Warwick Smith shares about his single, Paper Hearts: “Don’t wait! Life is a precious thing, and everything is temporary. Sometimes, if you really want to share your thoughts and feelings, you have to pretend today the world is ending.”
Upon the release of his single Paper Hearts, singer-songwriter Warwick Smith showcases his beautifully unique artistry of blending soft-rock, pop, disco and hip hop elements. This gives him a refreshing and groundbreaking sound in an industry full of noise. Hailing from the harbour town of Newcastle, Warwick Smith shows us why he should be on your watch list of artists to break through the scene in 2023.
Paper Hearts marks his third release this year, in which he opens up about the grief that comes with losing someone you loved, without being to tell them. It is a track that gives us a painstaking reminder that sometimes it’s best not to wait, and that you should take the plunge when you have feelings for someone before it’s too late. Happy got the chance to sit down with Warwick Smith and discuss his artistry, and what inspires him every day.
HAPPY: What are you looking forward to this week?
WARWICK: I’m really excited about the Paper Hearts music video! It was tons of fun to make. I worked with my good friend, Bentley Copus who’s a wicked talented cinematographer. Plus some new friends who came out to Luna Park with me to shoot some fun adventure shots!
HAPPY: Tell us about your suburb, what do you love/not love about where you live?
WARWICK: This is tough – I don’t love the noise in the mornings, people going about their daily life seems to include a lot of loud noises and it bugs me, I’m a bit of a diva! I do love how accessible everything is. I can skate to any major location I might wanna visit around me in a matter of minutes which motivates me to explore the city a ton!
HAPPY: Tell us about your experience performing with Glass Animals.
WARWICK: It was kind of crazy and everything moved so fast. I didn’t have any idea that morning that I’d be on stage with one of my favourite bands, so it hit me like a truck when the moment came! They were all incredibly welcoming, Drew and Dave especially took great care of me on stage and kept me in time since I didn’t have in-ear monitors or anything. I’m so thankful they allowed me the opportunity to share the stage with them!
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HAPPY: Describe your writing and recording process. What comes first, the lyrics or the music?
WARWICK: I was joking with some friends the other day that I should re-invest the money for a home studio into my water bill because I seem to write exclusively in the shower. It might be a single line or a melody and then I’ll rush to my set-up and try to build around it. It’s a bit sacrilegious, but I also like to mix while I write whatever I’m working on, I’ll have an entire chorus mixed and full before I even create a song’s intro. I also rewrite and ad-lib lines constantly so sometimes the lyrics being published online can vary from what I sing. Oops.
The recording process typically starts with recording a demo vocal, then over the next week, recording a ton of different takes and ways of singing each line, before I finally scratch all of that and return to the demo vocal. I guess it’s just nice to keep it a bit more authentic and real in contrast to the zany effects and sounds happening in the songs.
HAPPY: What’s some advice for people who have trouble sharing their true feelings for someone?
WARWICK: Don’t wait! Life is a precious thing and everything is temporary. Sometimes, if you really want to share your thoughts and feelings, you have to pretend that today, the world is ending – that “nothing to lose” mentality. Kind of like what Nickelback said in that one song. Nickelback-based advice is good advice!
HAPPY: If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
WARWICK: I desperately want to go to New York! It’s probably just the How I Met Your Mother fan in me but NYC looks like it would be heaven for me! I’ve always likened living in Sydney to being the Australian equivalent of being a New Yorker but I’m sure I’d be shut down real quick if I tried to push that in the city that never sleeps.
HAPPY: What would your ultimate day involve?
WARWICK: The ultimate day would have to include a big Aussie breakfast (sausages and bacon, yum) at a cool cafe, followed by a cheeky beach trip, a bit of skateboarding and then maybe some chill time with a movie or something with my childhood friends. The day would end with a huge live show because I get the most joy out of performing. Then I’d probably eat some homemade mashed potatoes.
HAPPY: What books or TV shows are you currently into?
WARWICK: I just finished Marvel’s She-Hulk and I gotta say, I kind of loved it. I love the goofier side of the MCU. I don’t think I’ve quite earned the title of an MCU nerd but I am definitely right into it all. In fact, the show has motivated me to look into the comics too. I’ve heard they’re just as wicked!
HAPPY: What did you read last that opened your eyes and mind to a new perspective?
WARWICK: Haruki Murakami’s After Dark was recommended to me as a way to expand my perception of storytelling. It’s a little obscure but it’s got a thick tone and atmosphere to it that aggressively captivated me. Reading that has completely changed how I perceive the people around me. I’m such a sucker for works that challenge my view on the world.
HAPPY: What’s something someone has said about your music that you hold close to you?
WARWICK: A very close friend of mine once told me that since the day they had met me, they knew I was meant to be on a stage. That chokes me up every time. I think aside from that, I’ve had listeners reach out to me and share their stories, connections and interpretations of the songs and it is truly so heartwarming. Anytime I feel like I’m running out of steam, that usually gives me my second wind.
HAPPY: Which artist do you look up to the most for inspiration and motivation in the music scene?
WARWICK: To put it all on one artist is so tricky because I don’t want to discredit the huge influences I’ve had over the years and I also don’t want to cite one source and say that they’re behind everything I’ve built. I guess, realistically, David Byrne of Talking Heads immediately comes to mind. He’s a complex genius and he knows exactly what he wants and what he’s doing. He’s not afraid to stand out and be a bit wacky, he uses it to his advantage. He kind of shaped this bizarre philosophy I have of only once you come to terms that you’ll never understand art, you understand it.
Stream Paper Hearts via Spotify below.
Interviewed by Olivia Adams.
Photos supplied.