mc: How long have you been writing music?
SH: Probably for about 10 years - I started quite late; I was in New York with my boyfriend, James Wright, who's originally from Perth, and he was away touring with his own band, and I picked up one of his guitars at home and started writing. He was pretty surprised, as I hadn't been trained in music, but he thought I was a natural!
mc: How did he feel about that?
SH: The great thing is that he's my number-one supporter, which is awesome, but I think he was also relieved I wasn't shit, which would have been a lot more embarrassing! Only in the last year have we worked together, and we've really enjoyed it.
mc: You split your time between Sydney, New York and London - does your songwriting style change depending on where you are?
SH: Yeah, it really does, actually. In New York, I was writing music that sounded more electronic. But in Sydney, I felt I had all this space to think, which is reflected in the album - it's all about the vocals and the lyrics, and it's kind of bare. So the location definitely had an effect. I really love working in different genres, though, so I want to continue to be open with my music. The songs on the album are right for me now, but who knows? Maybe I'll be in a heavy metal stage one day!
mc: Is it difficult to move around so much?
SH: The single "Wanderer" is about that - thinking about friends and family, and people I went to school with, and wondering what has happened to them. I miss friends and family, but I've been so lucky to travel and gather so many experiences. I wouldn't have been able to write some of my songs had I not have had those experiences.
mc: What are your plans for the next few months?
SH: I'm looking forward to the album release, and I'll be focusing on playing in Australia, but then hopefully to England and the US.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get "Friday" from Shelley Harland's new album
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