When you think of soul or blues, your mind may drift towards old men in smoky bars plucking at double basses and a drummer wearing sunnies at 9pm at night.
This is fair, seeing as blues and soul are not just genres, but also cultures of their own; multifaceted, and constantly evolving. It’s this evolution that has allowed Melbourne-based neo-soul powerhouse, Bernadette Novembre, to flourish since the relatively recent conception of her career.
Novembre, a native Melburnian of musical background, began her musical career at the tender age of six. During these early years, she toured Australia and Italy alongside Italian musicians, singing in English, Italian and French, and had her first taste of the road to come.
“I loved it for a time, it was a great experience,” she says, “however once it was enough, it was enough. My family were always so supportive, but mum was never one of those helicopter parents; as soon as I said I didn’t want to do it anymore, she was fine with that as well.”
From this brief stint with youth stardom, Novembre has had to work from the ground up while restating her place in the industry. In particular, she’s received momentous support from the team at FAD Gallery in the CBD.
“Johnny [Halleday] and Oriana [Wister-Zimmerman] have given me so much of their time and their love, I’m so grateful to them. With our residency there at the moment, the band and I currently play there on the last Thursday of every month – it’s a night called NEON SOUL, and it’s so much fun.”
Having returned to the stage after over two decades in retirement, Novembre is fronting the initial labour of love that comes with establishing yourself in the particularly intense Melbourne music scene.
“I grew up in this scene, and everyone is obviously so welcoming and there’s always a lot to do, but it’s definitely a hard one to crack,” Novembre admits. “Sometimes I end up paying the band out of my own pocket, but that’s just how it is at the start. I’m okay with that as long as I still get to play with them and we keep having as much fun as we have been.”
At the mention of her band, Novembre’s smile is audible. Truly her home away from home – she regards them as family – practice and performances are as familiar as a group that’s been together for decades, despite only having been playing for less than two years. A ten-piece group, Novembre coordinates and leads the band.
This coming April, Novembre is releasing two tunes and videos to match. Hosting a launch at Fitzroy’s staple live music venue, The Night Cat, Novembre and her team are planning to take over the space with audio-visuals, screenings, and two live sets.
With support from artist Jane Marie and go-go group The Super Vixens, as well as video-projections installed by Melbourne-based visual artist Rhys Newling, the night is set to be a huge event. Two video drops are happening throughout the night, with the videos being screened followed by a live performance of each song: ‘Delirium’ and ‘Forgotten Times’.
The video for ‘Delirium’ is reportedly a sombre take on the darker moments of her recent past – which was a big factor contributing to her unexpected return into the music scene.
“This one is understandably a bit more shadowy, and – I don’t want to say gloomy … but it’s tackling a time in my life where I wasn’t really doing a lot, I wasn’t going out and taking advantage of the great Melbourne music scene.” The whole event will be dedicated to raising funds for Beyond Blue, one of the premier Australian mental health charities that provides assistance to Aussies suffering from mental illness.
“The video reflects a certain time of my own life … so that gave way to the fundraiser. The video was filmed at the Old Melbourne Gaol, and they don’t let anyone film there, so I had to write this explanation of the video and the song itself and this sort of narrative that lies behind it. Essentially, I’m in there and then these oiled up male dancers are doing their thing behind me, and they represent those bad thoughts that tend to ferment and take over your mindset when you’re in those darker spots.”
Despite the intense imagery and themes, Novembre’s bubbly sense of humour shines through as she shrugs on the other end of the line.
“It may have also been an excuse to grease up some hunks, I don’t know, it’s hard to say,” she laughs. “‘Forgotten Times’ is very upbeat, very uplifting. It’s kind of the other side of ‘Delirium’, they complement each other. So don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom; the night will be loads of fun.”
Bernadette Novembre will be launching her music videos for singles, ‘Delirium’ and ‘Forgotten Times’ at The Night Cat on Saturday April 27. Head to venue website for more information and tickets. Find out more about her monthly FAD Gallery residency via her Facebook page.
