“Feel good,” the title of Women of Soul’s new album demands, but once you listen to it, that title begins to feel more like a command.
Over 14 unwaveringly energetic songs, the collective lure you to dance, to move, to get loose, and to “leave behind your pain and worries.” Feel Good is an ode to self-confidence – song titles include “I Am Enough” and “Lover Don’t Lock Me Down” – and it bursts forth with buoyant hope.
Containing contributions from artists such as Kylie Auldist, Stella Angelico, Thndo, Maria Moles, Monique diMattina, Vanessa Perica, Kathleen Halloran, Tamara Murphy and many more, if one song’s vibe doesn’t fit, another immediately arrives to sweep you into its comforting aural delights.
And with Chelsea Wilson as Executive Producer and Anna Laverty as Producer and Engineer, the album was entirely composed, recorded, performed and produced by an all-female team, a rare and impressive feat in today’s Australian music industry.
To celebrate the release of Feel Good, Tone Deaf got two of the team behind Women of Soul’s glorious expression, the aforementioned Wilson and fellow songwriter and vocalist and graphic designer of the album artwork Vanessa Fernandez, to discuss the album and much more.
Women of Soul’s Feel Good is out now on LP, CD and digital.
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Chelsea: Vanessa, so good to chat to you! We have collaborated so much over the years working on projects such as Bad Girls Disco for Melbourne Music Week and Melbourne International Jazz Festival Congress via your graphic design business Tear It Up, but finally we have now worked together musically! Can you tell us about your experience writing for the Feel Good album and what it was like being part of the Women of Soul songwriting intensive?
Vanessa: We have! I was incredibly lucky to be grouped up with two wonderful musicians and a killer vocalist – Tamara Murphy (bassist), Sorcha Albuquerque (guitarist) and Germain McCarthy (vocalist) – and then later with yourself. I’ve collaborated more so recently on production so getting back into co-writing space was a real opportunity to work on my people skills! I write alone most of the time and sitting down with a group and giving it your best go seemed a bit daunting but I think when you’re in a supportive environment that allows you to be a bit vulnerable, playful and open you can get great results.
Chelsea: As a writer you are incredibly prolific – you just released a killer single, “Be A Man”, and have a huge vault of compositions. You seem to have an endless stream of ideas and energy to write. How do you do this while juggling family life and running your own business? Do you have any advice for artists that struggle with songwriting – do you ever have writer’s block?
Vanessa: I think maybe the whole left brain usage thing has a lot to do with it! I’ve spent my whole working life on creative projects within design. I guess it’s fairly massaged at this stage. I honestly just commit myself to writing as often as I can. It’s one of my greatest joys in life to sit down and bang out tunes. But there’s days when I feel like I hate the sound of my voice or my songs feel like re-runs. The best way to get through it is to move on and keep writing. Like many people with kids and jobs it can end up being the last thing you feel like doing, but you’ve just got to keep tackling it and you’ll get better and faster is what I’ve found. Even if it’s just 10 mins a day. A couple of melodies or hooks into the phone, or some poetry. I find songs will often revisit me in different ways.
Chelsea: You have designed all of the gorgeous artwork for Women of Soul (thank you!). What made you say yes to working on this project?
Vanessa: I love that this is a collaborative female-centric project. It’s an interest of mine to support women and to bring to light what women are capable of in the music scene. I feel like you’ve made so many discoveries along the way in terms of where women have been underrepresented and enlightened me to these areas. It’s made me more determined to keep producing and writing my own music and to keep putting my hand up more than ever.
Chelsea: Do you have a favourite track on Feel Good?
Vanessa: “Feel Good” is my favourite track. It’s got such great hooks and melody. Kylie’s epic voice and the band sound stellar on it. I feel like it sounds straight out of Melbourne. It’s very cool. Seriously groovy and one for the Melbournites!
