Interview: From Her Malaysian Bedroom to Australian Music Charts - estée
Hailing from Australia, estée has been singing and writing music for as long as she can remember. She was born in Borneo, Malaysia and moved to Australia with her family at 11. estée’s Filipino roots heavily influence her music style, which can be heard through her western-style songs as she enjoys blending with jazz and R&B. HALSUG had a chance to catch up with estée to discuss her growth in the music industry, music aspirations, and dream collaborations.
Photo courtesy of Estée
Q. You were born in Borneo, Malaysia into a Chinese-Filipino family and then moved to Adelaide, Australia. Can we find any inspiration from all these cultures in your writing or singing? If yes, could you talk about some of your tracks that were inspired by one of these cultures?
E: Totally! My mom’s side of the family is very musical, and it definitely stems from my lolo (grandpa) who raised all of them on music. At every family gathering, there was a lot of food and at least two guitars playing, and all six of my mom’s siblings sang together along with all my cousins. I’d say that this had a huge influence on my songwriting and singing style today. I love writing on my guitar and the sort of chords I’m naturally drawn to are very reminiscent of the chords used in Filipino music. In the same way, I’m also very naturally inclined to sing in that R&B style of filo music, also because my mom really loves jazz and that was what I was surrounded with growing up.
Q. Since you recently visited your hometown, are there any childhood memories from there that stand out to you the most? Anything special about your hometown that you would like to share?
E: I can think of so many! I grew up in the capital of Sabah, Borneo, a city called Kota Kinabalu. I spent about half my life there until I moved around the age of 11. It was super nostalgic going home for the first time since COVID restrictions have lifted. The last time we went back was in 2017 into the 2018 new year…it’s crazy how much has changed. One super sweet childhood memory of mine is how we had to wake up at around 5 AM to get to school at 7 AM. On the way, my dad would take me and my brothers to this place nearby that would get super crowded in the mornings - hence the waking up early - that was pretty much a cluster of coffee shops and fruit and vegetable stalls. Every morning we would get either steamed pork buns, a variety of kuih, which is basically cake made from pieces of taro, or this sweet sticky rice cake that was my favourite.
Q. You are known for giving “warmth and a bedroom pop” type of sound to R&B. What are other genres you wish to try and incorporate into your future songs?
E: Am I? Haha, that’s cool! I’m definitely trying to experiment more with my sound. There’s a long list of artists of different genres that I love, and I think they’re definitely starting to influence the way I write a lot more. I don’t know though, I’m pretty impulsive when writing but I guess we’ll see in the future!
Q. As a singer, songwriter, and content creator, do you think social media and keeping up with the trends has made it stressful and tiring for you? Or is it a great medium for promotion and speaking what is on your mind?
E: Personally, I have very mixed feelings about it all. I love making content and it’s super fun for me, but only when I feel like I have the time and mental capacity to do it. I feel pretty blessed just because I grew up loving to make videos, and I still have a passion for it now. I also love music so it goes hand-in-hand. However, it can become very stressful and tiring, especially since I’ve been in school pretty much my entire music career so far, so having many things to juggle can be a lot. But social media is also really great for promotion and for artists these days, especially independent artists like me! It’s helped me reach an audience outside of my physical space, and I have a lot of friends from overseas whom I really love.
Q. You have collaborated with amazing artists like: skim.prod, highvyn, and many more! Who is your current dream collaboration?
E: I have a few! Rocco is killing it right now, especially on TikTok – he would be someone I’d love to jump on a song with. Another one would probably be grentperez, with whom I was super honoured to have opened for earlier in September this year! I’d also love to collaborate with Jacob Collier one day, just so he can teach me everything he knows because I just want to know how his genius brain works.
Q. Considering that you are an independent artist, how different is it when you release a solo track versus when you collaborate with another artist?
E: It’s quite different. I love releasing my own songs, but I get a bit more nervous when it’s just me. I have so much fun collaborating with other artists. I find that I like what other people send me way more than what I come up with on my own haha! I’m definitely too hard on myself which is something I’m still working through, but I feel way more confident about a song when there’s someone else on it. I think I don’t micro-analyze it as much as I would with my own songs and there’s way more room for me to just enjoy it as it is.
Q. If you could spend a day with the artist that you currently want to collaborate with, what are some things you would want to do with them apart from singing?
E: Honestly, with guys like Rocco and Grent, it’d be so chill, probably eat good food and make TikToks or something hahaha. I don’t know them super personally but it kind of feels like we’re friends just because we know each other through the artist community of social media. With Jacob though I’d be so intimidated that I don’t even have the slightest idea of what I’d want to do with him. I’d probably annoy him by asking so many questions about everything he’d leave, never wanting to sing with me again lol.
Q. You have been verified on Spotify and received over 2 million views on your song, be my somebody new with skim.prod. Congratulations on such a big milestone! What are your next short-term and long-term goals for yourself?
E: Thank you, it’s super crazy! I still can’t really believe it’s my voice people are listening to. I’d say my next short-term goal would be to just release some of the songs I’ve been sitting on for the past year. I get really nervous about that because I put too much pressure on the outcome, but I’m just trying to make the best songs I can make today. A long-term goal would definitely be to release an album of sorts with a super cool concept and everything, the works you know? I’d also love to open for a big artist or go on my first national/international tour one day. We’ll see how it goes!
Q. You have also been stepping into live music such as opening for Adelaide bands and performing on WOMADelaide 2022. Can we expect a solo concert from you? And what is one country that you would want to perform in?
E: I’ve been very blessed to have had so many opportunities to play live this year. I’ve grown up performing, so I’m used to being on stage; but, I didn’t have any experience with singing my own songs until this year, and I’ve learned so much. I don’t think there will be a solo concert anytime soon but definitely eventually! There are some things I gotta focus on before making that a reality. But one country I would love to perform in would be the US! I’ve never been there but I think the US is where most of my listeners are coming from, and I’m connected with quite a few of them online, so I just think that would be super fun.
Q. What was your initial reaction when you were nominated for SAM Awards, and how excited are you for the award show?
E: I was surprised, I didn’t realize I was nominated! I’m still deciding on whether I should show up or not, only because it’s happening on the day of my birthday. But I’ve never been to an awards show before so I think I’ll probably go just for funsies. And it could be super fun just to go with my fiancé and dress up and take pictures on my birthday!
Photo courtesy of Estée
Q. You do so many things like creating content on multiple social media platforms, studying, creating music, and performing at live events. How do you balance your professional life and personal life while also making time to have fun with your friends?
E: I don’t really know if I do, haha! I think right now the only thing keeping me sane is doing what I feel like doing in the moment. I think it’s also the case of me not putting so much pressure on myself to get the best grades at university. I used to be really bad with giving myself time to do anything fun, but I’ve found that I still get good grades regardless of stressing myself out about it or not, so I’ve been choosing not to and I’m still doing alright. It’s also really just about being aware of my needs every day, to make sure there’s balance in everything I do.
Q. Lastly, what are the top 5 songs that you would want to recommend to HALSUG’s readers?
E: ‘Halfway There’ by Jolianne
‘Backburner’ by NIKI
‘Frank for You’ by Maeta
‘hey’ by boylife
‘Antidote’ by Nao ft. Adekunle Gold
estée is undoubtedly a rising music star. With her unique bedroom pop songs and innocent, angelic voice, she has strong potential in becoming a global artist. To stay up-to-date with her musical journey, follow her on social media.