Miiesha And Budjerah On Storytelling, The Industry “Machine”, And The Age Of Live-Streaming
"We are one, but we are all so different."
Earlier this week, TikTok announced it would be featuring a bunch of sets from First Nations artists as part of its NAIDOC week celebrations. The line-up was stacked too: national treasure Jess Mauboy, ARIA-Award winner Miiesha, and emerging superstar Budjerah were all locked in to deliver performances.
Buderjah, of Bundjalung descendent from Fingal Head in Northern NSW, released his quietly stunning debut self-titled EP earlier this year — spawning the singles ‘Higher’ and ‘Missing You’, which have been spun endless times on the airwaves. Miiesha — a Pitjantjatjara and Torres Strait Islander woman — is still riding high from the release of her debut album Nyaaringu last year — which garnered her an ARIA for Best Soul/R&B Release, and landed her on a stack of Best Of lists, including Music Junkee’s.
So, given they were both dropping by TikTok this week, it was a golden opportunity to get the two artists to throw each other some questions — about their experiences in the industry, making their music, and how the music industry can be more accommodating to Indigenous artists. We’ll let Miiesha and Budjerah take it from here.
Miiesha: So I am going to ask you a question and we can both answer — how did you find the whole process of pulling an album together? For me it’s like brain fog, writing all the music and putting it together is the hardest part. I don’t know, how do you write your music?
B: I’ll normally write a whole song or I won’t, If I’m not having a good day I can’t but most of the time it turns out good.
M: I wish I could do that. For me, it’s an emotional rollercoaster — when I write and make music it’s a healing experience so it’s very personal for me. I write poems, which turn into songs and the best feeling is when everything comes together at the end and when I am performing.
B: I have days where everything is coming together and days where I feel stuck! Mostly though, I feel the process comes to me naturally. The record label I’m with put me with a few people, I wrote a few songs with my mate Matt Corby, on the first two days we wrote ‘Higher’ and ‘Missing You’. We listened to missing you thinking it was just a demo but then realised they were pretty cool so we chucked them on an EP.
What about the music industry has surprised you?
M: Everything in the industry surprised me… like everything. Like I didn’t know a studio would be that big! I was like ‘Wow what is this place, oh my god this is sick!’ It surprised me though how small the music industry is!
B: Yeah, that always surprises me. Everyone knows each other…it’s so weird.
M: I expected it to be so big but nah, everyone is so close!
Is the ‘machine’ of the music industry intimidating?
B: I think even though it’s small, it’s weird as it depends how much people like you — like that’s our job. Do you think the music industry is intimidating?
M: Not really. I don’t overthink things. I don’t think about growth or sales, I go with the flow. If it’s meant to be it will be, type of thing. If you don’t like me — that’s cool, if you like me — hey, let’s be friends! Random things actually intimidate me are — tall people and interviews lol.
What has been the biggest moment of the last year for you?
B: You won an ARIA last year didn’t you?
M: Oh my god, yes! I can’t believe I forgot that! It was crazy, we hired out a whole leagues club with all my family and friends on the night of the awards, and we were all sitting there waiting to see who one. There was so much adrenaline, I wasn’t expecting anything … but then my name gets called out! I was just so proud and it was such a blessing.
B: That’s crazy, what was it like even being nominated?
M: I mean just to even get nominated, it was such a big blessing. What about you? Like what has been a big moment?
B: I got to do Music from the Homefront, and doing The Sound.
M: Oi that is deadly, we have to do a live together!
B: Yes! Actually doing the shows with Lime Cordiale was a highlight — I met Idris Elba that’s a highlight.
How have you maintained your creativity during lockdown? And what’s the hardest part of being in lockdown?
M: Listening to other musicians helps me stay creative. I follow a lot of Indigenous artists on TikTok. My creativity comes in waves though, the past few months I have felt so creative and but just at the beginning of lockdown I felt dead. So, I go through phases of writing a lot and then nothing. The hardest part has been having to go back home and be still. As an artist you are always doing something, performing, meeting new people, so to be still and be with myself, alone was hard. But it was good for me and I’ve grown because of it.
“As an artist you are always doing something, performing, meeting new people – so to be still and be with myself, alone, was hard.”
B: Yeah for sure, I get that too. It’s hard when you can’t see your family and friends. I am not an extroverted person but I love spending time and chatting to my family and friends. During lockdown you don’t have that. I couldn’t see my grandparents or my great-grandma who I love, so that was hard — also we are all Aboriginal, we are so connected to each other and our families, so not having that around is hard.
M: What do you think about live-streaming in lockdown now in-person shows are so limited?
B: I am not the best with technology, but I love live-streaming. I like seeing people tuning in and sending little emojis to show their support. I can interact with the audience and sing without being interrupted. This one during a real-life gig, this guy just stood up in the middle of my set and just started talking loudly — very awkward — so I’m glad there’s nothing like that on live-streaming.
M: Yeah, I am the same — not the best with tech — but I’m just starting up on TikTok and I want to get better at posting more. I am literally addicted to the app.
Have you found TikTok a useful platform during lockdown to connect with audiences?
B: I love going live, you always expect an applause after but you still get such a rush!
M: I suck at social media, but I literally love scrolling through TikTok.
B: When I first got TikTok I fell in love with Cat Burns, her voice is amazing. Also, I love John Mayer, he’s hilarious.
M: Ah I follow everyone haha. I actually have two TikToks I follow so many musicians. The best one is Kehlani.
B: Omg have you seen KookingwithKoori on TikTok? I can’t cook so I love watching him haha! He’s an Indigenous dad and does these budget-friendly recipes.
How do you bring your experiences and history into your music?
M: I am always telling a story. We’ve been singing and dancing forever, I want to continue that through my storytelling — I am doing that through my music. That’s how I would bring it out — we are artists.
B: For me, it’s a similar thing, it’s just about who we are. My dad taught me how to write songs — he does poems similar to you — he says if you can just put cords with it you can sing a song.
M: As an Indigenous artist, what do you think you would want to let non-Indigenous people in the industry to be aware of?
“We are one, but we are all so different.”
B: Quite often we get lumped together, but we all have our own stories to tell. We all have our own languages to tell and we’re all so unique. For me, my family, with our language we don’t speak it much around other people — we keep it secret to us. Maybe it’s the way we are compared in the industry like ‘Oh Baker Boy does this in his language can you do that in yours?’ Maybe think about us as who we are — we aren’t all the same.
M: This is so true…We don’t all come from the same place, we all have different cultures, like we cook rice and hunt differently. We are one, but we are all so different.
B: So, this leads on to how non-Indigenous people in the music industry can be better allies?
M: Well, it would be nice to know someone that knows your history — more understanding and acknowledgement of us. Treating us like normal people really.
B: Yep, all I need is allies — like any artist, just show your support for them.
What needs to change in the industry for Indigenous artists?
M: I’ve never thought about this.
B: My family comes with me everywhere, like they sit with me in my meetings. It’s all about the relationship — connection to one another. It’s not about what we can gain, more about our bond.
M: I guess it’s the same with my crew, they’re my family! You can have a laugh you just have a good connection. So, maybe it should be more about connections and not so much about gain. My biggest dream is to take my family on tour one day.
Budjerah will perform live on his TikTok account on Friday, July 9 at 7pm AEST. You can check out Miiesha’s account right over here.