THELMA PLUM

MUSIC

Jun 20

This month Gamilaraay singer-songwriter Thelma Plum released her first original music since her 2019 ARIA winning album Better In Blak. The single “Back Seat Of My Mind” is bright, smooth and flows like a car trip through the city late at night. The single has a somewhat calmer and happier reflective quality to it compared to her previous work. Thelma seems to be moving away from the intense internal questioning of Better In Blak following two years of cancelled shows and pandemic lockdowns. She says she has had more time to contemplate to what is important in her life. After a career highlight run of shows supporting Paul Kelly at the Sydney Opera House she’s looking forward to beautiful road trips with her band, wearing elaborate and beautiful dresses on stage, and like any of us would, will be missing her family dog Tex (featured on the single cover artwork).

You've got a lot coming up, are you ready for touring and performing after a couple of years of sitting?

It has been a couple years, but I'm ready. I'm keen. I'm sorted.

At most shows I’ve been to post pandemic the fan fever pitch has been amazing. So many sing-alongs, dance floors, and much deafening but encouraging applause. Have your audiences been super passionate after waiting to see you for nearly 3 years?

It’s been amazing and incredible. It is strange going back into it, that's for sure, I kind of forgot how to do this all. But it has also felt natural going back into it. As someone who has recently been able to go and see live music myself, I saw my best friend Maz (Marie 'Maz' DeVita) with her band WAAX and as I was watching them I just felt so excited and happy and just so grateful to be able to watch live music.

How do you feel about how different the Opera House versus rural tours are going to be?

It's so funny and I just love it. I have been wearing these incredible dresses on stage. I have been like “I wonder if I can wear this beautiful Romance Was Born dress with a massive train. Can I wear this in Castlemaine and Torquay?

You absolutely can and should.

I absolutely can, and I will.

The Opera House shows have been insane. The other night, the first night we played, I was looking out at everyone and there were so many people there and I could see the Sydney Opera House and knowing Paul Kelly was about to go on after me I was just like, “what is going on? What is my life?” It was definitely one of those moments where I was just really grateful and really present

Was it a “fuck yeah” moment?

Oh yeah. Sometimes I have to give myself permission to enjoy things. I feel like sometimes I get so nervous before I go on. I can really get in my head. So I have to remind myself to just be very present. Then I take everything in and give myself permission to enjoy myself.

“I feel like these artists are getting
the recognition that they deserve
because they’re incredible artists
and their work should be recognised.
It feels nice.
It’s just so amazing to be on a
festival line up and there be other mob.”

Your song writing is very self-reflective. I think that’s what's beautiful about it and why it resonates with so many people. Your new stuff comes across a lot calmer and happier. Do you ever surprise yourself with what comes out in your song writing process?

I definitely do, all the time. Sometimes I feel like I'm not great with my words when I talk. I can find it a little bit hard to articulate myself. I feel like song writing for me helps me understand my feelings a bit better.

Do you feel better afterwards?

It's definitely therapy. I feel heaps better after I write about something. I feel calmer too. Since I released Back In Blak I’ve also gotten older. The pandemic taught me about the important things in life. Mainly, do I want to be stressed all the time? No.

You managed to be really productive during the pandemic lockdowns, writing nearly two full albums. Did you have unproductive moments as well?

Oh absolutely. I am very lucky. I feel so very grateful that I was able to do what I have. I wasn't able to play shows and tour, which was was not good because I really thrive playing and touring. I love being on stage, I love performing the songs that I write.

Since 2019 a lot has changed in the world. You have said you were surprised at how many people resonated with Back In Blak. Especially your feelings of isolation around not seeing people like yourself anywhere in the media. Now you’re featured in fashion campaigns for brands like Witchery and The Iconic, and playing big venue shows. Do you feel like what you were seeing previously in the media is the same as what we're seeing now?

Oh not at all. I was just talking before about the Indigenous Fashion Project shows at fashion week (AAFW). It was insane. It was so incredible. There’s so much deadly talent out there.

In terms of the political landscape as well, things are a lot more out in the open. Do you feel like you have to address the political in your songwriting?

I just feel like existing now, and there's so much in music at the moment. People like Tasman Keith and Alice Skye and Beddy Rays, all these incredible people, and I love that. Like, we could just sit here and name First Nations artists for ages, there’s so many. I feel like these artists are getting the recognition that they deserve because they’re incredible artists and their work should be recognized. It feels nice. It's just so amazing to be on a festival line up and there be other mob. I first started playing festivals 10 years ago and it feels really different and a lot safer now. 10 years ago it was so different, how pathetic was that.

We just end up missing out on so much great music

Yeah, absolutely. I think now people have caught up and honestly it’s about bloody time. I’m so glad that happened.

Do you think the crowds are different as well?

Absolutely. And I think people I think people are more respectful. There’s almost like a new standard especially in safety around festivals and around live shows. I have had my fair share of festival experiences and being on stage and not feeling entirely safe. I don’t really feel that anymore and that’s pretty good.

In your work do you take these things into consideration and make an active choice in terms of the people you collaborate with?

I sure do. That is definitely something that I think about. Like my team, especially my touring team is mostly non-men and that’s definitely something that I chose.

Who's the dog in the backseat on the cover art?

That’s my family dog Tex. I got him in high school. He was a failed farm dog from Dorrigo but he’s a city boy now. He's actually really anxious dog and like, doesn't really enjoy talking to any like people that he doesn't know. I’m not sure if he would actually like the attention of being a cover model.

There’s always been a vein of country music in your writing, but I found a bit less of it in this track. Do you purposefully move in that direction in your songs or does it just appear when you write?

It's such an influence for me. I love country music. Do you know who’s doing it so incredibly at the moment, that kind of country and pop music, Kacey Musgraves. She’s so good.

There’s definitely an Australian specific version of country music. A lot of your new songs are about Brisbane. Do you think an Australian city inspired album will be able to reach mainstream international audiences?

I’m imagining an Australiana section on the U.S charts. I just I think there are so many Australian artists that are absolutely killing it. For me personally I can't write music in that way. In my head I’m not thinking, “oh I have to write something that’s really resonating with people in America”. I write music because sometimes I feel like I will explode if I don't. If I don't write what's on my mind I feel like I'm crazy. I just don't think I could just be like “I'm going to write a Tiktok song”. I love song writing; I don’t want to ever hate songwriting. Look I do believe that if something happens it’s meant to, like if a song’s going to be a Tiktok hit it will be, but that’s just not me.

So you keep your integrity in your music because it's an organic thing in you?

I mean, I just think it's what I've always done, I’m not going to change how I approach music and how I approach songwriting. I don’t know maybe talk to me in a year and I’ll be like “I’ve written this new song for Tiktok”.

You’re back on the road with the band, are you ready to go on long drives and sleep in motels and spend every waking minute together?

I'm so lucky. I have the most incredible band I know. I tour with some of the most incredible musicians I’ve ever seen in my life. So I'm really grateful for that. They’re also some of my closest friends, so actually really nice to be back on the road. I think the regional tours are going to be really nice together.

Thelma Plum is currently on her “Making It Up To You” tour through NSW and Victoria and will be supporting Vance Joy on his national tour in October. You can listen to her new single “Backseat Of My Mind” here.

Words by Alex Officer