There are so many pivotal moments in my life and music career where I have really followed my intuition. Way back I was living in Melbourne, I spent a year living there by myself, working part time and immersing myself in the music scene, playing and writing as much as I could. After a year I felt restless and a calling to be near the ocean again, so decided to head back north towords the Sunshine Coast and only made it as far as Byron Bay.
I love Byron Bay and I had a strong desire to stay. I had a real block to travelling any further up the coast – I didn’t want to leave… so I didn’t.
At the time I hardly had any money, however I found a room to rent in town in a great creative space, and I started looking for some waitressing work but I found it difficult to find anything.. At the same time deep down I knew I just wanted to play music. In the end I put it to the universe. I asked if this was really what I was meant to be doing then let’s start making it happen.
So I started busking. I was making $60, then $80 and before I knew it I was making $200 on regular basis and I was making enough to a pay my rent. Then through busking I also started teaching guitar to a couple of backpackers on a regular basis and between teaching and busking I was making my living. Often I would be busking on one side of the street and ‘Blue King Brown’ were also busking on the other side.. They were good times. I was surfing Wategos everyday, teaching and playing music every night, I was totally in my element! In end I made enough money to make my first self titled EP which I then used it as a demo to get my first gig at The Rails ( woohoo) and many more gigs after that. I sold 1,000 + copies of my Ep and things have kept flowing on from there…
I’ve since been gigging all around the country, played international tours, made film clips…I love my musical journey so far the places it has taken me, and the amazing people I have met along the way.
Music is my life!
If you feel a deep pull towards something that you love just follow it. Trust in the universe but also trust yourself – you never know what will come of it. Also support buskers!! If you love what they are playing support them… they are following their hearts just like I did.
Sue-Anne xo