Name: VASSY
Occupation: Singer, songwriter, producer
Nationality: Australian
Recent release: VASSY's new album Supreme is out via Palladium.
Recommendations: João Gilberto is an incredible composer and his wife Astrud, is an incredible performer. The simplicity and yet deepness of their music was something else that inspired me very much.
If you get a chance definitely listen to Billie Holiday, especially her Lady Sings The Blues album , it was a game changer for me and what inspired me to get into music

If you enjoyed this VASSY interview and would like to stay up to date with her music, visit her official homepage. She is also on Instagram, and Facebook.



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

Inspiration comes from life, and everything I experience ends up going into a song.

I always say be careful dating a singer-songwriter because you will end up in one of her songs LOL

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

Sometimes you do have to create the visual. What I mean by that is even a vision board or literally speaking and putting down ideas that you want to manifest energetically once you put it down in writing.

For example, when you write those little To Do list notes you're already putting the energy out there into the universe. So you are manifesting your dreams - goals things you want to accomplish.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

Yes absolutely there's always the early version of a song which then involves modifying it almost has its own little life and turns into the finished product.

Each song has its own evolution and its own unique journey.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

I always have to have tea. Green tea, black tea, any sort of tea nearby.

And I need to be in the right environment and the right headspace. Once I get in that creative pocket then I'm good to go.

What do you start with? And, to quote a question by the great Bruce Duffie: When you come up with a musical idea, have you created the idea or have you discovered the idea?

Personally, I always start with the hook or the tagline. Once I have that, I flush it out from there.

But when I feel like I have the core of the song, as in the essence of the song - which is typically the tagline, that one section of the song in the chorus where people want to sing over and over again - then I know I have something.

When do the lyrics enter the picture? Where do they come from? Do lyrics need to grow together with the music or can they emerge from a place of their own?

Lyrics come in pretty quickly for me. I have the melody but I always need lyrics to cement the melody.

Once you have some sort of melody that feels instinctively good, then from the start you need to flesh it out. But sometimes lyrics can end up changing the melody.

What makes lyrics good in your opinion? What are your own ambitions and challenges in this regard?

I like unique lyrics. I like craftsmanship when it comes to songwriting.

I'm not a big fan of just the basic lyrics that you hear over and over again. I like a unique story to be told. A narrative that is smart and witty.

Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

No, I'm open. I just want a good song.

I can tell when it's better to let go than try to stick to what you might have in your head. So I never try to control anything. But I do feel a good melody in the hook, that is my strength and typically my gut instinct is always right. So I try to follow that.

But I am always open. I think it's important to be open. That's what being creative is all about.


VASSY Interview Image by Mike Reyes

Often, while writing, new ideas and alternative roads will open themselves up, pulling and pushing the creator in a different direction. Does this happen to you, too, and how do you deal with it? What do you do with these ideas?

Yes I just go with the flow and let it happen and play out

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

Yes, I think it's important to have a very balanced healthy state of mind. Health and wellness are very important to me.

I try to balance my life with other things outside of music that help give me peace and harmony. That could be anything from going for hikes in nature, going to work out, watching movies, or just things outside of the business

When you're in the studio to record a piece, how important is the actual performance and the moment of performing the song still in an age where so much can be “done and fixed in post?“

It's very important for me. I'm a good singer and I take pride in hitting my notes and making sure I sound good.

Luckily for me I know my strengths and I know what works. So typically we don't need to do much with my vocals.

There is a little bit of polishing that happens especially in electronic dance music because of all the production. Having the vocals too raw can end up having too much of a contrast entertwined with electronic production.

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practise?

When you know you know.

It's all about the production that's the part that sometimes takes the longest to find the right fit the right sound that will bring life to that song

Even recording a solo song is usually a collaborative process. Tell me about the importance of trust between the participants, personal relationships between musicians and engineers and the freedom to perform and try things – rather than gear, technique or “chops” - for creating a great song.

It's very important. I only work with people I trust. I have certain people I'm comfortable with.

I have a certain engineer who does all my vocals. It's important for me to have a consistent sound. I know what I like. I know how I like my voice so I like to have control over that process.

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? In terms of what they contribute to a song, what is the balance between the composition and the arrangement (performance)?  

Production is so important, especially in dance music. Mixing and mastering are equally just as important again, especially in dance music.

When you have so many elements different instruments and vocals you really need to find the right balance. And sometimes a kick drum or a bassline for example being tweaked the right way can really make or break a record

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

Yes, I get sad. But then I move on to another song LOL and try to find my happiness there.

I also like to see a song once it's out there and to see how fans respond to it and that gives the song new life

Music is a language, but like any language, it can lead to misunderstandings. In which way has your own work – or perhaps the work of artists you like or admire - been misunderstood? How do you deal with this?

Music is a universal language. It's emotive. It makes you feel things without having to find the words. It's relatable. It can connect people from all languages and cultures. It's a very powerful tool to use for various things.

For me music is my language, it's the way I express myself. That's where I find my happiness.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

Yes indeed it is, it is on a different level and is a much more sensorial experience. One that words cannot describe. It's transcending when making a song, when performing that song. When I'm just listening to a song or other people's songs.

It can have a profound effect on me whether it inspires me, saddens me, changes my mind about things motivates me and Powell was me … This is why I hope my music can do the same for other people.