With her feel-good 2020 anthem Walk My Way taking over the triple j airwaves, Perth-raised singer-songwriter Harper Bloom is poised for national domination with her cheerful blend of indie fold and electronica. We sat down with Harper ahead of her Christmas Eve concert and final show in Perth.
Susannah Wong: How did you start playing music and has it always played a role in your life?
Harper Bloom: I started playing the guitar as a little kid, maybe five or six! My dad bought me a guitar and took me to lessons and I had an awesome teacher who would just teach me whatever songs I wanted to play, so that was a lot of fun. I started writing songs on my guitar as a kid and throughout my teens just as a hobby. After finishing my degree a couple of years ago, I moved to New York for a few months and that’s when I first started to play at open mic nights. I really enjoyed performing so I just kept doing it and I have that writing bug where you just want to keep writing songs that you are proud of!
SW: What can we expect from your new EP and when (roughly) can we expect to hear it?
HB: The EP will be coming out early next year! It’s called Faith, Sex and Skin and it’s a mix of five songs that I am really proud of – a few that are already out on Spotify and a few that aren’t. It’s an indie-folk-pop sound with a focus on storytelling and hopeful/positive messages. I focus a lot on meaningful lyrics and upbeat melodies, so I hope that people walk away from it humming the tunes and feeling a little better about life!
SW: If you could perform or write with anyone, who would it be?
HB: I love Fleetwood Mac and particularly I love Stevie Nicks. She is incredibly inspiring to me because her songwriting is so unmatchable and incomparable. Her lyrics are super metaphorical and she takes on these mystical characters in her songs when she performs. She brings them to life. It’s surreal to watch and listen to.
SW: Anything special lined up for the Christmas Eve show?
HB: Many special things! It will be one of the last solo shows I play, so there will be a lot of intimate chat between the songs and a lot of audience participation and sing-a-longs to help bring the songs to life. I will also have a couple of special guests helping me out on stage and I have an awesome support band to be announced in the next few days. Can’t wait! Also, it finishes at 9 pm so time to party on after or go home and have an early night, whatever you are into.
SW: Anything you’d like to tell our readers?
HB: Thank you all for supporting my music. You are all legends and if you’d like to, you can sign up to my website at www.harperbloom.com for updates on shows/merch/new music. Big love!!
Words by Susannah Wong