They had their livelihoods paused, their industry decimated, and their friends and family shut away…all before they or their friends and family contracted COVID-19 themselves. But when five Melbourne musicians combined to honestly reveal their COVID-19 stories, rather than fear and desperation, we were reminded of the love and community that Melbourne’s music scene is famous for.
THANDO – “Our relationship with each other has changed”
We start with Zimbabwean born, Melbourne singer-songwriter, Thando, as she poses and answers the question, ‘What has Covid taught you?’ via an Instagram reel. She tackles perhaps the hardest subject of all – how Covid has changed the way we view each other.
“The lessons that I’ve learned from this pandemic really have opened my eyes the last couple of years. Seeing people question that and make decisions regarding our health based on their emotional response,” she says.
“Our society is so empowered with such incredible access to information. We are really vulnerable to misinformation, and in some cases, disinformation. As things open back up again and we re-enter society, our relationship with each other has changed. What those relationships look like after two years of arguing on the internet. That’s really been interesting.”
The powerhouse responsible for pieces ‘Naked’ and ‘Numb’ spent much of the pandemic lockdown diving into her debut EP Life In Colour which dropped 10 March. A collaborative effort of Zimbabwean artists with different perspectives of the Black experience in Australia, Life In Colour started to drip feed in 2019 with lead single ‘Gag Order’, with Thando using the album to navigate her own acceptance of being a person of colour, whilst offering guidance to her son in his upcoming journey. Her view on Covid casts an eye towards society’s future in the same fashion, which given her personal connection, is packed with emotional resonance.
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ED MOON – “I had taken it for granted – health – until this pandemic as I think we all had”
Soul star, Ed Moon continues the #covidchats, focusing on the same shared experience many young people have had during the pandemic. Having released singles ‘Moon’ and ‘Pass The Blame’ during the thick of the 2020 lockdown period, Moon reveals that whilst music was on his mind, his primary lessons have been health related.
He comments, “In my case it has taught me the importance of health. How important and how in the top level of priority it is to keep my family and my friends safe. I had taken it for granted – health – until this pandemic as I think we all had.”
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FRANCOISTUNES – “We just have to adapt”
Francoistunes keeps it strictly positive, outlining the positive lifestyle changes that many of us have experienced during the pandemic, but have (for good reason) tended to be overwhelmed in a sea of negativity. He uses his caption to describe his message: “For me I learned change is the only constant in life, in the past 2 yrs we dun seen a lot of changes, I thought I’d share ya’ll a few perspectives,” as a preface, Naarm artist Francoistunes jumps onto the reel conversations to offer insight into his covid experience.
He says, “One thing Covid has taught me personally is to embrace change because change is the only constant in life and if you’re not changing, you’re not growing in my mind.”
He continues, “Everything is much more than the music. I do music but I like to read, I’ve started kickboxing to get my fitness up, like you know a 1, 2, 1, 2. It’s cool! Relationships over the past few years have changed. We started off person to person then moved to the internet and now we’re back to seeing each other. We just have to adapt to that because we are moving and changing.”
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YARA – “Covid has taught me…how to be alone”
For ‘Man Hater’ singer YARA, lockdown offered some more personal realisations. Joining the #livingwithcovid conversation, she says
“I think one thing Covid has taught me is how to be alone. It became very apparent during the lockdowns that I am in fact and truly an extrovert. Very interesting to learn how to be by myself. Learn how to care for me and perform real acts of self-love and self-care. Not just the shallow stuff – not just the facemasks and taking care of my physical health and most importantly, mental health.”
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PRICIE – “Sympathy for people I wouldn’t normally associate with”
Having just supported Kaiit for their Brunswick Music Festival showcase, PRICIE has built a name for her slick soulful sounds. The rapper, singer-songwriter and Producer hit us with the track, ‘Too Dang Good’ last year and has recently joined the mammoth Splendour in the Grass 2022 lineup.
While the global pandemic halted much of the music happenings, PRICIE was still plugging away and is now bouncing back with the lessons from lockdown now embedded in her daily routines. She describes how Covid has taught her greater sympathy for people different to herself, which at its heart, is one of the greatest lessons we’ll all eventually have to learn from the division Covid has created within our wider community.
“Covid has not only taught me to be more aware of other people’s personal space, as well as my own, but to cherish and honour other people. And to also have a lot of sympathy for people I wouldn’t normally associate with or have common ground with,” she says.
“Covid has taught me to be strong, positive and consistent in my mental health and mental wellbeing.”
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With those life lessons in mind, it’s time for you to join the conversation and share your experience. So, what has Covid taught you? #livingwithcovid
