Into The Deep is out now!
Image: Andro Engelbretcht.
Gold Coast (Yugambeh Country) based First Nations musician Dani Teveluwe has unveiled her debut EP, Into The Deep. To celebrate the release, the singer has shared with MILKY five things she learnt whilst creating the EP!
Recorded at Big Note Studios, produced by Tim Goodburn, and mastered by Paul Blakey, Teveluwe shares of Into The Deep: "This EP is a culmination of a lot of courage. Not so long ago I lived another life and I never would have believed this (releasing 'Into The Deep') would be possible. And it wouldn’t have been, without courage."
PLAN FOR EVERYTHING, THEN THROW AWAY THE PLAN
I love being organised, and I have known to tinker with an excel spreadsheet or two in my planning and marketing phases of my projects, however art also requires us to be a lot more fluid. I like to plan as best as possible and then let go of the plan on the day of and let the magic happen. Leading up to the EP recording the preproduction work we did at home paid huge dividends as well. Coming into the studio with solid demos meant we could work pretty effectively too. We recorded the six track EP in six days. However, that in mind the number of days or hours it takes to create a song doesn’t matter. Make music, have fun, listen and dance baby.
FIND THE MAGIC
So my EP is inspired by being brave and a beautiful Bowie quote, “If you feel safe working in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.” It was really important to honour that sentiment. That meant I often got overwhelmed, challenged myself, freaked out (there were tears -and lots of laughter too), however it was all to honour my music and make the best body of work possible.
GET UNCOMFORTABLE
If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. Excellence is in the subtleties. The 1% gains. Whenever I commence a new project I am constantly reflecting and reviewing. Where can I improve, grow? What can I let go of and clear? Earning those little gains can be so damn hard too, but that’s the point, you have to push yourself, to be better. The difference between you a Beyonce – is the subtleties, the 1%.
SHOOT FOR THE STARS
I’m getting school teacher cliché here but it’s true. Aim high, have big dreams, because then even when you miss, or miss out, you fail well and end up further along than you expected. Also what a rich way to live. What a life! Life is pretty fun when you’re shooting for the stars.
SERVE THE SONG
The role of a musician, an artist, is to serve their song, their art form first and foremost. Think of us as creative caretakers. We hear melodies in our heads and put the work in so we can share that melody with others. We see movies in our minds and plan and prep and organise to show you our wild imaginations. It’s our job to see colours more vividly, hear music more intricately and then use our gifts to share this magic with others. Often serving the song is getting out of your own way. Soothing or slaying the ego to let the true creative in you play. Magic exists. It’s art. It’s nature. Serving the song can also mean doing to work to market yourself, your art, your brand, financially backing yourself too. It takes many forms.
Into The Deep is out now!