We caught up with Robertson local, Eve Thomas [pictured here with fellow musician, Aodhan] and chatted about her band, Stella’s Ghost, their latest single inspired by a tough time in Eve’s life and what she loves about the Highlands music scene.
1 :: What was the first instrument you picked up and how old were you?
Before I played any physical instrument, I’ve always been a singer.
I started singing properly in my school musical, The Sound of Music playing Gretel, when I was seven.
I loved being on stage, singing and dancing. From that moment on, I never stopped performing and having this dream of being a musician.
I started learning guitar not long after.
2 :: Has music always been the chosen career for you? What sort of music do you love playing, singing and writing?
I’ve only ever wanted to do music professionally.
As I said, I started in musical theatre and eventually made my way towards pop with my obsession with One Direction, then found my real passion for indie rock and the subgenres from that.
I also have a special place in my heart for the heavier stuff.
3 :: Who has been your biggest musical influence?
My biggest musical influences started with Bon Iver and U2 from hearing them all through my childhood.
I’ve taken massive inspiration from both artists in my music and taste.
Nowadays my influences come from artists such as Beabadoobee, Soft Cult, Chloe Moriondo and Wolf Alice.
4 :: Can you share a favourite gig you’ve done in the Highlands?
Our very first gig as a band was actually in Mittagong at Mental Art Gallery with another local band, Airline.
That gig was the beginning of something awesome between myself, Lu and Mia, who have formed the core of Stella’s Ghost since then.
In the last few months, my brother Wes has joined us on keys, and we recruited our drummer Mike through social media.
5 :: Tell us about your new single.
Bully has been in the works between myself and my collaborator on this song, Aodhan – [a singer from Albion Park with lots of amazing music so check him out on Spotfy!] – since this time last year.
It’s been a whole year of writing, recording, re-working, and perfecting this song.
This song is about a dark time in my life where I felt trapped in a relationship, made to feel like a ‘bully’ for expressing my hurt and confusion, being cheated on, and overall coming to my senses and regaining my power.
Through the song you hear this journey and I really wanted to portray that in an uplifting, powerful way and I think we finally achieved that. It came out on September 30 and is now available through all the usual streaming services.
6 :: What do you love about living in the Highlands and the local music scene?
Because I grew up in the Highlands music scene [initially performing in pubs and at parties with a range of other bands], I met some amazing musicians who I’m still friends with and work with today.
We had our first gig as Stella’s Ghost in the Highlands, and went on Highlands FM which was our first interview and radio experience.
We made lots of fun memories with our band practices in our shed at Robertson, and all the live shows we’ve had in the Highlands are irreplaceable experiences for me.
We love sharing the stories of local muso’s and performers. If you’d like to share your story or know someone you think WE should know about too, send an email to hello@thefoldmedia.com.au .