You’ll be coming to the Gold Coast as part of your Banquets tour, is there anything on your to-do list while you’re in town?
I’m not sure actually! Have you got any recommendations on things to do on the Gold Coast?

Absolutely! The Weekend Edition Gold Coast will get you up to speed.
I actually haven’t been to the Gold Coast since I was about five so I’m really looking forward to it. That’s the great thing about touring, it’s taking me to places that I’ve never been or haven’t been for a long time. I’d never even been to Adelaide until a month ago and it isn’t even that far!

Congratulations on the release of your second EP Banquets. Can listeners expect something similar to Thousand Piece Puzzle?
Thousand Piece Puzzle came out last June and I think the new EP is a development of where I was heading. Banquets solidifies the sound I’m trying to go for and I think it’s a more mature delivery.

Have you ever attempted a thousand piece puzzle?
Yes! I actually did a 2,000-piece puzzle at the start of this year. It was pretty epic as well because I didn’t want it to be too easy so we went with one that was basically just one shade of the same colour. I’ve always really liked puzzles and one day I’d love to actually print the album artwork on a 1,000-piece puzzle.

Any plans for a full-length album?
I’m pretty deep in writing mode just before the tour kicks off. I am aiming at an album but we’ll see, a lot of things will need to happen before then.

When did you put down the instruments and start creating music electronically?
Weirdly enough it was when I was studying instruments at university. I’ve always liked doing things that people weren’t doing and at the time that was electronic music. I got really drawn into that world because I love simple hooks and strong songwriting, which is really apparent in electronic music. It was a whole new palette of sounds that really inspired me. In the world of electronic music, anything is possible.

We’ve heard that you when you started at the Victorian College of the Arts you were really into jazz and classical guitar. What prompted the change?
I started playing jazz when I was like 13 or 14 and I think I just found that it didn’t really connect with me as much. I never wanted to be master of guitar I just wanted to write songs.

Along with making music, you’ve also taken on the role of publicist, music video director and manager. How hard is it to manage your time between so many different roles?
I’ve stepped back a bit from some of those other roles and let my sister who manages me take care of that side of things. I do enjoy the video element because I love being creative and I love making things so for me it’s another outlet.

How has social media changed the game for musicians?
Immensely! It gives people a tool to connect to anyone all around the world, which is pretty amazing. I can put a song up and within 15-minutes someone in America has heard it and someone in the UK has it up on their blog. The downside to social media is that I think it can be misleading and distracting at times.

What inspires you?
People, their experiences and stories. I love the escape that great stories give you. You can watch a really good movie and afterwards you’ve forgotten about anything that you were worrying about, that’s the sort of work that inspires me.

Can you tell us about the moment you first heard one of your songs on the radio?
I think one of the best ones was just turning on the radio and hearing it out of the blue. Sometimes you’ll get a little tweet in your pocket before your song comes on but when you’re just listening to the radio and it happens it’s pretty wild. You can’t not be excited about that! It’s like a mini milestone, a goal that you can tick off.

Any other milestones you’re hoping to tick off the list?
Touring internationally would be cool. There are lots of aims but mostly I just want to make art that people can connect with.

Were you always musically inclined?
Yes, I was always fiddling around on the piano when I was young and I learnt flute from when I was ten and I started playing guitar at 13. By the time I was about 14 or 15 I knew I wanted to be a musician when I grow up. I was pretty clear about it early on; it’s nice to know what you want to do.

Who are your musical idols?
Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead. Everyone in the band really but those guys in particular, they’ve had an enormous influence on my work. I really respect the way they’ve grown as artists. They always kept pushing themselves to do things that were obviously challenging for them and that’s why they made good work. They are principles that I like to embrace or at least attempt to.

You’ve shared the stage with some great acts and have garnered some serious airtime on multiple radio stations. What has been your personal highlight?
The whole Andy Bull tour was pretty great but I really loved the Adelaide show in particular. It was towards the end of the tour so I was feeling a lot more confident and it was an all ages show and the audience just seemed to really connect to it. You can feel the atmosphere in the room when the audience is really supportive versus a room where they are a little indifferent or just waiting for the headline.

Any words of wisdom for artists or musicians looking to make a career out of music?
Work hard, keep learning and don’t be a dick. Also, if one person doesn’t like what you do, don’t just say, “oh well, what do they know anyway.” But then on the same token, don’t assume that they know everything. Everyone has an opinion and that’s cool, you just have to take it with a grain of salt and ultimately just keep working hard to get better. Don’t write three songs and say that’s an EP, write 20 and ask which are the best ones. The only way to get good is by doing it a lot.