Tones welcome to your first Like A Version on triple j.
Thank you.
I feel like this has been a long time coming but it's crazy to think that this time
last year you hadn't even uploaded your first song to triple j unearthed
What is this like for you right now?
Yeah the Like A Version is so much fun.
It's something I've always wanted to do so being able to do it today and do something a
bit different and not if someone asked me to play Dance Monkey for the millionth time.
It's amazing, so thank you for letting me do this.
So I am actually gonna get you to
play Dance Monkey so...
Well let's talk about the fact that you just performed Dance Monkey
on Jimmy Fallon in the U.S.
You made your U.S television debut, how is that?
What was that like?
Yeah that was really fun I don't really think about where I
am at the time when I'm doing things so I just play it the same way but then
afterwards like that's when the feeling rushes in and you know I think yeah it's
just crazy surreal just be able to say that I've done that and you know I met
Jimmy Fallon and he was really really lovely and made it really easy and
the audience are really nice.
Yeah well you got standing ovations so clearly you got
the tick of approval from them.
Yeah I didn't realize I got a standing ovation
until I saw it somewhere or someone told me because I was so nervous at the time
that I didn't look up.
Yeah I feel like the phrase you've had such a big year
gets thrown around a lot but what would you say to yourself even six months ago
if I said to you in six months time you'll have performed on Jimmy Fallon
made your US television debut had a billboard in Times Square with your face
on it, what would you go back and say to yourself?
I don't know because a part of
me wants to say that stuff in particular is really crazy but like I
mean there was a part of me that always knew that this is what I was meant to do.
I didn't think any of that would happen but you know when you stop
doing anything and everything and just focus on music it's not because it's a
chore it's because you know that this is what you're meant to do and that's all
you're gonna do.
So it's like I never thought of Jimmy Fallon I never thought
that I never thought the billboards but you know being able to break into some
kind of industry and being able to share my music like I was
gonna do that anyway with busking but all that stuff that comes along with it
you just don't even think about it you don't think that's even a possibility.
And that love and that passion that you displayed during that busking area has
clearly translated into this as well.
You still maintained that integrity.
How does it feel knowing that your music is translating on an international scale
on a global scale?
I think that the way that my music is resonating overseas
is amazing I mean at the start I thought it was just the one hit you know going
overseas and playing some shows I'm realizing people are singing along to
like Never Seen The Rain more and Jimmy more.
Like Never Seen The Rain people
sing along to that at every show more than Dance Monkey and Jimmy
people love Jimmy so it's like I'm really thankful that people are looking
past this one song and you know trying to see a bit more of what I'm about.
So clearly you aren't performing Dance Monkey this morning.
What are you giving us for your original?
Never Seen The Rain.
Why have you chosen this one?
Well out of the songs I've released it's my favorite one by far.
It gives me more freedom to sing in whatever voice I want.
I wrote Dance Monkey up here
and that's how I have to sing it.
Never Seen The Rain I mean my
voice is naturally high but it gives me more flexibility to have fun and be a
little bit more myself you know and I just love what it stands for as well so
I really wanted to like try and do a different version of that song.
You really gave that song the space to move and to really ad-lib and let your rain
shine, does that take you back into a busking realm having that space?
Yeah, I think especially because I've only released the six songs the only song
with like a slower speed to it is like Colourblind but otherwise there's other
songs were made quite like in your face but busking and
stuff you know that's where I get to just have fun and do what I want and
it's really fun to be able to get the opportunity to just be myself and not
have to constantly fit a melodic structure that everyone wants to hear
because otherwise it's dissatisfying for the people at festivals and stuff like that.
Yeah absolutely.
The last time that we spoke to you and triple j you were
actually on the Arias red carpet you gearing up for a performance but you
also ended up taking home a few Awards in fact for best female artist
breakthrough artist, best pop release best independent release does that
recognition feel good when you think back to when you were in Byron
writing and recording and being in the studio five days a week
busking all weekend how does
it feel to get that recognition knowing how much hard work you've put in over the years?
Yeah I mean it's something that I never thought would ever happen
to me never thought that things like that happened to people that you or
people you knew or just something that you know no one thinks that.
So to be up there is a totally different experience and the fact that I've lived
that moment is crazy because you know it seems like something that I maybe have
dreamed and even right now sometimes I don't have any emotion to things because
I just don't feel like it's real and then it takes like a moment for me to
be on my own maybe even sometimes a months later
for me to like really take it all in.
I can imagine it would be quite overwhelming.
What do you do to ground yourself?
Or get back down to earth?
So I just whenever I can I hang
out with my friends and and that really just helps and you know sometimes it's
not possible so you know I just do what I can keep in contact with them and yeah
just focus on the good things and stay off my phone.
Enjoy the world.
Why have you chosen this one for the Like A Version today?
Because this is a song that I decided to cover when I started busking I learnt this and it
became the song that when we were all at the Arts factory
under the stars, I know it sounds corny.
And song everyone no matter
what country were from we could all sing along to and everyone knew the words and
we just had a really good time and it was great vibes.
So I wanted to create the vibes from that song and bring that to everyone instead of
just having that as something I play it shows.
I feel like that almost had three parts to it.
Is that how you use to envisage it when you were busking?
When I play the song I love to start it off real soft and ambient and then
bring the mood up and get everyone dancing and then bring it
real slow down again be able to do whatever I want give myself flexibility
and then bring it right up for like a big ending but then obviously I had
Jordan and I was like I have to get Jordan involved because he's a wizard, amazing.
So we made another part two which is like a hip hop kind of bridge section.
Jordan Dennis providing another verse on that track and why did you want
everyone to be wearing these particular shirts or the Like A Version today?
Well, I've always tried to get those tees out there as much as possible like the AFL
Grand Final we had them as well and I think that trying to bring together
as many people as possible is so important and to show people what's most
important thing in the world which is music and love and happiness
and sometimes when I wake up in the morning I say mean things or not in the
morning but like if I'm angry or annoyed I say something that I regret and I
regret it straight away and it makes me feel like shit and then sometimes I do
the opposite sometimes I'm in a great mood and I say something really nice to
someone and I feel really good about myself and I don't know I just feel like
sharing that philosophy which should be something that's very easy to understand
but it's not is so important so I mean I don't care what anyone else wants to
do or chooses to do I'm just going to be positive and I'm gonna be a good person
and I've always supported that and I've always told people that and I'm gonna
continue to do it.
Yeah absolutely.
And on that note we're heading into a new
decade and when you released your latest EP The Kids Are Coming you said that you
were you know you've gotten to a point where you can speak about the sh*t that
you really want to speak about.
So with that in mind what do you want to say in
the next few years?
Well I feel like it's hard for me to really say things it's
more of an example I think that I need to set now.
I have a following that I'm really thankful for fans and people that look up to me.
Young kids and old teenagers and young adults that look up
to me and I think that instead of talking about what I want to do I just
need to be the best version of what I can be and a
good person and hopefully maybe that'll inspire the younger generation to not
come out guns blazing about chicks and ass and tits and whatever bullsh*t
people talked about these days.
And maybe we can do something positive.
Yeah absolutely.
I like that a little less of this a little bit more of setting the example.
Yeah.
Let's talk next year, what are your plans?
Next year I'm going to release an album.
But I actually want to create a live show and put it on it like
a theater like a forum or something and create a live show that's almost like a
visual show to not on a screen but there will be screens it's not quite theater
because that's weird, like for me that's something I wouldn't do.
It's not theater but I don't know how else to explain it.
So we'll be like it'll be
like me finally talking about me but through a show so like people always
want to go more in depth when they talk to me and I don't want to do that I
never do that I don't like that so I'm gonna put it into a big show.
Like a cabaret?
An evolution of my life and who I am as a person through my music and by
each moment that I have released that music and that story.
And put on like a visual show and me singing.
So vocally will be me there'll be a band
there'll be a choir, there'll be actors, there'll be dances and what it will do
is like start off with me on a stage busking with all my busking set up
the back screens will be just brick walls people walking past people walking
past and no one stopping.
And then a crowd growing and growing and growing
then like the blackouts... I can't explain it
But that's why I want to do next year I want to direct more of my own sh*t so I do
all my film clips I want to direct like a live version of a film clip that goes
for this for the same amount of time as a show would.
Yeah it seems like you've
really got the visuals down for that is that something that you've gone into
this project with in mind?
I've had it in mind for the last few months but
we've only started working on it just recently.
I'm excited for Australian
audiences to see it and learn more about the Tones and I story.
Thank you for giving a piece of yourself and your live performance for Like A Version today.
Tones and I thank you so much.
Thank you so much triple J, love you.