The Belgian-born, Melbourne-based singer-songwriter turns to a grittier direction on the existential Uh Oh, her first single in two years. But getting there wasn’t easy.
Romanie is calling me from her job’s storeroom: “Sorry, I picked up a shift,” she laughingly apologises. It’s a surefire way to break the ice, and it makes sense as she later states, “We do the things we do to make the creative work.”
Currently working five jobs to finance her music endeavours, she’s undoubtedly one of Melbourne’s hardest-working artists.
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Romanie’s music feels confessional. Her intimate and honest songwriting delicately explores anxiety, hope and friendship through dreamy guitar riffage. Her 2023 debut album Are We There Yet? made waves and readied her for further touring across the globe.
Uh Oh is a turning point. Grungy guitars swirl in the ears as Romanie sings the trepidatious chorus: “Uh oh, uh oh / Nothing goes to plan”. The chaos rises as her scream unsuspectingly enters the fore.
Romanie sounds bold and confident, almost as if responding to the global crises around us, but you’d be surprised to hear she felt otherwise.
“It was pretty scary releasing music again,” Romanie admits. “I’ve always been writing, but then I took a break from releasing after my debut album.”
The expectation to release a follow-up wore her down – a common artist’s dilemma. But her friend simply telling her to “get over it” was enough.
“Whatever you try to plan in life, things go differently anyway,” Romanie explains. “I’m trying not to have expectations with music… I’m just trying to take things day by day.”
What seemed to be so scary turned out to be “really good”, with an overwhelmingly openhearted welcome back from her fans.
“A few community radio presenters messaged me on my personal Instagram, and they were like, ‘It’s so nice to have you back,’” Romanie tells me. “I was like, ‘This feels like a warm hug.’ And I think that’s the point of making music: connection and making each other feel seen.”
She adds: “I’m trying to use my music as an outlet for both myself and trying to welcome people, by saying that it’s okay to care for each other and okay to express emotions.”
Romanie is still not without some apprehension – after all, putting yourself out there artistically is a courageous feat.
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“I’m like, ‘What’s the point of this if I feel anxious all the time?’ But then you get on the stage and people really listen, you can listen to them, and it’s the best thing in the world.”
Thoughtful storytelling is just one facet of her music. She’s also an incredibly visual artist. “When I write music, and even when I read books, I can see movie adaptations in my head, which is so fun.”
The car wreckage in the lo-fi Uh Oh music video is a contrast to Are We There Yet?’s video with its shiny car, reflecting Romanie’s desire to push genres and challenge her audience.
More music is on the way, too. Releasing later in August, Romanie excitedly describes her next single as “very slow-paced” and “really, really personal”.
“I dug a little bit deeper into my own thoughts, which feels nice. It feels a bit more mature.”
I circle back to Romanie’s initial breakthrough, her move from Belgium to Melbourne in October 2019, and ask if she expected all the opportunities that came to her.
“Not at all,” she says plainly. “I got stuck in lockdown. I didn’t know what to do, but then I connected with so many beautiful people online. I feel like the friendships that I’ve built during that time are now some of my best friends.”
She continues: “It’s a weird thing because I miss home so much and I have a beautiful friendship group back home, so it’s my goal to live in two places simultaneously.”
The advice she offers to artists making a similar move is some she wishes she knew: “Don’t always look on the other side. I got so homesick, but I just let it go, and I’m happy here for now. It doesn’t have to be forever… You can learn so much about yourself, but don’t be too scared.”
Romanie may be doing so much – she actually just took up DJing as well – but her passionate perseverance to push forward “in a world run by villains” is commendable.
What’s her next goal? “I am just learning to have more fun.”
Romanie is playing the Corner Hotel on 3 August.
