ONE week oF MY MUSIC being out

It’s been an exciting week releasing music for the first time. I’ve been watching the listen count tick over each day in the backend of Spotify, and puzzling over my top countries (the US leads over Australia and Brazil is coming in third). The algorithm seems to have pigeonholed me in with a crew of lovely husky-voiced younglings from the other side of the planet.

I was pumped up with adrenaline last week, on a high at having music out and thrilled that anyone was listening at all. It’s a week on now and the insecurities are kicking in. PR emails have been ignored. Radio plays have been messed up. The views on my reels and Tiktoks are plummeting. Is it possible that I am, in fact, talentless, old and embarrassing? Perhaps literally no one is going to come to my album launch…

These are evil thoughts, my collaborators tell me. There have been wins. My songs have been reviewed by multiple triple j staff, including Anika Luna, the host of Home & Hosed. I did get some radio plays, some even with the right songs. I was apparently added to a significant playlist on Apple Music (although I can’t verify this as my claim for my Apple artist account is still pending…)

Most importantly, individuals – including strangers – have told me directly that they love my music. That they are playing my songs on repeat. That they have been moved emotionally by my lyrics.

As anxious and unsteady as it gets, in this sense I have already achieved my goal.

My first commercial music release

My first ever music release, Woo Me, is out Wednesday 11 February 2026, and it’s a whole 3 songs!

A three-song release is unconventional, but felt right for me. The tracks are called Woo Me, On The Sidelines, and A Song About Root Vegetables.

Coincidentally, they are all on similar themes: commonplace loneliness and existential angst; the human desire to be loved and be deemed loveable; and trying not to abandon oneself in the process.

Ben Stewart (Slowly Slowly) and I recorded the bulk of the vocals in just one-week in his studio in Fitzroy North. With the exception of the dodgy acoustic guitar on A Song About Root Vegetables (that was me), Ben is responsible for all instrumentation, as well as structural, melodic and lyrical additions. I will always be grateful to him for making this possible.

📷 Release artwork by Daniel Steinart

A BUSY FIRST MONTH OF 2026

And just like that, it’s February! January was… hectic. Here’s what I got up to in the first month of 2026:

🧷Coming together with my brand new content team and diving straight into the who, why and how of storytelling at Adelaide University

🧷Developing an album release strategy at high speed, which includes releasing my first three songs on February 11!

🧷Locking in a venue and date for my album launch, to be presented in collaboration with local heroes Runt! Records

🧷Starting a five-person band! And happily muddling through our first ever rehearsal

🧷Hashing out a strategic promotion plan with my guardian angels at Beehive PR

🧷Preparing assets and artwork for a vinyl run through Suitcase Records, a family-run pressing plant with a sustainability focus

🧷Working out how to navigate music distribution platforms, notably while most of the staff were on holidays…

🧷Getting to grips with the concept and process of PLAYLIST PITCHING

🧷Trying to understand and properly execute song crediting, including on APRA AMCOS, streaming platforms and in my own acknowledgements

🧷Filming, editing and uploading multiple music videos

🧷Finalising feedback on the book I’ve written to accompany my album (Anomie and the Infinite Abyss: Tools and balms for navigating existence)

🧷Putting the finishing touches on a website to house album information

🧷Experimenting on socials, including getting advance song previews on TikTok!

I also escorted 20+ thrillseekers on The Great Mulberry Adventure, attended multiple sweaty gigs, celebrated the birthdays of the (honestly way too many) Capricorns and Aquariuses in my life, and watched a giant eucalyptus branch fall through my roof directly over my bed. It’s been a big one.

In February I’m excited to be in the same space as my wider marketing team – and  finally release some music!

If Books Could Kill

This year I've been listening to the podcast 'If Books Could Kill'. I've had friends describe it as hilarious and a 10/10 podcast – and also 'ugly'. The analysis is often scathing.

They discuss popular nonfiction books that claim to be evidence-based, everything from Freakonomics to Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. Or, in their words: 'the airport bestsellers that captured our hearts and ruined our minds'. They look for shaky data, bad logic and overreaching conclusions. No one is spared. They even went in on Sam Harris and my boy Jonathan Haidt!

I love it, even with the obnoxious jokes. I love the attention to detail. I'm learning how easily research can be interpreted – and misinterpreted – to mislead readers and further an agenda.

I am curious to know who else is listening. And also any criticisms of the show…

How embracing neurodiverse talents can transform your workplace

Last week I attended Bupa's virtual thought leadership event ‘How embracing neurodiverse talents can transform your workplace’. This was with Mike Knapp, who spoke to his own lived experience of autism and ADHD.

While it didn’t cover everything (obviously) it’s good to see these conversations happening in the corporate space, with lived experience central.

Some of my takeaways:

→ Employers have a responsibility to protect unique brains in the workplace and create a safe, welcoming environment.

→ Build trust. A neurodivergent executive showing openness can set the tone for the whole organisation.

→ Raise awareness in any way you can, whether that’s hosting events or distributing flyers around the workplace.

→ Traditional leadership styles don’t necessarily lead to the best outcomes.

→ Be tolerant of ‘roughness around the edges’, whether that be anxiety, bluntness, perceived negativity or something else.

→ Lead with vulnerability (e.g. leaders disclose first). This makes it easier for junior employees to speak up.

→ Build and promote internal communities.

→ Provide explicit guidelines around what is and isn’t acceptable with things like switching off or participation in meetings. It can be challenging when the rules are not always interpreted or acted upon equally; the fuzziness is where people struggle.

→ Have a curious attitude.

→ Be understanding and encouraging of accommodations, such as noise-cancelling headphones, letting people sit at the same desk every time, access to quiet spaces or allowing the turning off of cameras in Zoom meetings.

Curating an aesthetic universe for 'Anomie'

Making a record is creatively transformative. I love ideating and curating an aesthetic universe to surround my songs. 

Last night we shot a music video up at Mount Osmond with two camcorders and some backup cameras – along with photos to capture the vibe.

There’s something special about being my own creative director. I’m doing it my way, and telling a story in line with my unique vision, identity and influences. 

Very grateful to have such a talented crew show up to help me realise my concept last night. 

Now to get editing!!

Everyone deserves the chance to be a valued member of society

I completed two university degrees by accessing Flinders University’s disability services. Today, I use my expertise to contribute to my community in a range of different ways.

Everyone deserves the chance to be a valued member of society, to participate socially and economically. Removing barriers to doing so benefits everyone.

Last week I completed Purple Orange's Disability Inclusion Training. I'm glad my employer Adelaide University remains committed to improving equity, access and inclusion in education, despite the global political landscape.

I highly recommend everyone check out JFA Purple Orange's Model of Citizenhood Support 🌱

International Men's Day

Recently, I overheard a man in the lift complaining that there are always International Women’s Day events and activities in his organisation, but nothing similar celebrated for men.

I think he’s right to point this out. I fully support more conversations around men’s issues. I’ve coordinated campaigns to raise awareness for men’s mental health, including consulting with health professionals and researchers in the field. There are plenty of topics to be raised, matters to be discussed, networks to be built, and support to be offered.

But there’s a limit to what I can, will and should do.

I wanted to ask the man in the lift if he'd be willing to apply for a grant. Come up with an event. Establish a committee. Book a venue. Complete a risk assessment… International Women’s Day activities don’t just appear out of nowhere. Work is needed to come up with ideas, enlist volunteers, and draw in and engage audiences.

My understanding is men can be a more difficult cohort to reach. They are not always as willing to get out and support a cause like this, which means coordinating and promoting men’s events might be more labour intensive.

Still, International Men’s Day is November 19. June is Men’s Health Month. And the awesome Movember has expanded to include men’s mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

Now, in the wake of International Women’s Day, with lots of inspiration around, is a great time to start coming up with ideas for how to mark these occasions.

I’d love to see men addressing causes and solutions to men’s loneliness, social disconnection, mental health challenges, financial stress, changing gender roles, internet exploitation, redpill pipelines, declining participation in education, unrealistic expectations and stereotypes for men, stigma around vulnerability, role models for healthy masculinity, mentorship opportunities, work and fatherhood. Whatever men believe to be valuable.

Anyone with a good idea can make a difference in their community. But the amount of work that goes into it should not be underestimated. Now is the time to start thinking!

Being creative means being cringe

I’m back in Melbourne this week, finishing the album I’ve been working on.

Recording ‘Anomie’ has been a huge education. I am not musically literate. I taught myself guitar and only learnt a handful of chords. Turning my strange solo work into recorded songs that make sense has been challenging at times.

It’s also been a mentally taxing process. Sometimes my insecurities (and canonically unstable mental health) get the better of me. I wonder: What's the point? Is it any good? Will anyone care? Am I too grandiose? Self-absorbed? Cringe? Ugly? OLD?

Collaborating to create art is an inherently vulnerable process. Let alone sharing and promoting it. Despite the countless times I’ve said to young people that mistakes, failures and ‘just having a go’ are what’s most important, I don’t like being vulnerable 🙅‍♀️

I’m trying to remember that being creative often does and probably SHOULD mean being a bit unhinged. Being dramatic, sensitive and cringe. Feeling, and looking, silly.

I’m lucky to have patient, kind and clever people around me to work through ideas and issues, and reassure me when I’m spiralling.

This week my brother sent me this encouraging quote from Mary Oliver:

“The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.”

I may be a little late, AND I MAY BE A LITTLE CRINGE, but I’m glad to finally be giving these songs their best shot.

Protect Trans Youth rally, January 9, Adelaide

Trans children, and people, shouldn’t be used as political props.

A war is being manufactured online, on our streets and in policy around the world. It’s characterised by fearmongering, disinformation and dehumanisation.

Running Rock Camps through Girls Rock! Adelaide has humbled and taught me so much about trans justice and trans joy. Our camps and events are seen as a safe space by many, and we’re very proud of that.

I’m always impressed by the creativity and courage of our transgender campers and volunteers but, as said in the speeches at yesterday’s rally, their lives shouldn’t be defined by this.

Let doctors and health professionals make decisions about healthcare, alongside the families it affects, free from political intervention.

Stand against dehumanisation, and up for people who don’t fit traditional norms.

Book Review: Period Queen

"I’ve never heard someone say luteal phase more in my life.”

My colleagues are pretty used to me talking about periods. It’s not a taboo conversation in our office.

In pursuit of this interest, at the end of 2024, I read Lucy Peach’s ‘Period Queen’.

I was wary of the title. It put me on guard for woo woo, pussyhat-wearing gender essentialism.

But period stigma is an important issue. Why divorce half the population from valuable information about how we move through the world? Peach points out that period shame also compounds, only worsening for those experiencing disadvantage and poverty.

She believes there are strengths to every phase of the menstrual cycle, not just when we are energetic and productive in the traditional sense. She separates it into four phases and offers advice for making the most of each:

🩸DREAM (Bleeding)
Surrender to slowness and stillness. Take the path of least resistance. Look inwards, tapping into your intuition and incubating ideas. Recharge. Reflect and set intentions.

🏃‍♀️DO (Pre ovulation)
With 6x more motivation than usual, tackle tasks efficiently. Exercise with intensity. Try new things. Pitch. Present. Take charge. Ask for what you want and say what you mean.

🌸 GIVE (Around ovulation)
Emphasise connection and nurturing. Share the fruits of your labour. Spend time with loved ones. Birth projects. Collaborate. Enjoy social events.

🙄 TAKE (Premenstrual)
Prioritise yourself. Say no. Make use of your critical eye and sharper senses. Take note of your frustrations. Channel big feelings into creativity.

Does this breakdown resonate for you? I’m still testing how true it feels personally. I have Bipolar 1 Disorder so my energy levels fluctuate regardless of hormones. But a lot of it does ring true.

The book is accessible to adolescent audiences, but there’s stacks of great information about our hormone cycles, and the effects on our bodies and minds as they rise and fall – that people of any age can learn from.

I like the audiobook in particular because Lucy Peach's Australian accent, enthusiasm and soothing sincerity made me feel like I was hanging out with Missy Higgins.

It’s a recommend from me.

Content Notes To Self 📝

Resist the urge to tie your thoughts into neat little bows. Not every anecdote should be stretched into a life lesson applicable to the masses. Being alive is more complex than that, I fear.

Similarly, avoid turning everyday reflections or experiences into a political weapon. Are you really offering a nuanced critique of society’s rigid Western beauty standards and the anti fat bias inherent in our culture? Or are you just having a low self-esteem day and that’s a little too frivolous to post about?

Regeneration > Sustainability

My cousin plants seeds, both literal and metaphorical, for the future 🌱

She role models how to take real action to mitigate pollution, environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity—and maintain hope in the process.

Beatrice has worked with Tim Minchin, Green Music Australia, produced Adelaide Festival’s ‘Climate Crisis and the Arts’ and launched resources through Creative Climate Action. She’s currently informing Lime Cordiale’s documentary, ‘On The Road To A Better Tour’, amongst MANY other things.

I never know where she is in the world—and I miss her all the time—but it’s a small price to pay knowing she’s doing so much good. And not just in her work either; she’s also a generous and helpful friend to many.

Together, Bea and I have been to Cambodia, hiked unbelievable heights, ran many kilometres side by side, yelled at cows from a glamping tent, had difficult mental health conversations, and carried the coffin of one of our most music-loving, local-buying, creatively influential family members gone too soon.

I learn from Bea all the time, at such a fast rate, but here are three important things she’s taught me:

🌱 The future is regeneration, and artists/storytellers are an important part of that. We can choose to work differently and divest, at any scale, in any industry.
💃 Be bold. Leave imposter syndrome in the bin; you don’t need a title to make a difference and it's especially useless if you’re pioneering.
👕 Cute outfits don’t need to hurt the planet; you can be a secondhand fashionista (or borrow every single one of your outfits from your friends/family 🤔).

My cousin and I both love live music. She is now Impact Manager at FEAT., an artist-led climate innovations agency that mobilises the cultural and financial power of the entertainment industry to better our world #NoMusicOnADeadPlanet

Bea is one of the brightest stars in an often dark sky. I’m so lucky to have her silliness attached by blood, and be part of her big, bold career.

Pic: Bea and I in the Flinders Ranges in 2020

What is my WHY?

This year, I was selected for the University of Adelaide’s Women’s Professional Development Network mentoring program.

It’s been a precious opportunity to reflect on myself, my career and the professional world at large.

Early in the program, I was asked to articulate my WHY. A WHY was described as: ‘Your purpose. The reason you get out of bed. The coming together of your values and strengths. The reason you use words like “I love”, “I get excited about” and “I’m passionate about”...

I found this task challenging, to say the least. I spent my twenties gallivanting through multiple degrees and potential callings. What do you mean just one WHY?

It’s a big question. And as someone whose job is to effectively articulate things, I wanted my answer to feel honest and true.
Here’s what I considered:

For a start, I was evolutionarily programmed for work and love; all humans need meaningful relationships and something to do with their time. But these drives are outside my control and common to all humans, so can’t be my WHY…

Other valid WHYs, professionally speaking, might be: capitalism, money, survival, validation, status, self-esteem, praise… I’m not discounted from those.

There are many causes I’m passionate about: mental health awareness; LGBTQIA+ liberation; respect and empowerment for young people; creativity as a powerful force; challenging anti-fat bias; fighting dehumanisation and misinformation; education; anti-racism; intersectional feminism…

But these are not a WHY in the way that ‘challenging the status quo’ is Apple’s WHY. And surely it should feel natural when expressed verbally?

All year, I’ve been asking people about their WHYs. It’s sparked some good conversations.

Some people say problem-solving.

Some say motivating those around them.

Some say caring for others (they are always the quickest to answer).

But problem-solving isn’t my WHY. And neither is caring for others, at least not exactly.

My first real attempt was:

- I’m fascinated by human behaviour, emotions, culture and morality.
- I enjoy the process of ideating and pulling pieces together in a way that is unique, interesting and serves a meaningful purpose.

It’s a little wordy…

I then learnt Simon Sinek recommends formatting a WHY as:

To (contribution)… so that (impact)…

Eugene Healey called Sinek ‘Chief Bullshit Officer’ responsible for driving a vacuous, dissonant trend in liberal capitalism where brands follow ‘the Purpose doctrine’ instead of solving real problems.

But I was glad to have some structure for my nebulous task.

So, what did I come up with?

My dad called me a ‘champion of the human experience’ in his father of the bride speech, and I ended up building my WHY around that.

You can read it in my bio. I’m not sure I’m there yet, but I had a great time thinking about it.

South Australian Music Community Achievement Award

Stoked that Girls Rock! Adelaide received the Community Achievement Award last week at the South Australian Music Awards.

Our April Rock Camp was one of our smoothest programs so far and while it’s never without its challenges, I’m so proud of the progress we’ve made and the young people we’ve been able to support in 2023.