For Bec Sandridge, that path has seen her meander all over the world and has led to a significant transformation of her music along the way. The secret is to find your audience wherever you can.
“I think busking has become part of who I am as a person, as well as a performer,” Sandridge says. “It’s this weird thing, going into this public sphere where no one has actually asked you to play, so you’re forced into a position where you either sink into the buildings around you and camouflage, or you can put on a performance. Usually when I busk that’s the decision, to get there and perform.
“One of the biggest compliments in the world is when, in the middle of the day, someone stops what they’re doing to listen to one of your songs. It’s like people have discovered this little gem in a huge public place. It’s been a huge part of my performance, working out what songs work, what doesn’t, and how to command attention on stage.”
Sandridge’s background in public performance is by no means limited to busking on the pavement; an invaluable influence on her artistic evolution has been her exposure to the global performance hub that is Sofar Sounds. Not only has it allowed Sandridge to hone her performance, but the exposure to so many performers and musical styles opened up a whole new world of creativity.
“I’ve done maybe three-quarters of all the Sofar’s across the world,” she says. “I’ve done them across the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, America. It was really important to see a lot of music and see a lot of different performance styles to work out exactly what I wanted to do. I think that’s come through in my slow transition, sonically. Starting out as a folk artist, where all I’d have to do was play on an acoustic guitar, and how that developed. I wanted something that people could cry and dance to at the same time. I bring in drums, and then, no wait, I really like these gross, gritty synth sounds and it all built and built. I want to become a bit of a sponge and absorb as much as I can. I’ve seen all these bands all across the world, and at the end I’m this soggy sponge that needs to be wrung out. Hopefully, that’s where the album process will come from.”
Until that much-anticipated album arrives, there is a fresh EP to showcase. In The Fog is the culmination of two years of writing, performing and recording – two songs of which have already enjoyed significant acclaim, You’re a Fucking Joke and In The Fog, In The Flame. The tour will take her across the country, but first you’ll be able to catch her at St Kilda Festival, where Sandridge plays the O’Donnell Gardens Stage; it also happens to be the adults-only stage.
“It must be because of my coarse language. That’s so funny. If I’m honest, I grew up with a mother who’s Pentecostal Christian, and my dad is agnostic. Whenever I swore at home, I got in real trouble. I feel I’ve trained my potty-mouth, but hey, we’ll see. This could be the exception. My parents aren’t going to be there,” she says.
“I’m playing a bunch of new songs, so I’m really excited. I feel like I’ve been playing a lot of the stuff from the EP this last year, so let’s move on, let’s play some new ones. It’ll be half-half, so hopefully people really like them. My favourite at the moment is this song, The Great Divide, and I’ll definitely be playing it. I’ve been itching for this for a long time, I’m excited to jump on the road with a band who are going to play hopefully better than the record. It’s the first time I’ve been this excited about the sound that I’m creating, so it should be really fun.”
By Adam Norris
