Diving into the world of identity and youth, ‘Unerased’ is a refreshingly unfiltered journey that’s rewriting the rules.
This groundbreaking docuseries hit Instagram and TikTok on August 20, giving its stars the mic to craft their stories with raw authenticity.
Across 17 episodes, we hang out with Lee, Felix, Theo, Neejay, Connor, Chloe, Ellie, Arwen, and Declan. They’re our guides through the rollercoaster of identity and the crazy ride of youth, holding nothing back.
We caught up with Felix (he/they), a driving force behind ‘Unerased,’ to dive into the making of this game-changing series. Felix spills the beans on their journey, passions, and what it’s like to be a musician, an advocate, and an all-around fearless advocate for their true self.
From grabbing life’s opportunities to rolling with the changes, Felix’s story is all about resilience, authenticity, and an unbeatable spirit. In this down-to-earth chat, Felix takes us through how ‘Unerased’ has steered their musical journey, the magic of community, and what it’s like to boldly embrace their identity as an openly trans individual.
From the wild ride of bands to the journey of self-discovery, Felix’s story is an uplifting example of finding your strength and owning who you are.
Check out the new episodes as they drop weekly via Minus18 below:
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Happy: Can you share the moment when you first learned about the opportunity to be a part of Unerased? What motivated you to get involved, and how has this experience impacted your journey as a musician and an advocate?
Felix: I saw the audition call on instagram and thought it looked really interesting! I didn’t really think about how big the doco would end up being, or the scale at which it would be released, it just seemed like a really genuine and cool idea.
I’ve been taught to take as many opportunities that I can, so I sent in an audition video! The experience has definitely shaped what I want to write about as a musician and lyricist (including a song I’m working on at the moment), and I’d love to collaborate with some of the other musicians in the cast.
I’ve been doing advocacy for quite a while at a smaller community level, and it’ll be a great opportunity to see what I can bring to the table for a broader audience.
Happy: Joining Unerased has allowed you to share your story on a broader platform. Could you describe what it’s been like to connect with others who might relate to your experiences, and how has this sense of community influenced your outlook?
Felix: First of all, the other cast and the crew are all amazing! It’s been an absolute joy to to get to know everyone, we all really get each other! I’m really hoping our stories help trans adults, teens and kids feel less alone.
The idea of a community coming from Unerased is so exciting, both in the fact that it’ll help other gender diverse people, and that it may also help cis people gain more awareness about what being trans is like. My outlook is usually very positive, but this just amplifies that positivity!
Happy: Music seems to be a huge part of your life. Can you tell us about your earliest memory related to music and how it shaped your journey?
Felix: Listening to Triple J or music on an iPod Mini in the car, on road trips with my family. I’ve been raised in very musical environment, usually with alternative music, which I think gave me a broader appreciation of different genres from an early age.
Obviously as I got older, I could decide what I wanted to listen to on my own, and find stuff I liked by myself, and my taste in music changed and developed. I’ve always listened to a heap of different genres, and as I got even more into becoming a musician, the range got even bigger.
I think this in some ways makes me a better musician. I’m not afraid to break the rules of genres in order for something to sound really cool, and my skills are applicable to many different styles.
Happy: Being open about your identity is an important aspect of your life. How has your experience as an openly trans individual influenced your musical journey and your role as a frontman?
Felix: I always try to plan a performance for things like Trans Day of Visibility and Wear It Purple Day wherever I’m at, becaus they’re not only important to myself, but other queer and gender diverse people in the community.
If I can help spread the word, and improve people’s awareness through music, then I’m gonna go for it. Voice has always been a big dysphoric thing for me, because it’s also my instrument, and I was a soprano when I started transitioning.
I’ve done a lot of work to expand my range and lower my voice (without T) to a more masc range. When I first started being the frontman for a band, I was almost trying too hard? Like I had to really prove that I was “me.”
As I’ve gotten more comfortable with myself, and how I experience my gender especially, I’ve relaxed into the role a lot more, whilst still having a huge amount of stage presence. The chaos is part of the show, I love performing so much and that energy has gotta go somewhere!
Happy: Battle of the Bands being cancelled must have been disappointing. How did you cope with this setback, and did it lead you to any unexpected realisations?
Felix: We were all pretty sad about it, in all of the bands I was in. The year 12s all just kinda got on with it, especially the ATAR students. However, one of the bands I was in was determined to perform in one way or another, and we managed to get a rush performance in at a lunchtime concert at school, which was heaps of fun!
Overall I was mostly disappointed for the year 12s, who weren’t going to get another opportunity to do Battle of the Bands. None of us were really in it for the competition, we just wanted to perform together.
All the time we spent practicing and playing together was really fun and special and I’m so happy that we spent that time together!
Happy: You’re not just a part of one but three bands. How do you manage to balance your musical pursuits with the demands of school and personal life?
Felix: About two weeks into year 11 I knew ATAR wasn’t for me, but I stuck through it for the year, which meant I didn’t have as much time for music.
I switched to general classes this year and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, overall my mental health is a lot better, and I have plenty of time to focus on my musical pursuits.
I understand that I come from a place of privilege when I say that I don’t have to worry too much about school anymore, I just need to pass.
A lot of my social life revolves around music as well, so that’s an easy balance to make, especially when I’m in bands with really good friends, who are a blast to make music with!
Happy: Your friends often turn to you for advice. What’s the most memorable piece of advice you’ve given to someone, and how has that shaped your role in their lives?
Felix: “You know you’re allowed to leave, right?”, it’s simple advice but sometimes people don’t think about it. I had previously left a friend group that I had a good friend in, and they were also being mistreated by said group.
Showing that solidarity, and bringing up the fact that they do have support, that what they’re feeling is completely valid, can really help someone’s outlook. It really strengthened our relationship and we’re better friends than ever!
Happy: Embracing change can be challenging. Could you share a specific instance where you had to navigate change and how it impacted your outlook on life?
Felix: I was with a certain group of friends since the beginning of year 7, and it really hit me last year that they weren’t really my friends and hadn’t been for a long time.
I wasn’t being invited to things, I was actively excluded from conversations, people would run off in the middle of important things. Even something as basic as seeing each other first thing in the morning, I’d ask how someone was, they’d dump all their current issues on me, and then not even ask how I was back.
That’s just rude. I made the choice to move groups, which was scary, I didn’t know if I’d be able to fit into a new group, and very luckily I did! It was just such a huge betrayal of my love and trust and loyalty, and it really hurt.
While it doesn’t sound like a big change, I am autistic and have always struggled with making friends. With enough self reflection on the events, I now have a lot more self respect, and I understand my worth.
It’s not worth my time or energy to remain friends with people who don’t really care about me.
Happy: Mental health is a significant theme in your journey. Could you elaborate on how you’ve taken steps to prioritise your mental well-being while pursuing your passions?
Felix: I try to “go with the flow” so to speak. Getting stressed when little things change can really pile up, so trying to keep an open mind and remain grounded is generally a good start for me.
I also make sure I leave space to do things that I enjoy, like visual art and music, and use those as an outlet for what I’m feeling. Having a good support network is also really important, and knowing you have people to lean on can really make a difference.
It’s ok to take breaks when you know you need them, humans weren’t built for “the grind”.
Happy: How do you see your music evolving in the future, and how might it continue to reflect your identity and experiences?
Felix: I play around with genre a lot, I don’t like to be confined to one thing or another. As such, what I enjoy, play and make is always fluid and evolving.
Writing about personal experiences and struggles is not only a good way to get my own emotions out, but hopefully also a way that others can experience the same catharsis.
As I change and evolve, so will what I write about, and how I go about presenting those themes. I will always be trans, and it will always in some part be in my music, because I am my music.
Happy:: What’s a song that perfectly captures a moment in your life, and why does it resonate with you so deeply?
Felix: The song “Take Me Back To Eden” by Sleep Token. It’s an 8 minute long, 4 genre epic. It feels ethereal, tragic, pleading, angry even. I’ve had some pretty rough patches (mentally) in the last two years, and that really effects how I interact with my spirituality.
All of Sleep Token’s music is like holy music to me (I’m a witch, the term is gender neutral), and this song in particular details so many of the ways that I both experience feeling when having a depressive episode, and how that makes me feel like I’m disconnected from my practice, and the knock on effects of feeling really adrift.
“Take Me Back To Eden” really speaks to me, makes me feel seen. Hearing it for the first time when it released was genuinely magical.
Happy: If you had to give one piece of advice to someone who is struggling to embrace their true self, what would it be?
Felix: Self discovery is a process, a long, hard, beautiful thing. It takes time to discover who you are, hell, your brain isn’t done cooking until you’re 25! It’s ok to feel different, lost, misunderstood, like everything is wrong.
You’ve gotta find people who love you for who you are, no matter how much changes for you to get to “the real you”. Don’t be afraid to change things when they feel wrong.
You’ll find yourself eventually, and it’ll be completely freeing.
