Vanessa Amorosi Interview

Mitch: You’re currently on tour celebrating 25 years! How has it been so far?
Vanessa Amorosi: Incredible! It’s been a huge party, and there are a lot of familiar faces. Everyone is singing along to more songs than I thought! You always expect a couple of songs to stick out in the setlist, but actually the whole show has been a sing-along - and that’s my favourite thing about performing, when everybody is part of the show and it’s not just about you singing, it’s about everyone.

We’ve also got a little part in the set where we break it down acoustically. Myself and Rod just sit there, and people yell out songs, and we just chip away at them.

Mitch: You’ve got such a strong & iconic discography from the past 25 years. How did you approach the setlist for this tour?
Vanessa Amorosi: It’s constantly changing as we go along, but it’s been a little bit difficult! We did have people send in requests so we could go off what was requested the most, and they’d go to the frontline of the list.

We also play multiple songs during rehearsal and then work out which one is stronger and has more energy, and that’s how we go through the process of eliminating tracks.

Mitch: On the tour, you’re hitting a bunch of capital cities as well as a few regional stops! Do different cities bring a different kind of energy? Do you have to approach each show differently?
Vanessa Amorosi: Yeah, you definitely approach them differently. You also work it out while you’re up on stage, because different venues lend themselves to different energies, and the crowds are different in each city, and even on each night.

Friday and Saturday nights are like, “Let’s go psycho”, and Thursdays are a little bit tamer because people still have to go to work. It always changes, and you never quite know until you’re up there.

Mitch: For the fans who may not have a ticket yet, why should they come to a show? What can people expect from a Vanessa Amorosi show?
Vanessa Amorosi: I think if they like the music, they’ll really get into the show and enjoy everybody that’s there. I think we’re all like-minded and we are all there for a good time. There’s nothing tense about it, we just all get together and hang out. It’s like a crazy kind of backyard party.

I know a lot of people that have gone on their own and ended up making a whole bunch of friends, then spent the rest of their night partying in this little group. We do a VIP, and sometimes people come up and say they’re on their own, and I always say, “Go talk to this group right here”, because some of them I’ve actually grown up with and they’re a good bunch and they love to go crazy and celebrate music!

Mitch: In the 25 years of Vanessa Amorosi, we’ve seen a lot of eras and a lot of growth. If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would you say?
Vanessa Amorosi: Get a better lawyer haha! That would’ve helped me in all different angles of my career.

Maybe being a little bit more savvy on the business side of music. In saying that, there’s so many things to keep up with as an artist. It’s like any young person stepping into a role in the social world. These are big positions, and you’ve got a lot to learn while starting off.

Would I change anything? No. I think being able to keep up with the train that I did was pretty good.

Mitch: When you were first starting, was there a specific moment where everything suddenly felt real?
Vanessa Amorosi: Not really. I never thought about it like, “Oh, this is now real. I’m going to do this.” I always thought, “I’m doing it, but is there enough time to get it all done?” and whether I could keep up with what needed to be done.

So I don’t think there was a choice in there. It just was what it was, and it was about keeping up.

Mitch: When you revisit your older songs now, do any of them hit differently or take on a completely new meaning?
Vanessa Amorosi: Yeah, definitely. I have those moments where I start looking at the songs and mapping out how I’d like to approach them. The songs then get reborn and take on a new life, meaning something different.

I think ‘Shine’ has done that for me this trip. It’s definitely been reborn for me, and I have a new appreciation for it. It’s so exciting when you get to go back through your catalogue and have cool things pop out. Then you start playing it and find a new way of doing it.

Mitch: The industry has changed a lot over the last 25 years. How do you stay true to yourself and your artistry in an industry that prioritises trends and short-term viral moments?
Vanessa Amorosi: I like how it is now. I feel like there’s more truth and more things being spoken about. You can also directly communicate with everybody, and it doesn’t need to go through ten people where the message keeps changing.

I enjoy it. I don’t think about trends or keeping up with what people are doing. I do what makes me happy and what I think is good work, and then I share it.

Mitch: What’s next for you after the tour? Can fans expect new music, maybe?
Vanessa Amorosi: We’ve definitely got a couple of things up our sleeves, so it’ll be a busy year if we can pull that off.

I’d also love to come back and continue this kind of partying. With the love, energy, and support I’ve been getting, especially over the last two weeks, it’s going to be a hard rollercoaster to get off when I get home. So I want to have those discussions about getting back out again.

Mitch: What is the best way for fans to support you?
Vanessa Amorosi: Streaming and looking at the different pieces of work that I do — that makes me really happy.

And then getting their butt to a gig, so I can go into these other songs, keep people’s attention, and reconnect with everybody. That also gives me a good sense of where things are moving, what people need, and what I can contribute and deliver.

RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS!!

Mitch: Favourite track to play live?
Vanessa Amorosi: City of Angels.

Mitch: Favourite album or era of yours?
Vanessa Amorosi: Nah, I don’t have a favourite!

Mitch: Favourite Australian city to perform in?
Vanessa Amorosi: Each city is different so I can’t pick a favourite city either haha!

Mitch: If all music died tomorrow, what would you be doing?
Vanessa Amorosi: I’d be shovelling shit on a farm, that’s it. I’d be singing a little hymn and doing a tap dance on the side haha!