Singing in disco outfit Sugar Fed Leopards and one half of dark-pop duo Sawtooth, Louise Terra is a veteran of the Melbourne music scene having performed at some of the country’s most beloved music festivals such as Woodford Folk, Boogie, Kyneton Music, St Kilda Festival and more.
Before Louise heads off on her 'Nature Calling' launch shows, she's been kind enough to chat with us.
Tell us a bit about your recent release 'Nature Calling'.
'Nature Calling' is part one of four singles I wrote and produced that will be released over the next 12 months. It is a hypnotic, otherworldly dance track that describes a difficult and visceral journey ‘...to the heart’. I wrote 'Nature Calling' in a period of my life where I felt pretty lost and was struggling in search of something constant inside of myself. In the production of 'Nature Calling', I tried to zoom in on a feeling of urgency; the pounding beats propelling the song through a landscape of sharp synths with the vocals really acting to ground it.
This release coincides with a one-night-only VR experience. What made you want to do something like this?
When video maker Rachel Feery suggested we work together on a VR video clip I jumped at the idea. I came to producing electronic music through animation and video art so I’ve always had an interest in new technology and working across mediums. I was really excited to be able to bring this new experience to a music release in a way I had never heard of anyone else doing. VR content and technology is still developing and has so much creative potential, so co-producing this clip presented the opportunity to contribute to the evolution of VR and an evolution in my creative practice at the same time.
The upcoming releases all study the elements. Is there something about the elements that particularly fascinated you and made you want to explore them musically?
Living in a dense city where everyone is so busy, it’s easy to feel disconnected from nature. In late-stage capitalism and impending climate chaos now is an especially important time to use my voice as an artist to do whatever I can to pull nature and the earth back into focus. It feels especially important to do this as an artist that uses technology to produce my music. The elements are potent symbols that humans have used to understand the power and the magic of the natural world for tens of thousands of years. I explore the symbolism of the four main elements of earth, fire, air, and water covertly in each of the songs; through the feel, the sounds, lyrical metaphor, the general musical colour, and in the video works that accompany them.
You've got some upcoming live shows as well. How do you make sure your music is presented in the best way possible in a live venue?
I try to ensure that the venue has good sound and a really warm atmosphere to begin with, which is why I’m so excited to perform at The Bearded Tit in Redfern. I feel so at home there and that’s exactly how I want to feel for my first solo show in Sydney. Then it is just my job to perform my heart out. I’m conscious of bringing performativity to the electronic music I make so I do a lot of singing and synth playing live. Also, with electronic music, I always enjoy performing with a video artist, so wherever possible I try to perform an audiovisual show.
You've performed at some of Australia's most beloved festivals, too. What do you love about a festival gig that is different from a headline show at a smaller venue?
Festivals often feel like these bubbles where people step outside of their daily lives for a day or more and there is a kind of liberation that can be felt (depending on the quality of the festival). People can have an open-mindedness to new music they might not otherwise see and generally are up for a good time. This creates quite a lot of exciting energy between the audience and performer. Headline shows in smaller venues are much more intimate, so that exciting energy is amplified as you are looking almost everyone in the face when you are playing. It’s much more upfront and personal which I enjoy.
When you step into the studio, what do you want to achieve?
I want to touch a kind of sublime and intangible beauty that only exists in sound.
And when you're putting a track together, do you have a go-to method? Or is it different every time?
Generally, I start with a sound or vocal melody that is really speaking to me and start to add other sounds. I try to work out what language the song is speaking, what it is trying to say. It’s as much a case of actively carving something out of sound as it is an act of getting out of the way to let the song come through.
You've got a lot influences. Could you tell us a bit about who/what inspires you to create?
I’m inspired by so much broad and eclectic stuff which is why it is hard to write about them all in my bio. One of my greatest musical heroes is 15th century German nun and polymath, Hildegard Of Bingen who channeled fully-realised sacred music compositions directly from the heavens. Also, contemporary musicians such as Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Aisha Devi, Lucrecia Dalt and Sui Zhen are real creative inspirations. Not to mention to pioneering work of artists such as Enya, Laurie Anderson and Delia Derbyshire. But when it’s not female musicians and producers inspiring me, it’s ancient history, biology, the cosmos, and my friends.
How would you describe the four singles in one word?
Indomitable.
