Heloise is an uncommon name and Heloise, the former Tassie folk artist, now Melbourne resident, is an uncommon young lady. Like the famed historical Heloise, our modern day Heloise is a brilliant writer, in this case songwriter, who was winner of the Melbourne Music Bank Victorian initiative, which she tells me give useful prizes that give a kick start to aspiring musicians careers.
When I spoke to Heloise this week she told me that she once considered a career as a meteorologist which might make some, think of the so often mentioned ‘winter woolly weather’ of her native Tasmania.
Heloise grew up in Launceston where she attended Riverside high school and later Newstead College, both her parents were music teachers and Heloise tells me it was a house where musical instruments were often strewn around, it seemed inevitable Heloise would choose music over meteorology. Heloise started writing songs from a young age and later took part in a Newstead College competition, where she had the chance to perform in a band and rehearse songs.
The topic of our conversation is Heloise’s new single and video ‘This is home’, the sentiments presented in the song pertinent to Heloise as she herself is making the journey from the relative security of small town Tasmania to the big city of Melbourne and is handling the transition to her new abode very well.
The video is expertly realised as a metaphorical train journey through the unexplored territory of regional Victoria with Heloise chasing her dream manifested by an elusive male on the train with whom she is finally united, just as in real life she follows her dream to Melbourne and is united to the no longer elusive dream of a musical career.
Heloise’s success was celebrated in the launch on April 30 of her single at the Fitzroy’s Workers Club to which her Tassie family (whom she regularly visits) travelled. The night saw an almost capacity audience at the venue. Heloise says it was a fittingly intimate event that ran smoothly, that it was ‘awesome’ and she is ‘chuffed’.
Already working on her new single titled ‘Harvest’ Heloise says it will be somewhat darker than her first and the video will be filmed in her home state of Tasmania in the rainforest,wooded area of Ralph Falls on the way to Lillydale. As is sometimes the case with Heloise her inspiration is found in books or films, in this case ‘The Boy in Striped Pajamas’.
Heloise will be performing with Shelley Segal in Shelley’s show at The Northcote Social Club on May 30.
You can view Heloise’s clip of ‘This is Home’ here:
