Tia Gostelow- Music making, songwriting, jamming and of course playing at and attending music festivals every now and again
Interview conducted on June 8, 2020
By Dan Locke
2018 was a tremendous year for Tia Gostelow with her debut album “Thick Skin” received incredibly warmly all over the globe. This includes a Triple J album feature and Like A Version, serious global play-listing, sold out shows and invitations to Falls Festival and South By South West. Her single Strangers also just clicked over 2 million streams on Spotify.
How did you discover music?
Music has always been a part of my life; my parents would always have the country music channel on when I was little. I remember making my brother videotape me singing and performing to songs so I could watch them over and over again. So, I would definitely say my life has always revolved around it haha!
You have been playing music since you were 7 years old. Do you remember how you got your first guitar?
Yes! I remember mum having to buy it on eBay because at the time we were living on a remote island in the Northern Territory and I had no way of accessing one or buying one there.
And do you still have it?
Yes, I do!
How did Taylor Swift influence you after you saw her live in Australia?
I just recall thinking I want to be just like her. It was her first time ever coming to Australia and she was wearing the blue sparkly dress with her silver sparkly guitar and I just fell in love with her! I guess being so young I just idolized her and wanted follow in her footsteps. I thought she was so confident and such an amazing songwriter. When I came home after seeing her, I swear I taught myself to play every song on the Fearless album.
Tell me about your first live performance at the Northern Territory’s annual Picnic Day festival?
I just remember practicing so much and being super nervous! I also made my aunty send me a new outfit for it because we didn’t have clothes stores on the island and I really wanted it to be perfect! I was only about 9 years old at the time, I think the video of it is still on Youtube because I forgot the password to the account haha!
You got your first gold record for “Strangers” in February this year. How was it to get your first gold record and where did you hang it?
Yes, I did! It was literally like a dream come true, it’s something I’ve always wanted to happen I just didn’t think it would happen this soon in my career! Was a really weird feeling holding the actual plaque in my hands. I haven’t hung it anywhere because I’m in a rental house, but it is sitting in my living room next to my record player.
In your song “Psycho”, it tells your own experience with gaslighting in a relationship. Can you tell our readers more about that time?
PSYCHO was written at the start of 2019 with a friend of mine Aidan Hogg. Conversations about gaslighting in relationships was all I was reading about on my phone, it was all over my Facebook and Instagram, people were speaking up about their experiences which made me think about mine.
It forced me to really think about the situations and relationships I’ve been in where I have experienced gaslighting and how it made me go fucking crazy. I constantly thought I was the issue, that everything was my fault and I kept apologizing for things that I later realized weren’t my fault at all. I feel like when you are in these circumstances, sometimes it feels like you’re going insane, I felt like I was turning into this psycho person and it seemed like nobody else saw where I was coming from. However, seeing all of these other people speaking up about it, made me deal with my emotions that I had just ignored and I finally felt like I could put all of my anger and frustration and hurt into something that means something.
Digital vs. vinyl?
This is a hard one. Obviously, the convenience of having music anywhere you want is amazing, but so is physically holding a vinyl and then putting it on the record player and sitting around with friends listening. I really can’t choose!
What song from the past is in your mind right now? And what is the meaning that song means to you?
Mykonos by Fleet Foxes. I went through a period of time when I was about 15 when all I would listen to was the Fleet Foxes. The harmonies, the chords, the lyrics just really made me fall in love with music even more. This song just gives me this overwhelming feeling of love for music and reminds me of how I want people to feel when they listen to my music.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
I’ve been spending a lot of time with my family and friends, and also working! I usually live a 12 hour drive away from my family so it’s been really nice to be home and kind of focus on my own mental and physical health. I’ve been going walking/hiking quite a bit and doing a bit of pottery so it’s been nice actually.
How do you see yourself in the next five years?
I really hope I’m touring the world and still releasing music. Really wanna play Coachella quietly tho…
Anything you would like to say in closing?
I think we’ve covered everything! 😊
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