THEAUSSIEWORD.COM catches up with Boo Seeka.
How and where did it all begin for you? What drew your interest to the music industry?
It all started many moons ago by just listening to music. For as long as I can remember, my parents were playing records and CDs 24/7, all year round. When I was eight I got a second hand guitar for my birthday and I would sit infront of the speakers trying to figure out what they were playing. It became my obsession and it has never ever stopped.
What motivates or influences you in your quest to make great music?
It’s the quest of never thinking that what I have written is good enough, and the constant search for every song that I wrote to be better than the last. It’s also about having an understanding of what each song is trying to say and know what direction, feeling, motive each story should have.
What are some of your biggest goals you hope to accomplish?
I think sometimes for me, I need to take five minutes to realise that I have already accomplished goals that I already set out to do. For me I always get lost in thinking that I’ve never accomplished anything as my brain is pretty much always going a hundred miles an hour, thinking about what is in front of me.
I will never stop setting new goals, and that will always drive Boo Seeka. When I look back I’ve accomplished so much: Writing my first song, first gig, hearing myself on the radio, selling out a show, a whole tour, touring overseas, selling out overseas shows, getting my first gold record followed by a second one. These are all goals I had at times along this journey, and having completed them is pretty surreal.
When I look forward at goals that I haven’t yet achieved, without going into specifics, let’s just say they are pretty large.
What can we expect from you in the coming months? Any plans to tour?
We’ve got our new album coming out at the end of the month – BETWEEN THE HEAD & THE HEART. Lots and lots of touring – I miss it so much. We are supporting Hayden James on his Australian tour, there may or may not be a tour to be announced, and we also have a few festivals lined up for the end of the year. It’s going to be a massive few months but I really hope it doesn’t stop, I would play 365 days a year if I could.
Something my team and I are focusing on is collaborating with artists and really building out the sound of Boo Seeka. I am always writing music, and some don’t really fit the Boo Seeka sound, so I am super keen to start working with other artists and hear these songs in completely different genres.
There are a few other exiting things in the pipeline with my love of food and wine. To be honest, I just want to enjoy life, because I am seriously lucky to do what I love to do.
Tell us a bit about your latest release and how would you best describe your music?
REAL is definitely one of my favourites on the record for me and has so many different messages embedded in the meaning. I wrote this song at a bit of a low point, with the idea of creating a song that can be a bit of a sing-a-long wherever the listener may be. My album, Between The Head and the Heart, is twelve separate messages that I wrote throughout the COVID period. I really needed to do this for myself, and it has undoubtedly helped me get through the last 12 months. I never want to give away the exact message or meaning of why I wrote a song, firstly, because some things are incredibly specific and personal, but mainly, I love the idea of a listener creating their own meaning to the track. That’s the most important thing about art and music to me.
Give us an insight into your creative process. What gets you writing songs?
Everything and anything. As an artist I don’t think you can cut off any angle of inspiration. From a feeling, emotion, walking down the street just people watching, a dream, a sound, a thought, basically everything. It drives me crazy to be honest, but crazy has been the catalyst of most of Boo’s biggest tracks.
Is there a hidden meaning in any of your music?
Every song has a hidden meaning. Most of the time I never tell the listener what the song means to me. I always let the listener grab hold of the song the way they want to. It might mean something completely different to me and I think that’s the most exciting thing about art. If you look at an abstract painting 90% of the time it will express something different to every individual and that’s what I love about writing music.
Success, what is the secret to it?
What is success? Success could be getting out of bed in the morning, making a great meal, making someone feel happy. It has taken me a long time to figure this out as I am always my harshest critic. But success isn’t only what I feel I am achieving in music in my own eyes, it’s life itself and experiencing it with the amazing people around me.
What has been your biggest career highlight so far?
I’ve had a lot but the most recent one was performing at Coachella with Hayden James. Getting on stage to perform our song, Free, in front of a packed tent and people singing back at us at one of the biggest festivals in the world will be something I’ll never forget.
Which stars of the music industry do you find inspiring?
The Beatles, ELO, Tracey Chapman, Massive Attack, Coldplay, Tame Impala, Billie Eilish, Glass Animals, Nirvana, Bread, Oasis, Joy Division, Rolling Stones, Moby, The Strokes, Powder Finger, Silverchair. The list could go on forever
Are there any new projects in the pipeline?
Absolutely – my new album Between The Head & The Heart is coming out on June 30. I’ve had a lot of time in the last two and a half years to think of what I want to accomplish with my career, and it’s about to drop and I couldn’t be more excited!
The music industry is constantly changing, where do you see yourself in a few years?
Who knows what is going to happen but I don’t see myself doing anything other than music and everything that comes with it. As long as I keep evolving in myself I will be happy wherever I end up in the next few years and beyond.
What is your favourite and least favourite part about this line of work and why?
I just honestly love doing what I do because I see that my songs can be the source of happiness for people. However, in the process of writing those tracks, I drive myself absolutely crazy trying to make the song as perfect as it can be. I wouldn’t give this up for the world, so the illusive search for that perfect song continues.
Name a few of your favourite Australian artists.
There are so many, and it’s so sick to see acts like The Kid Laroi taking over globally, but there are so many underground artists that don’t get the praise they deserve: some of my favs at the moment in Aus: Golding, Kim Churchill, Dear Sunday, Lastlings, Midnight Oil, Flume, Hayden James, Holy Holy, G Flip, Vera Blue (the list goes on & on).
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?
Yep, it honestly feels like it changes every day and we just have to accept it and move with the times. There are so many tools out there now that people think are bad for the industry, but I think they are great. Getting music to people all around the world is a lot easier than it used to be and I think it’s great, but there is just more and more saturation. We have had big conversations recently internally about really leaning into these new technologies, because ultimately if I don’t adapt, we will likely be left behind.
How will you continue appealing to the international market?
I think just being me and doing what I want to do. If I start chasing something, that’s when we lose the authenticity of Boo Seeka. Trust the process, and it will all fall into place.
Do you collaborate with others? Who is on your wish-list?
I’ve only just started collaborating and honestly, I love it!!!!! I will collaborate with anyone and everyone. Each time being in a new studio experience, I always learn something. There are a few notable collabs on their way, but on my wish-list: Chris Martin, Alex Turner, Kevin Parker, Billie Eilish and Doja Cat.
A message for your fans. How do you best interact and respond with your followers and fans?
It’s been a while between a collection of Boo tracks have been released together, but we’re almost there. Thanks for sticking with me, and I can’t wait to share this wild ride together into the future.
Any last words?
Let’s gooooooooo
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