Since this is your first time on Rave It Up, we’d love to get to know you a little bit better and start from the beginning to get a good idea of how you have made it to where you are today.
Where did you originally find your love for music? Was it in the family?
Ever since I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated by music. My most vivid childhood memories all stem from music-related scenarios. Growing up, my parents made me learn classical piano, which I hated but at the same time, I’m grateful for in retrospect. I ended up finishing AMEB 8th Grade in piano, however my heart has always been in contemporary music. When I was 13, I became obsessed with the guitar and pop/punk/rock music. I begged my parents to buy me a guitar and they eventually caved. That’s when I first started songwriting.
The moment that really lit my flame in terms of wanting to become an artist however was when my sister won two tickets to see Missy Higgins perform Live At The Wireless Triple J. I was only around 15 at the time and my sister let me go with her. It was my first ever proper gig. It absolutely blew me away. To see a homegrown artist making a career out of music and not some far-removed band from overseas, that’s when it really hit home. From that day on, I knew I wanted to be an artist.
Were there any other careers that you wanted to pursuit when you were younger or was it always music?
I’ve always wanted to pursue music. From an early age, it was instilled in me that pursuing a career in music was never considered a ‘real job’. After I finished school, I ended up going to University to do further study because that’s what I thought you were ‘meant to do’. I ended up studying a bachelor of Commerce and Science and entered full-time work in the field of science. Before I knew it, I was working a 9 to 5 job, and I was miserable. Shortly after my realisation that living my life that other people wanted me lead was making me unhappy, I decided to cut down my working hours and started pursuing music.
Throughout your time in the industry, have you had any issues with haters? If so, how do you deal with them? Does it ever get you down?
The music industry is a tough road to navigate. I’ve certainly had my fair share of bad luck. My advice would be to know your worth. Don’t let anyone push you around and if they do, just walk away. They’re not the ones you want to be working with anyway.
As an upcoming electronic artist, what have you found the hardest thing about the entertainment industry? And how do you cope?
The hardest things I’ve found are the lack of accountability and people not responding to emails. Also, the Australian music industry is very risk adverse. There’s a lot of ‘if you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’ which can be tough for upcoming artists that haven’t established a team yet. For industry to back an artist, the artist in essence has to already be a hit. Whilst this is great in many ways, it can also make it very lonely for artists before anything happens.
I cope by surrounding myself by honest people and running. This helps keep my mental health in check.
How did you come up with the stage name FLUIR?
‘FLUIR’ means to ‘ebb and flow’. I feel it represents the journey the listener takes while listening to my music.
Your new single Higher Ground is out now and it is an uplifting track that encourages everyone to break away from the dull routines that can sometimes take over our lives. I’m guessing this is a true story. When did you realise you were stuck in a routine and wanted to write a song about it?
Yes. As I mentioned early, from an early age it was instilled in me that pursuing a career in music was never considered a ‘real job’. Before I knew it, I was living the life that other people wanted me to live and not what was true to my heart. Higher Ground captures the emotions of breaking away to pursue my love for music.
You have said previously, “In the past I’ve spent unnecessary energy worrying about what to say and how to say it lyrically.” Was this from a fear of rejection and not pleasing people with your music? What changed mentally for you to start doing what you wanted?
A few years ago, I went through a period of writers block. It stemmed from me getting caught up in perfecting the lyrics. To help me get through that period of writing, I taught myself to not place so much emphasis on the content of the lyrics and just to focus on writing melodies and lyrics that fit the space well. From that, I feel like it influenced the way I write to this day.
Will there be releasing a music video for this track too?
Sadly no. I’d be up for someone wanting to do one for me!
You performed Higher Ground recently while supporting Nyxen on her Australian tour. How was your experience supporting Nyxen?
It was super cool. I’m a big fan of Nyxen and was planning on heading along to her Sydney show anyway. So to be asked to perform and support her on the tour was awesome.
On the side of being an amazing musician, you are also an environmental consultant. Please tell us more about that. That sounds so interesting.
In a nutshell, Environmental Consulting involves the assessment of land in regard to contamination and where necessary, assisting in the remediation of contamination! It keeps the other side of my brain working!
How do you find juggling this job with being a musician?
Ideally, I’d love to be working on music full time. However, my job allows me to independently fund my own project without compromising my rights. It also helps me pay my rent! All the hard work makes it worth it when you hear your song on the radio.
Even though you have already achieved so much, what else can we expect from you in the future?
I’m currently in the studio writing and recording my upcoming EP. Hoping to have it finished in time for release this year!
Any plans to tour the country and any plans to collab with other artists?
I’m always collaborating and writing with other artists. I love it! I recently played a couple shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane for my East Coast Tour a couple months back. For the remainder of the year, you’ll be able to find me playing a handful of shows around Sydney and hoping to get on the bill for some upcoming summer festivals.
What advice would you give to our readers if they would like to follow their dreams of becoming a singer?
Go for it! Don’t let fear get in the way of not giving it a go! It’s better to know you tried rather than thinking ‘what if’.
Now we do have a question that all of your male fans would like to know the answer to….Are you single?
I’m married to the music! Love yourself before you learn to love somebody else. Also, find someone who is just as passionate about your dreams as you are.
As a closing statement and what is probably the most important question: Knowing what you know now, what would you tell your 14-year-old self?
Find out what you love, and spend the rest of your life chasing it. Oh, and don’t forget to have fun!
And before we go, if the listeners would like to contact you or find out what you are up to, where should they go?
You can find links to all my music and socials at www.fluirmusic.com.
Thanks again for having a chat to us today FLUIR. Keep in touch!
– Interviewed by Lauren Yeates
