May 18th, 2020Music to express emotions and experiences
D’ARCY Spiller is from a family of seven which moved around when she was young. They started in Sydney, then New Zealand, Melbourne and then moved to Smeaton when she was about seven. D’Arcy went to Smeaton Primary School – the same school her grandmother attended, although she didn’t know that at the time.
When she was 12 the family moved back to Sydney for a year where she started to love jazz music – D’Arcy learnt Lullaby of Birdland from her vocal teacher who was a Russian opera singer, and also received her first guitar that year which she still uses in gigs. D’Arcy says looking back it was a pivotal year for her musically. The family then moved back to Smeaton where she started writing originals and entered a national song-writing competition and came third. The ABC interviewed her and played her song on the radio and “I got a taste for it and my desire to make original music started there”.
At 15, the family moved to America and D’Arcy attended an arts high school and was admitted to a summer program at Berklee College of Music. Her taste in music grew and she developed a taste for alt blues, bluegrass, rock and grunge music, and she started going to big music festivals. Instead of prom, D’Arcy went to Coachella.
D’Arcy said her childhood included a lot of travel, freedom in the country, exposure to city life, many different experiences and she tries to keep all of that in her life now. She chatted with Donna Kelly.
Donna: That’s a great childhood. Is your family musical?
D’Arcy: When my mum was pregnant with me she was working on a festival in Hong Kong, she attended an Indian concert and when the tablah drums started playing she felt me kick with the beat. It was then she knew I’d love music. My dad, who was in advertising also introduced me to the sync world when I was around five, where I was able to dabble in how you can express emotion in voice. I started doing regular voice sessional work. So, while neither are “musically inclined” they both work around the arts and creative industries. My sister Gypsy plays the piano and we have started collaborating a little. My parents have always been extremely supportive and encouraged my siblings and I to do what makes us happy.
Donna: When did you first realise you had a real talent?
D’Arcy: I guess when I started having success in national and international song writing comps, that’s when I thought “hmm, maybe I could do this, maybe I could do song writing”. It’s a series of little things I guess. Being asked to perform at events, people acknowledging my voice or musicality. Of course, being signed to 100s + 1000s, a Mushroom group label, was the exciting, I must have some talent moment.
Donna: Are there any musicians or songwriters who inspire you?
D’Arcy: I really love LP as a songwriter she’s great at telling a story and so is Patti Smith, Alison Mosshart, Kaleo, Amy Winehouse and Hozier. Chris Isaak and Edwyn Collins I love because I grew up listening to them. My parents played them a lot.
Donna: What is your music about? How do you go about writing music?
D’Arcy: Sometimes I find it hard to understand what I’m feeling or I need to express an idea or story. The fire to understand or tell that story is where the writing kicks in. My music helps me to express emotions and describe experiences.
Donna: What is it like being in the industry?
D’Arcy: Oh man, I’m still trying to figure the industry out and I probably always will be. It’s constant change and new things to learn, but it’s exciting!
Donna: I saw you were a Triple J unearthed artist – what was that like?
D’Arcy: Being the Triple J unearthed feature artist was brilliant! I first started thinking about what it would be like to be the feature artist when I was about 20. So almost six years ago, I feel like I really achieved one of my personal goals.
Donna: What are you hoping for in the future?
D’Arcy: I’m hoping to travel more and have more experiences. It’s what fuels my music. I hope to be touring and meeting/collaborating with amazing artists and producers.
Donna: How has COVID-19 impacted on your career?
D’Arcy: On the down side, in simple terms, COVID-19 has created a loss of income. On the positive side, I have experienced something unimaginable and so far my family and friends have remained safe. It has given me valuable creative space and time. Doing writing sessions online though, it has been somewhat difficult not being able to really suss out the other person’s vibes but writing a new song has been achievable.
Image: Contributed
