Catching Up with Felicity and the Night
Felicity Jayn Heath, known for her prowess as a director, executive producer, and curator, emerges as the musical force Felicity and the Night with her single 'Wanted to Die.' This hauntingly beautiful track, produced by Fil Thorpe (Neck Deep, World's First Cinema), marks Felicity's foray into a unique genre she calls 'Dark Australiana.'
Despite her recognition in various artistic roles, Felicity Heath's roots in music stretch back to her childhood. After years of crafting art for other musicians, Felicity delved into the heart of her artistic, musical self. Venturing into the Australian outback, she uncovered inspiration that had long laid dormant, igniting a creative flame within her.
The resulting musical tapestry is a testament to the captivating allure of the vast and mysterious landscapes that shape Australia. In 'Wanted to Die,' Felicity and the Night weaves a murder ballad that takes listeners on a night drive down a desolate road under a full moon. It's a tale of murder, secrets, and surrender, painted against the backdrop of the Mungo’s barren yet mystical expanse.
Felicity and the Night's sound is a sublime fusion of Lana Del Rey's ethereal grace and Tom Waits' gritty soul, embodying the spirit of an Australian lovechild born of diverse influences. With every note, Felicity draws listeners into a world where romance and emotion intertwine, guided by the ghostly echoes of untold stories that linger in the shadows.
"I'm so inspired by bush ballads and murder ballads," Felicity shares. "I love the darkness of the red desert and the eerie feeling that anything, anytime, could happen out there. 'Wanted to Die' tells a story of a desolate meeting that ends with an open grave. I wrote it with my friend and fellow recording artist, Devora, and it was produced by the amazing Fil Thorpe in Los Angeles. “ I'm so proud of it; I hope you like it."
We caught up with Felicity and the Night for a quick chat!
Can you share the journey of transitioning from your roles as a director, executive producer and curator to becoming the musical force behind Felicity and the Night with the single ‘Wanted to Die’?
I’ve been a creative my whole life, and a huge part of that was a passion for music. I hadn’t made music for YEARS and had been creating visuals but during covid, I ventured back home to Australia and spent some time in the outback. My mind felt clear, inspired and it invigorated me with the power of our own history, lore, legends and mysteries.
‘Wanted to Die’ is described as a dark Australiana track. How did your exploration of the Australian outback inspire this unique genre, and what elements contribute to its haunting beauty?
I thought a lot about how Australian music feels pressured to mimic American and British music and themes. My EP, releasing this year, is called Australian Gothic, and a huge part of the Australian Gothic is this feeling of artistic isolation. We don’t need to mimic international themes and sounds to be creative. I thought a lot about authentic Australian stories, and I wanted to make them. I created the Dark Australiana genre as I don’t think my music fits into anything else.
Growing up with roots in music, what prompted you to delve into your artistic, musical self after years of creating art with other musicians?
Just the feeling of inspiration, and honestly, living in LA for years. If I’m in the USA creating American culture, who’s in Australia creating Australian culture? Then coming home, I was engulfed in our culture, our lore, our small outback towns and just thought, “Wow, we have so many stories to tell. I want to tell them.” I hadn’t sang or played guitar in years, and as soon as I returned to LA, I went back to vocal and guitar lessons with Kelly Kathleen in her Hollywood bungalow. It felt like coming home.
The musical tapestry of ‘Wanted to Die’ reflects the mysterious landscapes that shape Australia. Can you elaborate on how these landscapes influenced the creation of this murder ballad and the overall storytelling in the song?
When I’m in the outback, the changing colours of the sky; from bright blue, through a pastel sunset and into an ominous and pitch black night are inspiring and moody. The shadows of mountains against an infinite starry sky, anything could be lurking in the dark. Anything is possible out there. There’s no one else for kilometres. You’re all alone.
‘Wanted to Die’ takes listeners on a night drive down a desolate road under a full moon. Can you share more about the narrative and themes within the song, particularly the elements of murder, secrets and surrender?
The sound of the music builds from a moody guitar humming as though the listener is driving through an outback road, and as we meet this mysterious man who lies and flirts; the moon rises and the drama of the music kicks in. The storyteller is mostly stoic, she’s talking about how he acted, things he said and she overall… feels no regret. “He told me he wanted to die”, she shrugs. Bush ballads are an inspiring trope, I wanted to modernise them and add in that mysterious detail. The Drifter is ultimately surrendering to his fate; he decided to hitch hike, tell a random woman he wanted to die, lie to her about how alone he was, and follow her into an outback graveyard. We surrender to the stories we tell ourselves.
The songwriting process for ‘Wanted to Die’ involved collaboration with Devora and Fil Thorpe. How did these collaborations shape the song, and what was the creative dynamic like during the production in LA?
Devora and I wrote the song, and Fil produced it. They’re both geniuses. Devora and I have collaborated on many pieces of art - I’ve directed 3 of her music videos for 2 bands. I’m blessed to call her a friend. The song just fell out of us in my LA apartment. My black cat perched between us, we started singing and playing.
With Fil (Neck Deep, World’s First Cinema), he’s obviously amazing - I sent him a demo of me singing and playing guitar and tell him a bunch of obscure references for how I want the final sound to feel and sound. “I want the guitars to sound like dancing skeletons in the middle of the outback”, is actually what I told him. “I want the drama to continually grow”. I record the vocals in his Silver Lake studio, and I try to cuddle his cat, Egg.
The influence of bush ballads and murder ballads is evident in your work. What draws you to these dark and evocative themes, and how do they contribute to the atmosphere you aim to create in your music?
I’m just a spooky girl! And you know, Australia is SPOOKY. It’s not just 60,000 years of monsters, legends and lore. It’s even the shadow of a gum tree against a starry sky. It’s just in us and all around us. The quiet of a small town main street at 9pm. The weathered menu on the outside of a chip shop. The beer stained carpet in a bowling club. The sign that says “no fuel for 100kms”. The ghost stories of our hometowns. It’s among us, it’s a part of us. I just wanted to put it into song.
Looking ahead, what themes and influences can we expect in your future musical endeavors, and how do you see Felicity and the Night evolving creatively?
My EP coming out this year, Australian Gothic, explores more than just the romance of murdering a drifter or dying in The Never Never. It explores the heartbreak of a bushfire approaching. My music will continue to grow and explore justice, servitude, lost love, missing decapitated heads stolen by other countries, violence, monsters, war, cryptoids and more. As we delve deeper and deeper, my music will continue to expand.
Follow Felicity and the Night on social media for updates, behind the scenes content, and more!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/felicityjayn