We first came across Australian singer-songwriter Noralyn all the way back in April with her cinematic folk-pop single ‘Summerland’. Now, this talented Meanjin/Brisbane artist is back with her new ten-track album, Wake The Dawn, which brings together her dreamy sonic textures of indie-folk, classical and art-pop. This record represents a deeply personal journey for Noralyn, who took her time to write and record these songs over five years as she struggled through, and eventually overcame, creator’s block. The result is an album not weighed down by hardship, but rather it’s defined by this artist’s resilient nature and search for hope. From the gentle optimism of opening track ‘Summerland’ to the shadowy introspection of ‘Sad Stories’ and ‘Holy War’ to the sanguine songs ‘Wanderlust’ and ‘Light’; this is an album that uncovers beauty of the complex, human experience. While these songs are pop at the core, this artist pushes the boundaries of the genre with her poetic lyrics, moving voice and considered production. For On The Record, we caught up with Noralyn about working through those creative gaps, listening to your intuition and how fulfilling it was to record her own songs at home.
Welcome to Unrecorded! For those who aren’t already familiar with Noralyn, can you introduce yourself?
Thank you for having me! I’m Noralyn. I’m an alternative-pop singer-songwriter and bedroom producer from Brisbane, Australia.
Congratulations on the release of your album! How would you describe Wake The Dawn in three words?
Thank you! I’d describe Wake the Dawn as cinematic, cathartic and hopeful.
This record has been a labour of love over the past five years, so how do you think you’ve changed as a person and as an artist since you first started writing these songs?
I wrote and produced the songs on this album during a season with personal struggles that caused large gaps in my creativity at the same time as inspiring much of the music. I hope I’ve grown in resilience over this time. As an artist, in this project I really let myself create the music I wanted/needed to hear, by giving myself more freedom from conventions and just being willing to follow my creative impulse and instinct.
Opening song ‘Summerland’ was previously featured on Unrecorded as “return to child-like wonder.” Would you say this track functions differently within the full record as it does as a standalone single?
Yes – I think there is always something special in listening to albums as a journey, as the songs reflect into each other. The songs on Wake the Dawn each have a push and pull between struggle and hope, and as the opening track, the gentle optimism of Summerland presents an image of the light that is being sought throughout the album.
There’s a palpable tension between darkness and light throughout Wake The Dawn, with tracks ‘Sad Stories’ and ‘Holy War’ ending up on the shadowy side. Were you in a different emotional or creative headspace for those?
Songwriting for me is much like journalling, so I guess the emotional tension on the album is some kind of mirror of my own. With songs like Sad Stories and Holy War, I think I was looking not only inside myself but also out at the world and the darkness and brokenness that is evident, and yearning to see more joy and peace, and to be someone who contributes to that in some small way.
Elsewhere, you lean into a more hopeful tone for ‘Wanderlust’ and ‘Light’, so what are some challenges that arise when writing lighter material?
I don’t know that I would say I encounter challenges specific to writing material with a stronger hopeful pull, as I don’t necessarily set out to write a song with a particular mood – it’s usually unplanned and happens organically. I guess the subconscious challenge – or at least intention – when I’m writing is for hope and light to come through my music without compromising on sincerity, and vice versa.
How do you think writing, recording and producing these songs by yourself at home shaped the record overall?
It was really fulfilling creating this record myself at home and the songs were very much shaped by both the exploration and spontaneity it allowed. While there were of course challenges and limitations to that, there was also so much creative freedom and flexibility, which allowed me to experiment with details and take each song in the musical direction I wanted.
Looking back, what’s the biggest lesson you learnt, whether personal or creative, that you’d like to share with aspiring songwriters?
I think one of the lessons I learned during this album, is to listen to your intuition when something doesn’t feel right creatively. After completing my first production draft of the album, I re-wrote the bridges of two songs, cut back a fully produced song to 1min of A Capella and dropped another song from the record entirely. These were moments that didn’t quite ‘sit right’ with me, but I had ignored them till I got some feedback from my sister who felt similarly – and the resulting changes really felt good. So, on top of that, when you’re creating alone, I think having someone you trust to give feedback is also super important.
What else do you hope listeners will take away from Wake The Dawn?
I hope listeners find beauty in the musical and emotional journey of the album, that it empathises with and encourages them in some way and leaves a sense of hope.
Following the release of this album, what’s next on the horizon for you?
I haven’t particularly made set plans past this album yet, but I do hope to continue creating music to share. I have a collection of piano compositions which I might record, as well as some songs written over the last couple years which may also eventuate into something – we shall see!
You can also listen to ‘Wanderlust’ in our Shades of Pop playlist.
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