Name: Erica Tucceri
Nationality: Australian
Occupation: Flutist, composer, improviser
Current release: Erica Tucceri's collaborative album Jin MU with Ziggy Zeitgeist was published on La Sapa in 2021. Her most recent release is an extended mix of her composition “Iliamna.”
Recommendations for Australia: It’s cliche, but you’ve got to get into the coffee and brunch culture here. We take it very seriously!

[Read our Ziggy Zeitgeist interview]

If you enjoyed this Erica Tucceri interview and would like to stay up to date with her music and upcoming live dates, visit her official homepage. She is also on Instagram.



What were some of the musical experiences which planted a seed for your interest in jazz?

My mum was into jazz when I was growing up, so I remember tagging along to lots of gigs.

Initially, I think I just liked being privy to what felt like a very adult world, but it didn’t take long for me to catch the bug. The thing that I remember more than anything else was how alive the music made me feel.

I’ve always been drawn to improvisation - the connection, surprise, experimentation, expression - and we’re so spoilt in Melbourne. PBS and RRR (our local independent radio stations) soundtracked my childhood, and switched me onto all the cool, little venues I could sneak into on a school night.

I have many fond memories of late nights at Bennetts Lane, and free shows at the Melbourne Jazz Festival. This city definitely punches above it’s weight and is such a musical melting pot - it’s absolutely shaped my attitude and sound as a musician.

Tell me a bit about the sounds & creative directions, artists & communities, as well as the colleagues & creative hotspots of your current hometown, please. How do they influence your music?

The more I travel, the more I appreciate how unique and special the scene in Melbourne is.

I think there’s something about the enormous physical size and distance of the country, the lifestyle we have compared to the hustle of bigger cities, and the number of smaller-medium sized venues, that offers musicians the space to experiment and develop their own music.

We’ve had a wave of jazz / jazz adjacent Melbourne musicians making moves in the UK and EU - starting with Hiatus Kaiyote, then into Allysha Joy, Audrey Powne, Don Glori, Finn Rees, Surprise Chef, Horatio Luna, Energy Exchange …

But hand in hand with that, we also have incredible venues and record stores that champion our local musicians in a big way, and help get them out to the rest of the world. Community is everything, and we’ve got a great one that always makes me want to push the music somewhere fresh.

If you’re ever in town, make sure to stop by Northside Records, Wax Museum, Old Plates, The Nightcat and High Note. You’ll always have a good hang and catch some magic!