It’s time you met XIRA, a Sydney local making scratchy, addictive indie pop with a missive. With just a few singles to her name she’s showcased a straight-up freaky amount of talent, having already worked alongside the likes of Xavier Dunn (Jack River, CXLOE) and EDM powerhouse 3LAU.
This weekend she’s on home turf, playing an incredible looking International Women’s Day show alongside MINX, Isy Isy, and way more. Before that goes down, we sat down with XIRA for the latest.
Meet XIRA, a Sydney-based muso making high-grade, forward thinking pop tunes. Once you hear a XIRA track, it’ll be impossible to unhear.
HAPPY: Hey, how are things? What are you up to at the moment?
XIRA: Hello!! Things are great! I’m currently re-watching Grey’s Anatomy for the twenty-millionth time while uploading my *new single* (woo) – a song I wrote about my cat, Muffin – for distribution! Yay!!
HAPPY: Loving Not A Tomboy, can you talk about where that track originated?
XIRA: Thank you so much! I actually started writing Not a Tomboy on a plane on the way to Melbourne, after a conversation with my friend, Kritty. We were chatting about how much we hated being called Tomboys as kids and how cool it is that we can go out for a night out in sneakers these days. I pretty much wrote the lyrics during the plane ride and then recorded them as a voice memo as the pilot was making the landing announcement, haha. It was a little backwards having the song written before there were any chords or anything but I was so lucky to have a writing session with Hamley, who brought it to life as a demo!
HAPPY: What do you hope to inspire in anyone who gives it a listen?
XIRA: Not a Tomboy is really about inspiring everyone to be whoever they want to be and wear whatever they want to wear. It’s about choosing your own labels (if any) and feeling powerful and confident in your own skin.
HAPPY: It’s been a few months since that single, is there anything else bubbling away at the moment? You mentioned a new single…
XIRA: Yeah, there’s heaps going on at the moment ! I had a single called Tokyo come out in December (I wrote Tokyo in LA early last year and I was so lucky to have 3LAU bring it to life!) and Le Youth just released a remix of that one. We’ll hopefully be releasing some more music together soon! In the meantime I will be releasing my next single, Tiptoe, on the 31st of March and I’ll be in rehearsals my show at Sydney’s first Mental Health Music Festival – Torch Fest – which is coming up on April 4th!
HAPPY: Xavier Dunn has been behind some of Australia’s shiniest releases over the past few years. What was it like working with him on Not A Tomboy?
XIRA: Xav is incredible and so ridiculously talented! I’ve actually worked with him on quite a few singles now (including my next single) and he’s always just so much fun and such a great energy in the studio. We’re really lucky to have so many great producers in Australia and I’m very, very lucky to have worked with so many of them – especially some incredible female producers too! Shout out to Maribelle, Moohki, and Ninajirachi to name a few!
HAPPY: You’re playing a great show this coming International Women’s Day. Who are some women who inspire you?
XIRA: My mum, of course, has been a pillar of strength throughout my entire life. She’s a super strong woman who works hard behind the scenes on everything she does and always gives so selflessly. I’m also surrounded by the greatest group of creative women who inspire me endlessly, every single day – Kota Banks, CXLOE, Vetta Borne/Maribelle, Wallace, Sarah Wolfe, Sarah Saint James, Kinder, Coda Conduct (omg, there’s way too many to name them all… check out ALL of their projects for SURE. Also, Tiff Williams and Monique Michele (my fav photographers).
HAPPY: Any other plans for March 8th?
XIRA: I think I’m gonna settle in for a big Sunday sesh and watch all of the other acts that are on – Tannah and Marshes are on before me and they also happen to be good friends of mine, so I think it’s gonna be a pretty special day!
HAPPY: Awesome, thanks for the chat!
XIRA: Thank YOU! Hopefully see you there.
Catch XIRA at SHE A.F., a free gig going down this International Women’s Day at The Golden Sheaf in Sydney:
Sunday 8 March – The Golden Sheaf, Double Bay – Details
