Meanjin’s effervescent folk songstress Serendipiti released her sophomore single ‘Distance’, a few months back alongside a moving music video made as a QUBE Effect Finalist. What’s more, it’s the first taste of her upcoming EP, and I had the pleasure hearing ‘Distance’ live at her single launch (as well as the tunes-to-come!) at staple Meanjin Music Scene venue It’s Still A Secret. An old terrace house-turned cosy living room-esque venue, it was the perfect space for a wholesome night of storytelling and intimate folk tunes.
The set began with Serendipiti playing solo, letting us in on the stories and shenanigans behind her tunes as if we were all her best friends, and this was simply a catch-up to “spill the tea”. Speaking of tea, it was revealed later in the set that with a team of friends she had hand-made tea sets as merch for the launch. This handmade vibe was an overarching quality of the show - the backdrop was a giant handmade beaded spiderweb (which featured in the ‘Distance’ music video), Serendipiti’s mic stand was whimsically wrapped in a leafy vine, and each song and between-song-chat felt personal and so authentic.
Throughout the set, various musical friends joined and left the stage, adding layers and textures to the tapestry of tunes being woven for us. The “band-choir” moments were a highlight of the night, with three extra vocalists, a cello and electric guitar wrapping the room in warm harmonies and melodic ornamentation.
After the show, I got to chat to Serendipiti, AKA Jess, on all things ‘Distance’ and her upcoming EP:
Thanks for chatting with us Jess! So your new single ‘Distance’ is out in the world! This is a “Chapter I”, so to speak, of the bigger story to span your upcoming EP. This song feels like a bit of a journey in itself though, building from a fairly melancholy start to a very optimistic vibe, a bit of cliffhanger too though. Can you tell us about the story behind this song?
Absolutely! So the EP follows the stages (or chapters) of this 2-year long-distance situation-ship (if you will haha) that I experienced. It was a very emotional journey in itself, full of intoxicatingly high highs and the lowest of lows - so I really wanted the individual songs and the overall EP to reflect this! I wrote this song at the very beginning over several months. I remember sitting awake in my room at midnight over multiple nights, continuing to come back to writing that first part of the song as a way of feeling close to that person I was missing. I felt like hugging my guitar as I wrote was like hugging that person, and the song became very important to me. As time progressed along with my feelings, I ended up moving out of that conflicted stage and deciding oh to heck with it this feels pretty special let’s just give it a try - and so the second half was written! And away the next stages of the EP unfolded (stay tuned to find out what happened hehe!)…
The recording has a beautiful organic quality to its sound as layers build from just a vocal and guitar to a band and string section; it almost feels like friends jumping on for a jam around a campfire. What was your recording process like?
What a beautiful description I’m so glad it comes across like that thank you! :) It was honestly such a joy to record - I work with my good friend Brian Butcher on production and that’s kind of how it felt too haha! I remember especially one night when our friend Flynn came in on guitars/mandolin and we just got in the zone in the studio adding more and more layers to that bridge, we called it our guitar orchestra! You couldsee the lights sparkling over the city from where we recorded and it just felt really special, I just love recording with my friends.
‘Distance’ comes with a gorgeous music video, and you made this as a finalist for QUBE Effect. Can you tell us about the visual motifs here - what inspired the spider web and mirror concepts?
Ooh yes! So the original photo shoot for the distance cover was of me tangled and pulled about by red string - representing heartstrings and the feeling of being conflicted and pulled back and forth interstate. We ended up using a different shot but we still had the concept in our mind, so when we made the music video after this shoot, we decided to build upon this concept - which evolved into a spiderweb being the emotional tangle in which I was stuck. When the song shifts halfway I break away, following the string (and thus my heart and feelings) to where it leads me!
The mirror was a happy accident - I put a call out to my friends for vintage objects for the set because we wanted to create this magical Aurora-inspired ethereal/romantic world for the other shots, and a lovely former teacher Mel reached out with this beautiful mirror. When we had it we realised it worked perfectly with the lyrics when I’m sort of singing to myself in place of that person I miss, creating that feeling of intimacy yet distance all at once.
I was lucky enough to catch the ‘Distance’ Single Launch at It’s Still A Secret on July 5th - such a wholesome night! Some of my favourite moments were when you invited friends up on stage to sing with you, and the “band choir”. Does community collaboration play much of a role in your songwriting process?
Thankyou so much for coming! <33 Oh my goodness me yes community is everything!! The very essence of music itself to me is connection (honestly I feel it’s the thing that’s most important to me in life as a whole haha). I grew up singing in community choirs that my dad ran, so they just feel like home, and writing and singing with friends is honestly just my favourite thing. I feel you can connect so deeply with collaborators by making that space to create and feel stuff together, and the Meanjin music community is honestly such a warm environment.
That said, most of the songs on this EP I did write by myself (except for one song written with the beautiful Amela), but by the time I get into the studio it becomes a very collaborative process. I love working alongside Brian and coming up with our ideas that we share with our friends who come in and play on the tracks.
And bringing the songs into the live ‘band-choir’ setup has been such a great process too, it feels I’m able to capture that special community feeling and build the songs onstage. I honestly love my little bandchoir so much, they’re such lovely humans and friends! (Sorry I feel I slightly rambled here but basically yes community collaboration and connection is everything to my music and process hehe! <33)
It really resonated with me at your show when you said something along the lines of music being this thing that’s able to hold space for for sadness in a really important way - can you elaborate a little more on this, and what this means for your songwriting?
Aw I’m so glad you resonated with that <3 Music is very much for me a way to make sense of my feelings - that’s why I write - whenever I have a feeling I’m not sure about and just need to feel my way through. So music becomes this place to feel held in whatever you’re feeling, and that’s what I really hope my songs are able to be for the people who listen to them. A place to feel understood and just allow yourself to feel that feeling - be it sadness or happiness or beyond. I also do a lot of work in the mental health space and I just think it’s so important that we let ourselves feel sadness when it comes up so that it’s able to move through, and I feel music is a really special way to let ourselves do that. (I tend to feel my feelings pretty big, and I love a good cry to a song that just captures exactly how I feel).
So there’s an EP on the way! Is the whole track list a continuation of this story? Can you drop us any hints about what to expect?
Yes!! I’m so excited to share the rest of the chapters! So yes the EP is the rest of the story in order - one stage at a time. Hmm I can say that there’s definitely going to be a sadder moment coming soon - the next song has my whole entire actual heart in it - it says a lot of things I never said aloud (it still makes me cry when I listen to it sometimes lol). But across the EP there’s always a little light in the darkness even in the heavier songs (which could possibly have something to do with the EP title hehe).
What artists have been your biggest inspiration as a songwriter?
Oh I love this question!! So many honestly. I feel I always have to start with my dad cause he’s the reason I started writing, and honestly my best friends who write really inspire me too. My all time favourite artists have always been Aurora and Coldplay - I feel there’s such a depth of feeling and intangible magic they have across their songs that I really aspire to create. I also love love the similiar magic and instrumental layering/building of The 1975, and Gang of Youths. And in terms of similiar artists and combining conversational with poetic lyricism, Lizzie Mcalpine and Gretta Ray inspire me a lot. And I feel I must mention I was raised on Fleetwood Mac, Enya, Dido and a lot of Celtic music like Loreena Mckennit (mum’s scottish!)- so I think that’s subconsciously inspired me a lot too (from the harmonies and folky energy to my absolute adoration of strings!!)
You use a lot of alternative tunings in your guitar parts - what’s your favourite one at the moment?
Oh I’m obsessed with alternative tunings! I’ve been really enjoying this one my lovely friend Neish showed me in a cowrite of ours - it’s CGCGBD. But my comfort tuning is definitely open D, literally anything feels magic and pulls at your heartstrings in it.
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