspiring?
Laura Pausini (an Italian singer) is a huge inspiration of mine. The late Eva Cassidy also inspires me, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King and Stevie Nicks, Adele – so many!
Are there any new projects in the pipeline?
Always! Can’t give anything away just yet.
The music industry is constantly changing, where do you see yourself a few years?
Hopefully I will still be performing, out of recording, writing and producing – performing is my favourite thing – it brings so much joy and I want to do it for as long as I can.
What is your favourite and least favourite part about this line of work and why?
FAVE – meeting people and bringing light and happiness to their world with our shows.
LEAST – the demand of social media / TikTok all those things are taking over, good music shouldn’t just become popular because it went viral on TikTok, I would hope the industry has more depth than that.
Name a few of your favourite Australian artists.
Tina Arena, Grace Knight, Tania Doko, John Farnham, The late Jon English
The shape of the music industry has changed significantly over the years, including the use of social media, how do you feel about the industry as a whole and what does it mean to you in getting your records out into the public eye?
Marketing is everything. It means spending a lot of money as an independent artist to try and get your song out to as many people as possible. I obviously don’t have unlimited cash, so I try not to get too caught up in it and do what I can. I kind of like the old fashioned way of touring and connecting to fans that way – I believe the ones that actually come to your shows are a lot more loyal than just the ones online. So that is where I would rather spend my energy – in person – rather than on the other side of the phone.
How will you continue appealing to the international market?
We plan to tour over in Europe next year and this is where online does work in our favour – connecting us to people around the world.
Do you collaborate with others? Who is on your wish-list?
My wish-list consists of the songwriters I haven’t met yet! Haha
I love collaborating.
What advice do you give for other artists wanting to follow in your footsteps?
It’s not easy and you have to have business skills if you want to make it as an independent artist. Most of the time we are building the brand behind the scenes – the actual performance is only 20% of what we do. Surround yourself with good people, you need a team – you can’t do it all on your own. You have to wear many hats. Upskilling is essential. Stay true to what you want to do.
A message for your fans. How do you best interact and respond with your followers and fans?
Facebook and Instagram is the best way to contact me. I love hearing from people and staying connected between show dates.
Website: https://www.bloomofficial.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BloomOfficialMusic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bloomstweet
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloomslife/