Walls won’t stop Gretta Ziller
Photo Credit Noah Sole
Golden Guitar-nominated, powerhouse singer-songwriter Gretta Ziller is celebrating the release of her third album, All These Walls, alongside new single, the album title track ‘All These Walls’ today, and she couldn’t be happier to finally have this body of work out for fans to enjoy. With today also marking the beginning of an extensive regional VIC and NSW tour, Gretta is definitely one busy lady but the Melbourne artist took time out to answer some questions for us about the new album ‘All These Walls’, the tour and what fans can look forward to with 2024 just around the corner.
Congratulations on the release of your new song 'St Louis', Where did the inspiration for writing this one come from?
Oh, thank you!! I'm thrilled that folks are enjoying "St. Louis”!
The inspiration for this song comes from a deep sense of gratitude towards the songs and the performers who influenced the music of my childhood. It included artists like Aretha Franklin, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, & Billie Holiday, but specifically, the song was inspired by the first piece I ever performed for an audience, "St. Louis Blues" by W.C. Handy.
Gretta, your are no stranger to a single release, compared to your other drops how is 'St Louis' being received?
Ha! I’m not one to release the same-sounding song twice, so every release is really different for me!
This time around, it's been an absolute blast because each single has felt like a whole new adventure. And the response to St. Louis has been so heartwarming! Radio has really gotten behind the song which has been so wonderful!
'St Louis' is described as a mix of rock, pop, Americana & blues, are the labels you would put on the track?
Yeah I, think so, that with a dash of soul!
The new song has an array of guest musicians contributing with a variety of instruments including pedal steel guitars, saxophones and a trumpet. Were all these layers part of your original vision of the song or did you just keep adding until you felt it was complete?
My producer, Paul Ruske, and I go into the recording process really prepared so generally there isn’t too much on the fly adding in the studio. However, I do remember that when we had the horn section to record St. Louis, one of us had the idea to throw them my first single from the album ‘Ain’t Even Your Lover’ to see what they’d come up with!!! I’m so so glad we had that idea!!
“I don’t often get to play with my band outside of festivals so with the release of each album I make sure we put on one hell of a show for my Melbourne friends and fans!”
'St Louis' is the first release from your forthcoming third album, 'All These Walls', which is out on the 25th of August. Do you have anything special planned to mark the occasion?
I do!! I’m doing 1 full band show in Melbourne!! I don’t often get to play with my band outside of festivals so with the release of each album I make sure we put on one hell of a show for my Melbourne friends and fans!
What can fans expect from this new body of work? Does it fit into a genre box or is it more of a variety of styles?
I’m one of those artists that doesn’t fit nicely in any box!! If you compare my music to my influences it makes total sense, as I said before I grew up listening to Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf, Pavarotti, top 40, 70’s & 80’s pop, and now I’m on a steady diet of artists like Foy Vance, Rag n Bone Man, HAIM, Lucinda Williams, Tom Petty … the list goes on.
So I think if you listen to my body of work knowing that, those labels make total sense but there isn’t one genre for that really. It’s Americana but my version of that doesn’t really exist in Australia ….yet!
Do you have a favourite Song of the new album or one that is particularly special to you?
Oh, my favorite song on this album is actually the last track ‘Who Knows’. I’m not sure where this one came from but it’s about the trust you put in your partner and they in you. You could be the best or the worst people for each other but you don’t ever really find the answer to that without spending the time to find that out.
“I wanted to share the stories and showcase the songs in an intimate setting with my fans before the album came out”
You have an East Coast tour kicking off in August, will you be showcasing the new album or will it be a mixture of old and new material?
I’ve mainly played new material!! I wanted to share the stories and showcase the songs in an intimate setting with my fans before the album came out. There are, of course, some oldies in there, the ones that a set would feel weird if I left them out!!
When going on tour what are the 3 things you pack? What can you not live without on the road?
I mainly drive by myself on my tours so I make sure I always have a backlog of audio books to listen to when I’m driving. I’m a total sucker for trashy fantasy novels … give me a vampire drama or an alternate-universe saga and I can drive all day!!
I triple-check that I’ve packed socks … I always forget socks!!
I also always take a Polaroid camera. It's so easy to take many meaningless photos on your phone, I want to be able to capture memories in a way that is thoughtful and purposeful.
You come from a farming family but you started playing the violin at 2 years old, so how did you get your start in music and why the violin?
So my grandmother was a violin player in her youth, and before she moved back to Germany she encouraged my mum to start me with lessons. I kept learning after she left and now I play her violin.
What’s been the highlight in your career so far personally? And why?
That’s always a tough question but if I have to choose one, I'd go with being a finalist in the Telstra Road To Discovery competition only because it marked a turning point for me. During that competition, I had the opportunity to perform a brand new song, 'Hell's Half Acre.'
This was a time when I had been grappling with finding my own sound and style. Surprisingly, that song emerged effortlessly and it felt like everything fell into place. The icing on the cake was the overwhelmingly positive response it received – it was one of those “ahh I’m doing something right” moments!
Who in your crew or team deserves a shout out but never gets one? And what is it they do that keeps your world turning?
Haha! This is a no-win question .. whoever I pick I’m going to miss out on someone!
So apologies to everyone else but I’m going to pick “Shelton”. He’s been my artwork guy literally since day 1, he’s done all my posters, artwork, merch and album artwork designs and all the other weird things I ask for!
He’s a bit of an enigma, hates social media, and it’s hard to find him unless you know someone who knows him … I’m pretty sure that's the way he likes it!!
What does the future hold for Gretta Ziller? What's in the works as we rapidly approach 2024?
I have a few plans in motion for next year. I want to collaborate with more artists, help build community and tour more in 2024…. So stay tuned ;)
All These Walls is out today via ABC Music.
Listen/buy All These Walls
GRETTA ZILLER – UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
Tickets available from www.grettaziller.com
FRI 25 AUG | THE NOOJEE HOTEL, NOOJEE VIC
SAT 26 AUG | GEORGE LANE, ST KILDA VIC
SUN 27 AUG | BAYVIEW COUNTRY ARTS CLUB, BITTERN VIC
TUES 19 SEPT – SAT 23 SEPT | AMERICANA FEST, NASHVILLE TN
FRI 29 SEPT | DENI UTE MUSTER, DENELIQUIN NSW
THU 16 NOV | QIRKS, KURRI KURRI NSW
FRI 17 NOV | WINGHAM HOUSE, WINGHAM NSW
SUN 19 NOV | CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET, BRISBANE QLD
FRI 1 DEC | THE PALAIS, HEPBURN SPRINGS VIC
