June 3, 2025 • 32 mins
In this episode of The Jermaine Plane, Jermaine sits down with rising star Venice Qin, a multi-talented singer, songwriter and performer whose journey blends classical music, pop ambition and fearless self-expression. Born in Auckland to Chinese parents, Venice opens up about growing up between cultures and how that experience shaped her identity, her artistry and her bold sense of style. From childhood singing competitions to mastering the bassoon and discovering her voice through High School Musical, her path is anything but ordinary.
Now based in Sydney and signed to Sony, Venice shares the story behind her latest single New Woman, a powerful anthem of reflection and reinvention. She speaks about the mentors who saw her potential before she could, the resilience built through rejection and redirection, and the importance of creating a space where others who feel out of place can belong. Her energy, honesty and vision make this one of the most inspiring episodes yet.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Flying back in time.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
This is the Domain Plane.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Ah. Yes, hello, it's Jamaine here and welcome it to
another episode of the Jermaine Plane Podcast. I've got to
say thank you so much to everyone who's listened to
the past few episodes. This is such a new environment
for me, going from radio to podcasting, and I've got
to say the feedback has been so wonderful, and please
feel free to give me all the feedback you can.
(00:24):
I want to be absolutely the best I can at
the Germain Plane on Instagram and on TikTok. This one
is a little different. Most of my guests are legacy artists.
They've made the biggest and best throwbacks of the past
few decades. But I wanted to try something different this time.
And when I met Venice Quinn and your an upcoming artist,
(00:45):
I saw so much of myself in her. I met
her when I was hosting the Red Carpet for MG
the Musical here in Sydney, and I got to listen
to her music, I got to watch your interviews and
I just became obsessed. It all felt quite familiar. We
spoke about her childhood, where she was once a shi
kid who barely spoke and somehow grew into this bold,
fearless performer. And when I tell you, Venice has done
(01:07):
it all. She's done classical music, musical theater, songwriting, bassoon,
and now she's releasing the most multi genred pop bangers
with hearts. You're gonna love her her new single, New Woman.
It's an anthem for anyone who's had to rebuild, reframe,
and rediscover who they are. Venice is about building a
community around self expression, fluidity and belonging. And this chat,
(01:32):
this chat for me, is grounding. It's inspiring, and it's joyful.
And if you've ever felt in between, like you don't
quite fit anywhere, I feel like this chat is for you.
This is my chat with pop artist Venice Quinn Enjoy. Look,
this is actually quite a unique interview for me because
the Jermaine playing the show, I'm Jenuine. I'm usually talking
(01:55):
to legacy artists. Right, It's a three back radio show,
a throwback podcast. But I have to say that when
I heard about you, and I listened to your music
and I watched your interviews and got to know more
about you, I saw a lot of myself in you.
So and I think listening to your music and really
(02:18):
getting to know you outside of this show. I really
want to unpack and uncover why I see myself in you.
If you're prepared to go on that route with me,
I would love to ask you some questions about your
upbringing and your childhood and everything like that to really
discover who you are. Are you okay with that? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Of course, that's so sweet. That's the nicest thing I've
heard all mob.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Oh really okay. Good.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Think it's such a.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Confident to think that you see parts of your solving
me and that I can find these parts of myself
in you.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
I do, I do.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
So.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
I would love to know, firstly, how did Venice Quinn
discover music.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
I just always really loved music. My mom used to
play CDs in the car, and even before I was
really consciously listening, I would sing along. Apparently before I spoke,
I would just yell on my crib and that's how
she knew I was.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Awake, agay right.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
And then I think it was high school musical that
made me realize that, oh, I want to do this,
and she really enjoy singing. And this was before I
knew I was any good at it, Like genuinely, I
think one of my favorite parts about seeing what I
do now is that it came from something innate, Like
I didn't. I loved it before I knew I was
(03:29):
okay at it. And I think that's something you know
a lot of people, you know, they love their career
and they love their passion because they like, oh, because
people think I'm great at it, and so it makes
my ego feel good, whereas I feel like I just
genuinely love love love it, Like even if I was awful,
I might not sing as much in front of everyone,
but I would still be the biggest music fan.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
And what was that moment in high school musical that
made you go, I want to do this?
Speaker 2 (03:52):
I mean you've seen high school music?
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Got right?
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yes? I actually, I actually we had high school musical
in like at school. We had the production of High
Stol Musical and I was about fifteen. Unfortunately I got
the role that wasn't written for the movie, It was
written for the musical. His name was Jack Scott. And
get this, he was a radio announcer. This is already
something in common that we have, is that I had
no aspiration for radio or for being behind a mic.
(04:17):
And when high school musical, the school production happened. They
cast in me as the radio announcer.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
That isn't that wild, that's a manifestation, that is medical station.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
We were meant to meet Vennis. It is meant to happen.
Sorry to talking about myself. So high school musical. What
was the moment when you went, you know what, this
is what I want to do.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I grew up wanting to be Gabriella. I think I
spent my dad up until the moment when I was met,
maybe till about ten years old. My dad would say, yeah,
Venus is going to go to Stanford and she's gonna
study maths.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Okay, yeah that happened.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Did not happen.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
But I actually I loved it so much and I
would sing all the songs. Obviously I turned into a
Sharpei Gabrielle.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Absolutely, I can see that with your fabulous.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
I sang Gabriella's song when there was Me and you
for my primary school idol competition. It was the first
and only time my school ever did that at the time.
I was about six seven years old up until that point,
and nobody believes this now, but I.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Was so shy. Really, I would not talk.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
And I would get bullied a lot because I didn't talk,
and so when you don't talk, you're extremely vulnerable. And
I guess I have like the opposite of like RBF,
and I have like the.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Okay, okay right, but I have resting.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Sad face think that makes you really easily targeted. And anyway,
I sang the song. I nearly didn't do it. I
nearly just sang sing with my friends there, but my
mom forced me to do it, and she was like,
you love me later for this, even though I cried,
was like, no, I don't want to do this. But
I ended up winning the whole thing and beating all
the older kids just by singing my little high school
(06:02):
musical song and my two front teeth had just come out.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
That's really cute.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
I work a little hit band with my hair and pigtails.
And it was after that when I won that I
all of a sudden got so much respect from people,
which I feel is kind of controversial because feel like
people should be nice to you no matter what. But
it really put me in a better place in my
life and gave me confidence more than anything, and I
(06:28):
think it's really that adding on top of how much
I love music, I think it was the feeling of, oh,
this makes me feel like I am someone and I
can be whoever I want to be and put me
in more in control of my own life.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Wow. What a powerful moment, your first interaction with performing
and music, and there was so much self affirmation in
that one moment at a young age.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Yeah. Crazy.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
What was the next step.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
I think I'd.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Already been doing singing lessons casually and I'd started piano,
and then I think I got a new scene teacher because.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
We were like turned the level up.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
I started going to do singing competitions in my local area,
and oh man, I was a competition's kid for at
least i'd say five to seven years of my life.
I did singing competitions, speech and drama competitions. I do
because I'm from Auckland in New Zealand. We did I
think my first competition I had it was West Auckland
Performing Arts competition and I went in for two classes.
(07:31):
I sang good Morning Baltimore from Hairspray, Oh Fabulous, and
wouldn't it be Lovely? From My Fair Lady? And my
mom and I were like, oh, yeah, we'll go, You'll
sing and then we just come come home straight straight
after because we didn't know that you had to stay
for awards, but my friends did. And we got a
text when I got home that I had won both categories.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Oh my gosh, that is so fabulous. So did someone
pick it like I pick up the award on behalf
of you? You know, like you know when those artists
don't pick it up at the crass or whatever? Was
it that kind of treatment?
Speaker 2 (08:04):
I think?
Speaker 3 (08:04):
So, I mean, they've got my prize money in my
trophy for me, So I love that. And yeah, and
then from there, I think that you're smart reaffirming that, like, oh, yeah,
you know you there's a space for me to do this,
and I really enjoy it. And honestly, being in competitions
really toughened me up and really taught me a lot
about just how to be a good human and how
(08:25):
to just you know, go on the women do it.
Sometimes I'd gone sage and I'd be sick all the time,
and I'd yeah, you'd make friends, but then have them
all be a bit shady around you, if you know,
say they had one and you hand or vice versa,
and you'd learn how to handle that but I loved competitions.
And I mean, I'm not a very competitive person, which
(08:47):
is the craziest part, but I loved what that air
of my life gave me.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
M It's almost like in your childhood you said that
you were kind of made fun of a bullied because
you were so silent, and then now all of a sudden,
you become this performer and these competitions are giving you
I'm not saying validation, but it gives you a reason
to want to perform more and more. Right, would you
say that the competitions you said, it's toughens you up?
Tell me how?
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Of course I think I'm good because I believe in
myself and I know what I can do or what
I can improve on and things like that. But you
know that just because you might think you might have
performed the best that day out of everyone, doesn't.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Mean that you'll win.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
And you also learn things like, oh, you know how
to prepare you know all these songs like I'd go
in and I'd have like, you know, six songs prepared.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
To do boom boom, boom boom.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
You learn how to interact with the accompanist because you'd
have the piano companists that you'd work with nearly a
different one every competition, and how to engage with them
and sometimes they'd give you feedback and how to take
those feedbacks and things like that, and Yeah, I just
really loved it. And I think it's Yeah, I think
it's just that confidence it gives you.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Was the interest of being, i'd say, a pop star.
I don't know exactly had you to identify as yourself
now when it comes to the music you because it's
so multi genred. But where was that moment that you went,
hang on, I actually want to do this. I want
to make pop music. I want to be a I
want to be a star.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
My story is honestly so whack, because I's never whack.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Definitely, you have such an interesting personality the way you
present yourself.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
I think if you just look back, I mean, my
story is so far. I think it just shows that I,
up until about three years ago, was so indecisive. Yeah,
because I always knew I want to do music, but
up until twenty twenty, I didn't know what I wanted
that to be in the musical theater space, in classical,
in jazz, or in pop.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Okay, right, interesting.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Because I picked up bassoon in high school.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Oh my god, I only get more bizarre just listening
to your music and looking at you now, and then
you played the bassoon. Yeah wow, Okay.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
I picked up soon because I got a scholarship for
the high school I went to in Auckland, and when
I got there, because I think they saw one of
the scene teachers at the school told me years ago,
and this was really cool. He said that when I
went in for the scholarship audition, he thought, you know,
most kids who get the scholarship are you know, like
a virtuo so at piano, like you know, stereotypical Chinese person, right,
(11:15):
or they're like incredible at one instrument, and you know,
but they said that they saw in me because I
think I did guitar and singing and I'm not that
great of a guitarist, but they said that they saw
me that I would work really really hard and they
had a feeling that give her a couple of years
and she's going to be, you know, at top level
game for a high school student.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
And it was cool.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
When I got my lady years he was like, I'm
glad that that's happened, which was a really special feeling
and I'm very grateful to him for saying that. Anyway,
I got the scholarship and they were like, oh, you know,
piano's not a great instrument to play all these ensembles
in because everyone can play piano and there's only one piano,
and piano's on.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Every orchestral piece.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
So they were like, oh, our bassoonist is in the
fire you high school, she's about to leave. Can you
pick up pursuits that we still have a pssume player
coming up? And literally I had played it for maybe
two weeks and I was already put into I think
the orchestra terrifying.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
I could play one no.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Wow. And so you're saying that during COVID, that's when
you kind of had these kind of this fork in
the road where you're going, do I choose pop music?
Do I choose classical? What do I where do I go?
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Well? Actually, again so bizarre.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
I was so into musical theater and acting that my
family and I traveled to England for a month and
a half in December, like just before COVID, and I
auditioned for about eight to ten musical theater and acting
and I think I did one or two songwriting programs
as well, because I was like, oh yeah, kind of
into this because I had written a song back in
(12:50):
high school for devised production. I went away to Europe
during the rehearsal period, which is so bad to me,
but when I came back, everyone was singing my song.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
And I was like, oh wow, people like my song.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
And by that point i'd released my song found Myself
on Spotify and that was doing pretty well, considering I
did nothing to promote it, and so that gave me
a bit of you know, like, oh, feeling good about
this area. But I was still really into musical ditter
and classical soudition. For all these universities, very elite programs.
I got into a couple of them, but when I
(13:22):
was there, I was like, I don't actually want to.
I don't think I'm made to do a show eight
times a week like I can. I really respect and
I love people who can, like I love MJ the Musical,
I love Stan all that work, but I just don't
think it's for me.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Yeah, that's you stepping into your power, that's you stepping
into deciding what's your what your journey is. And I'm
I got to say I think that You've made the
right decision. Now let's talk about the music that you make. Now,
I've done quite a bit of research on you. I
want to talk about your song Alien. The one thing
(13:56):
that I can really relate to you on is this
idea of micro belonging that you were talking about, especially
growing up as Chinese. Right, You've seen your Chinese right,
And for me, I grew up as Burmese and Mauritian,
and I think I think we're part of a generation
where we are kind of in between cultural acceptance cultural pride,
(14:20):
where we have to become I'm trying to think of
the right way to say this because you were saying
how when you're in rooms it was kind of like
the elephant in the room. Is that you were the
Asian person in the room. Yeah, and then when you
would go to China, you would kind of be looked
kind of looked down upon because you couldn't speak Chinese properly,
the or the or it wasn't as fluent. Yeah, tell
me more about that, because that's I think that's where
(14:41):
I can relate to you a lot.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Is you know you were doing all these things, you
would competitions, playing the pursuing all of these things. And
this was in New Zealand, right, So tell me more
about that.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Well, firstly, I love hearingbout your heritage. That sounds so cool.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
It's such a mixed it's such a mixed eraor dig
it's giving.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
You some wonderful gens. I mean, just look at you.
Anyone who's listening to this, you need to check.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Out the visual so you can admire how or just
the specimen the I'm like looking at. I think it
took me a long time to realize what was going
on because I think, you know, as you grow up,
you're not noticing all these social you know, games and
(15:24):
effects that are actually being trickled down.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
To you through the system.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
And New Zealand is a wonderful multicultural place. I mean
so as Australia. But I think that you know, as
I said, we're part of a generation where, for example,
my parents immigrated to New Zealand and I was born
and raised in New Zealand. I do really identify with
the Chinese part of my culture. But of course I've
(15:49):
always known from a young age I'm never going to
be I'm never going to speak absolutely one hundred percent immaculate,
perfect Chinese. I'm never going to have the same thoughts
and beliefs as a Chinese person just because I didn't
grow up there. And I mean I go back to
China every two years to go see family, my dad
lives there, but you always just notice, you know, for example,
(16:11):
China's was just like complicated because so many dialects.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
And my Mandarin is good.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I'm fluent and I can talk to people fine, but
I will never be able to speak, for example, my
mom's dialect right, and it just feels.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
You're kind of out of place.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
And even within my family members sometimes it's hard for
them to understand my point of view and my perspective.
And then essentially when you come back to Auckland, I
do feel at home in Auckland, like Auckland will always
be my home for me. But there are, of course
moments where even the thing you know, with school lunchboxes
when you're a little you look back and my mom
(16:49):
never gave me rice. She wasn't that, but she, you know,
would wouldn't really give me the stereotypical Kiwi food.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Resonate with you on that yause that was my childhood too.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
And it never made me feel weird, but now they
look back at it. We used to do, you know,
lunch box swapping, and I never told my mums, but
people would always fight me for my food.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Really.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
Yeah, there were these, like I think cracker things my
mom gave me. They were a position of power. I
could get whatever a food I want. That was like
the highest tier of food training. I had that, thanks Mom.
But things like that I remember even little. It's like
all the little things, like for example, I remember once
a teacher said to us, like, I want you to
(17:32):
go home and look at the blocks of butter and
how they measure them in the like fifty grams, you know,
in those lines, and she was like, that's your task.
You have to go home and check this out. And
I go home and I'm like, we don't do that.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
We got my feeling is that what is we go by?
That would be enough, just just a screen for we.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Just don't buy that butter, oh right, okay, and like
we don't like an age of it.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
We don't butter, yeah right okay.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
And so I went home and I was like, I
can't check this out because it's not in my culture
to own this up. And I'm not going to tell
my mom to go and see why just to buy this,
you know, big stick of butter that she's never gonna have,
you know.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Yeah, yeah right. I love your perspective on that, because
for me, I speak quite negatively, but I think you're
you're it's a positive experience for you.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
I'd say I feel very mixed about it. At times
I feel so sad even now, I feel like there
are times within my new friend groups here in Sydney
and Australia, I just feel so out of place, especially
on just simple values because I do carry I don't
know if you feel this. I feel like I carry
a mixture of like Western and Eastern values that I
(18:42):
can't explain, like why for this thing I believe in
this Western way and why for the other I have
more Eastern mentality, but I just have it and I
can't explain it, And then having to try to explain
yourself to these people is so hard.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Yeah. Do you think that has an influence in the
way that you make your music?
Speaker 3 (19:01):
No, absolutely, I think because when you can't find places
of belonging that fit you to your mold or anything
like it, the only option is for you to make
your own way and think, so these are my values
and this is the way that I behave and this
is the way that I choose interact with people. And
I'm just going to make my own way and hopefully
with and my whole project's about, you know, because I
(19:23):
never had anyone like me really to look up to
when I was growing up. I want to forge your
head to make this community above anything for people. Do
the of chance that people do, you know, think and
look and not necessarily look.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Well maybe if they.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Just dress a bit crazy like me, you know, but
they feel out of place that they can look towards
my project and feel like, oh, you know, I can
do whatever I want. I can forge my own way
and crept my own identity without having to feel like
I'm forcing to be something I'm not.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Mm hmmmmm. I love that. I love that. What was
the inspiration behind this new identity because I mean, when
I saw you in the red car, but I was like,
this person is a dazzling, dazzling identity, a dazzling personality.
Who were those people I think?
Speaker 3 (20:08):
I mean, I'm a massive Lady Gaga fan, people like
Fay Wong. They was someone I listened to a lot
in the car when I was growing up, and again
didn't know what I was singing about. Too young, and
I was just mumbling the Chinese words. But okay, I
think I got older. I researched her and I was like, oh,
she's pretty dope, And I think I really got into
(20:29):
like Caroline Polar Chick.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
She's still one of my favorites. Christine and the Queens.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
The Queens, right, I love them, Yes, And.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
I think I had this realization recently. My mum really
brought me up to listen to divas right Love, Whitney Houston, Celindon,
Barbara Streisan, you know, like even like like Dione Warwick.
You know, those are my girls. And I think just
(20:58):
seeing the power and confidence that they deliver those ballads
really gave me a sense of oh, because I feel
like I naturally sing like that. Yes, like I'm not
naturally a very soft singer. I've experimented a lot so
that I can, you know, deliver different tones and moods
and things like that. But if you just left me
to my own devices, I would just scream all day long.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Well, I think your new song new Woman is definitely
that vibe. Yeah, Diva vibe, you know what I mean.
I see a lot of Whitney, I see a lot
of I see a lot of Selene that that idea
of completely owning your your womanhood.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Would you say that's such a culpliment banking?
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Okay? Really? Really okay. I'm looking into your character the
way you've kind of completely developed this identity on your own, right.
I feel from the very beginning as a kid, you know,
you really had to kind of prove yourself. Yeah, when
it came to your mom pushing you to go through
something to really really prove yourself. Do you think you're
there or is it more that you want to say
(21:57):
or more you want to prove to people.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
I think it armor isn't really the right way, but
I think it's a skin you step into every day
and it's never going to be complete, but you're just
constantly tweaking at it and trying to add little things
to become even more and more this person. I think
even like not to be morbid, but like you know,
at the end of my life, I think I'm still
not going to feel like I'm completely there. Yea. Because
the thing is, I think people are so fluid and
(22:21):
life is so fluid and we're always changing. And so
that's why I don't think anything will ever feel complete
to me, because one one day I might feel like, oh, yeah,
this is how I am. Tomorrow, I feel like I
could be a completely different person if I wanted to.
But I think it's great that I've got really incredible
like mentors in my life. I think who have really
helped me develop this person, Like my creative partner and manager, Benja,
(22:44):
really helped me craft this who I love.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
I know Benja through Ricky Lee. They did directed on
my own music video. Did you see that one? Like
Ricky's Glacier in New Zealand? Oh my gosh it was.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
It was brilliant, outrageous, loved it.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Okay, So you credit him for.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Yeah, I mean, he has really taught me so much
about visual identity, and because I think he always saw
inside me, like internally who I could be and who
I was like fighting to be but just couldn't quite
express it. And he obviously has all these incredible tools
and talents and he was just very generous to give
so much of that to me, and so I'll always
(23:23):
be grateful to him for doing that for me. But
then I even think. You know, my it's all the
people who've believed in me in my life before I
was able to believe in myself like I Actually these days,
I've been thinking a lot about my piano teacher who
passed away in the past year, and that really impacted
me a lot because I joined with her because I.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Was in her choir. I was in the Auckland Girls choir.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
And she when I met her, she was already I
think like ninety two ninety three.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
She was walking around, she was doing all this stuff.
She never stopped until the end.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
She was someone who was literally my grandmother. You know,
I have I have beautiful grandparents who are in China,
but obviously I don't see them a lot because which
is another part of you know, you know, existing New
Zealand being away from not from your extended family, is that,
you know, I didn't have a normal relationship with my
(24:20):
grandparents or my extended family, I don't think. And so
she was my grandmother and she came along to my
grandparents day, and she above anyone, taught me how to
work hard and how like if you want something, you
get it. And she said to me, and I thought
of this Actually, today, when I got up at like
five am to do my hair, she said to me,
the only way to make the day longer is to
get up earlier. Oh wow, this morning, as I got
(24:41):
up earlier, I was like, I'm making the day longer.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
I was. I was actually going to ask you a question,
but I think you've You've kind of answered it, but
I want you to touch on it more. Is how
do you come back to yourself? So when things get
loud or when you feel stretched in between expectations places
you moved from New Zealand to Sydney, would you say
that your piano teacher helps you come back to yourself?
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Absolutely?
Speaker 3 (25:03):
Think classical music really grounds me and reminds me of
who I was and who I'm becoming. And so I
think going back to classical music in that's just like
listening something or playing something on keys, It really makes
me feel good and even just I think I'm really
realizing as I go as I get older, I sound
like I'm.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Not old, you reflect.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
I'm reflective, And I'm sure I realized this even more
as I you know, progress in life. But my you know,
your day ones are your day ones, and my friends
from you know, back home. They really sent to me
like no other, and I think sometimes they really give
me the perspective of, you know, like you've got this,
(25:49):
because I think sometimes you know, for example, just before
I wrote A New Woman, when I went through a
really hard time, all I really needed to hear was
my best friend from back home, tell me remember who
you are.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
You've got this.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
You're gonna go forward like you are, you You're like
I used to. I had this engraved onto my one
of my earbudzs case I had I am Venice mf quinn.
I love that and every day I wake up when
I tell myself I'm Venice.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Motherfucker could what am I gonna do today?
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Let's then talk about Sydney, because you moved from from
New Zealand to Sydney and you're signed by Sony, which
is incredible, and I want to know what your experience
is like because you just you just spoke about you
just touched on it briefly that there was a time
where you needed to be reminded of who you are.
You know, what were the setbacks, what were the challenges
that you went through.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
I look back at it now and I'm like, wow,
I really was a badass. Yeah, because when I moved,
basically I came to Sydney, I met up with people
here for the first time, and then I went back
home because I had to, and I basically was the
most annoying person and just complained for two straight months
about how much I disliked living NorCal and how much
(26:59):
I wanted to move here. And then as soon as
I could, I got my plane ticket. I went over
one trip just you know, inspect somewhere to live, and
I just did it. I moved, I found a way
to make money, literally did a job interview maybe the
day after I go off the plane. Just did it,
and I got all my you know, like the medicare and.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Things, sorted all the boring stuff.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
Yeah, And I just I didn't think very hard and
I just did it. But I think that's one of
the coolest things I've ever done, is I just did
not think very hard. And I mean, to be really personal,
I just like dived right into it with my like
you know, dating life as well. I didn't really you know,
like you know, I'm human. I liked people, and I
you know, tested the pool a littleit in Auckland. But
(27:42):
I didn't really do that much. When I came to Sydney.
I was like, I'm by myself. I'm gonna do whatever
I want. And considering I hadn't really settled here yet,
I think I could have been a bit wiser about
some of the experiences I went on. Some of them
I told I reminded some of my friends the other
day about like I went, oh, god, now my mom's
gonna listen to this, and she's really gonna hate this.
(28:02):
But I went on a hike.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
With someone for the first date.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
Oh my god, that's a bad idea.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Don't do that.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Well, it didn't turn out well.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
It learned a new woman like a couple months later.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Well, the good thing is you're alive. You're alive, and
you're going to bring a new song out of it.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Right, and at least I look back. I didn't know
where it was at the time, but we actually only went.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
To Man We so we're so fine.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Okay, you're fine, not like a like a national park
up in the in the code. Okay, good, all right, good, well, okay,
I'm happy because a brand new song came out of it.
It's beautiful. I love it. Sometimes you have to go
through those experiences to get some really good art out
of it, right exactly.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
I love that you get at.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
I'm gonna repeat a lyric from your new song new Woman.
You say had to stop and redesign all the memories
in my mind, but now it's all crystal clear, which
I think is such a powerful line. I think there's
release andution to it. And I think throughout this show,
throughout this podcast, you shared so much about your memories,
(29:05):
your past and and what makes you come back to yourself.
So I want to know what do you want the
world to know about Venice Quinn.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Oh, well, you actually affect my favorite lyric in the
song so thank you?
Speaker 1 (29:19):
Why why is that? Why is that your favorite lyric?
Speaker 3 (29:22):
Ah? I think I love the way the word play
on it, Like the memories in my mind are like
the mmurmur And I like this idea of you know,
it makes you think. You know, I looked back on
this relationship and I thought, yeah, they were really great.
You know, how did I lose this? Like I'm never
going to be this happy ever again? But then I think,
(29:43):
in a very healthy reflection where you look back and
you learn things.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
You go actually a lot of that that ain't that.
That wasn't it.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
You know, that was not the way that someone should
be treated, like any of it. And so when you
look back to it, you have to go through all
your memories again to think, actually, this thing that thought
was good, that was ship, This one thing I thought
was fabulous, that was awful. And I think be able
to do that it really changes you into a new woman,
being able to go back and reflect and realize actually
the way that was thinking back then, nah, that's gone
(30:12):
because that wasn't it.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
That's really mature. That's a very mature perspective. And like
reframing the past, the memory so that you can progress
into a newer version of yourself. That's really what this
song's about.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
And I think maybe what I want people even just
to learn about themselves, you know, like, yeah, they can
learn about me.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
That's cool. You know, let's hang out, let's you know,
let's let's dance a Gaga together.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
You know. I love that, like, you know, for sure,
be part of my community, you know. But I think
what I want people to know, like is that that
they can be whoever they want to be. You don't
need to feel defined by your culture, by you know
what you grew up as by you know what you
came from, Like, you can choose a new identity and
you can. You should feel all the support from well,
(31:01):
you should feel for support from everyone around you who
loves you to be able to do that. And so
I think it's less about you know what people want,
what I want people to know about me, but what
I want people to know about this community that I'm building,
and that if you come and join us, we will
do nothing but love and support you and encourage you
to be yourself.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Oh Venice, I love your attitude and I love your positivity,
I love your energy, and I think from this chat
I'm learning more about myself that it's honestly because I've
always felt quite I'd say my mindset about feeling different
(31:40):
was quite victimizing the mindset that I have. But seeing
the personality that blossoms out of you, the person that
you are, the artist you've become, and the way that
you really choose ways that the routes become unexpected. Right,
you played the piano, the pun you know, you were
singing high school musical and then you become this Lady
(32:02):
Gaga like personality with so much optimism, positivity, and a
selfless a selfless vocation in some regard to allow people
to find themselves to your music. I really really appreciate that.
I admire that from you.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Thank you, I admire you.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Oh stop, stop ask questions, but thank you, Thank you
so much. Venice Quinn. Her brand new song, New Woman
out now. Please listen to it, Please listen to everything
Venice Quinn has done. You're going to be huge And
it was an absolute pleasure and honor to chat with
you today.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Thank you, it was I wanted to be here. Thank
you so much for having me. I've had the time
of my life.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
Thank you, Venice. Flying back in time.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
This is the Jimmain Plan.
Flying back in time.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
This is the Domain Plane.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Ah. Yes, hello, it's Jamaine here and welcome it to
another episode of the Jermaine Plane Podcast. I've got to
say thank you so much to everyone who's listened to
the past few episodes. This is such a new environment
for me, going from radio to podcasting, and I've got
to say the feedback has been so wonderful, and please
feel free to give me all the feedback you can.
(00:24):
I want to be absolutely the best I can at
the Germain Plane on Instagram and on TikTok. This one
is a little different. Most of my guests are legacy artists.
They've made the biggest and best throwbacks of the past
few decades. But I wanted to try something different this time.
And when I met Venice Quinn and your an upcoming artist,
(00:45):
I saw so much of myself in her. I met
her when I was hosting the Red Carpet for MG
the Musical here in Sydney, and I got to listen
to her music, I got to watch your interviews and
I just became obsessed. It all felt quite familiar. We
spoke about her childhood, where she was once a shi
kid who barely spoke and somehow grew into this bold,
fearless performer. And when I tell you, Venice has done
(01:07):
it all. She's done classical music, musical theater, songwriting, bassoon,
and now she's releasing the most multi genred pop bangers
with hearts. You're gonna love her her new single, New Woman.
It's an anthem for anyone who's had to rebuild, reframe,
and rediscover who they are. Venice is about building a
community around self expression, fluidity and belonging. And this chat,
(01:32):
this chat for me, is grounding. It's inspiring, and it's joyful.
And if you've ever felt in between, like you don't
quite fit anywhere, I feel like this chat is for you.
This is my chat with pop artist Venice Quinn Enjoy. Look,
this is actually quite a unique interview for me because
the Jermaine playing the show, I'm Jenuine. I'm usually talking
(01:55):
to legacy artists. Right, It's a three back radio show,
a throwback podcast. But I have to say that when
I heard about you, and I listened to your music
and I watched your interviews and got to know more
about you, I saw a lot of myself in you.
So and I think listening to your music and really
(02:18):
getting to know you outside of this show. I really
want to unpack and uncover why I see myself in you.
If you're prepared to go on that route with me,
I would love to ask you some questions about your
upbringing and your childhood and everything like that to really
discover who you are. Are you okay with that? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Of course, that's so sweet. That's the nicest thing I've
heard all mob.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Oh really okay. Good.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Think it's such a.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Confident to think that you see parts of your solving
me and that I can find these parts of myself
in you.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
I do, I do.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
So.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
I would love to know, firstly, how did Venice Quinn
discover music.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
I just always really loved music. My mom used to
play CDs in the car, and even before I was
really consciously listening, I would sing along. Apparently before I spoke,
I would just yell on my crib and that's how
she knew I was.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Awake, agay right.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
And then I think it was high school musical that
made me realize that, oh, I want to do this,
and she really enjoy singing. And this was before I
knew I was any good at it, Like genuinely, I
think one of my favorite parts about seeing what I
do now is that it came from something innate, Like
I didn't. I loved it before I knew I was
(03:29):
okay at it. And I think that's something you know
a lot of people, you know, they love their career
and they love their passion because they like, oh, because
people think I'm great at it, and so it makes
my ego feel good, whereas I feel like I just
genuinely love love love it, Like even if I was awful,
I might not sing as much in front of everyone,
but I would still be the biggest music fan.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
And what was that moment in high school musical that
made you go, I want to do this?
Speaker 2 (03:52):
I mean you've seen high school music?
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Got right?
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Yes? I actually, I actually we had high school musical
in like at school. We had the production of High
Stol Musical and I was about fifteen. Unfortunately I got
the role that wasn't written for the movie, It was
written for the musical. His name was Jack Scott. And
get this, he was a radio announcer. This is already
something in common that we have, is that I had
no aspiration for radio or for being behind a mic.
(04:17):
And when high school musical, the school production happened. They
cast in me as the radio announcer.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
That isn't that wild, that's a manifestation, that is medical station.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
We were meant to meet Vennis. It is meant to happen.
Sorry to talking about myself. So high school musical. What
was the moment when you went, you know what, this
is what I want to do.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I grew up wanting to be Gabriella. I think I
spent my dad up until the moment when I was met,
maybe till about ten years old. My dad would say, yeah,
Venus is going to go to Stanford and she's gonna
study maths.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Okay, yeah that happened.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Did not happen.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
But I actually I loved it so much and I
would sing all the songs. Obviously I turned into a
Sharpei Gabrielle.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Absolutely, I can see that with your fabulous.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
I sang Gabriella's song when there was Me and you
for my primary school idol competition. It was the first
and only time my school ever did that at the time.
I was about six seven years old up until that point,
and nobody believes this now, but I.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Was so shy. Really, I would not talk.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
And I would get bullied a lot because I didn't talk,
and so when you don't talk, you're extremely vulnerable. And
I guess I have like the opposite of like RBF,
and I have like the.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Okay, okay right, but I have resting.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Sad face think that makes you really easily targeted. And anyway,
I sang the song. I nearly didn't do it. I
nearly just sang sing with my friends there, but my
mom forced me to do it, and she was like,
you love me later for this, even though I cried,
was like, no, I don't want to do this. But
I ended up winning the whole thing and beating all
the older kids just by singing my little high school
(06:02):
musical song and my two front teeth had just come out.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
That's really cute.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
I work a little hit band with my hair and pigtails.
And it was after that when I won that I
all of a sudden got so much respect from people,
which I feel is kind of controversial because feel like
people should be nice to you no matter what. But
it really put me in a better place in my
life and gave me confidence more than anything, and I
(06:28):
think it's really that adding on top of how much
I love music, I think it was the feeling of, oh,
this makes me feel like I am someone and I
can be whoever I want to be and put me
in more in control of my own life.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Wow. What a powerful moment, your first interaction with performing
and music, and there was so much self affirmation in
that one moment at a young age.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Yeah. Crazy.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
What was the next step.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
I think I'd.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Already been doing singing lessons casually and I'd started piano,
and then I think I got a new scene teacher because.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
We were like turned the level up.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
I started going to do singing competitions in my local area,
and oh man, I was a competition's kid for at
least i'd say five to seven years of my life.
I did singing competitions, speech and drama competitions. I do
because I'm from Auckland in New Zealand. We did I
think my first competition I had it was West Auckland
Performing Arts competition and I went in for two classes.
(07:31):
I sang good Morning Baltimore from Hairspray, Oh Fabulous, and
wouldn't it be Lovely? From My Fair Lady? And my
mom and I were like, oh, yeah, we'll go, You'll
sing and then we just come come home straight straight
after because we didn't know that you had to stay
for awards, but my friends did. And we got a
text when I got home that I had won both categories.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Oh my gosh, that is so fabulous. So did someone
pick it like I pick up the award on behalf
of you? You know, like you know when those artists
don't pick it up at the crass or whatever? Was
it that kind of treatment?
Speaker 2 (08:04):
I think?
Speaker 3 (08:04):
So, I mean, they've got my prize money in my
trophy for me, So I love that. And yeah, and
then from there, I think that you're smart reaffirming that, like, oh, yeah,
you know you there's a space for me to do this,
and I really enjoy it. And honestly, being in competitions
really toughened me up and really taught me a lot
about just how to be a good human and how
(08:25):
to just you know, go on the women do it.
Sometimes I'd gone sage and I'd be sick all the time,
and I'd yeah, you'd make friends, but then have them
all be a bit shady around you, if you know,
say they had one and you hand or vice versa,
and you'd learn how to handle that but I loved competitions.
And I mean, I'm not a very competitive person, which
(08:47):
is the craziest part, but I loved what that air
of my life gave me.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
M It's almost like in your childhood you said that
you were kind of made fun of a bullied because
you were so silent, and then now all of a sudden,
you become this performer and these competitions are giving you
I'm not saying validation, but it gives you a reason
to want to perform more and more. Right, would you
say that the competitions you said, it's toughens you up?
Tell me how?
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Of course I think I'm good because I believe in
myself and I know what I can do or what
I can improve on and things like that. But you
know that just because you might think you might have
performed the best that day out of everyone, doesn't.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Mean that you'll win.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
And you also learn things like, oh, you know how
to prepare you know all these songs like I'd go
in and I'd have like, you know, six songs prepared.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
To do boom boom, boom boom.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
You learn how to interact with the accompanist because you'd
have the piano companists that you'd work with nearly a
different one every competition, and how to engage with them
and sometimes they'd give you feedback and how to take
those feedbacks and things like that, and Yeah, I just
really loved it. And I think it's Yeah, I think
it's just that confidence it gives you.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Was the interest of being, i'd say, a pop star.
I don't know exactly had you to identify as yourself
now when it comes to the music you because it's
so multi genred. But where was that moment that you went,
hang on, I actually want to do this. I want
to make pop music. I want to be a I
want to be a star.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
My story is honestly so whack, because I's never whack.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Definitely, you have such an interesting personality the way you
present yourself.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
I think if you just look back, I mean, my
story is so far. I think it just shows that I,
up until about three years ago, was so indecisive. Yeah,
because I always knew I want to do music, but
up until twenty twenty, I didn't know what I wanted
that to be in the musical theater space, in classical,
in jazz, or in pop.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Okay, right, interesting.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Because I picked up bassoon in high school.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Oh my god, I only get more bizarre just listening
to your music and looking at you now, and then
you played the bassoon. Yeah wow, Okay.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
I picked up soon because I got a scholarship for
the high school I went to in Auckland, and when
I got there, because I think they saw one of
the scene teachers at the school told me years ago,
and this was really cool. He said that when I
went in for the scholarship audition, he thought, you know,
most kids who get the scholarship are you know, like
a virtuo so at piano, like you know, stereotypical Chinese person, right,
(11:15):
or they're like incredible at one instrument, and you know,
but they said that they saw in me because I
think I did guitar and singing and I'm not that
great of a guitarist, but they said that they saw
me that I would work really really hard and they
had a feeling that give her a couple of years
and she's going to be, you know, at top level
game for a high school student.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
And it was cool.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
When I got my lady years he was like, I'm
glad that that's happened, which was a really special feeling
and I'm very grateful to him for saying that. Anyway,
I got the scholarship and they were like, oh, you know,
piano's not a great instrument to play all these ensembles
in because everyone can play piano and there's only one piano,
and piano's on.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Every orchestral piece.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
So they were like, oh, our bassoonist is in the
fire you high school, she's about to leave. Can you
pick up pursuits that we still have a pssume player
coming up? And literally I had played it for maybe
two weeks and I was already put into I think
the orchestra terrifying.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
I could play one no.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Wow. And so you're saying that during COVID, that's when
you kind of had these kind of this fork in
the road where you're going, do I choose pop music?
Do I choose classical? What do I where do I go?
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Well? Actually, again so bizarre.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
I was so into musical theater and acting that my
family and I traveled to England for a month and
a half in December, like just before COVID, and I
auditioned for about eight to ten musical theater and acting
and I think I did one or two songwriting programs
as well, because I was like, oh yeah, kind of
into this because I had written a song back in
(12:50):
high school for devised production. I went away to Europe
during the rehearsal period, which is so bad to me,
but when I came back, everyone was singing my song.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
And I was like, oh wow, people like my song.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
And by that point i'd released my song found Myself
on Spotify and that was doing pretty well, considering I
did nothing to promote it, and so that gave me
a bit of you know, like, oh, feeling good about
this area. But I was still really into musical ditter
and classical soudition. For all these universities, very elite programs.
I got into a couple of them, but when I
(13:22):
was there, I was like, I don't actually want to.
I don't think I'm made to do a show eight
times a week like I can. I really respect and
I love people who can, like I love MJ the Musical,
I love Stan all that work, but I just don't
think it's for me.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Yeah, that's you stepping into your power, that's you stepping
into deciding what's your what your journey is. And I'm
I got to say I think that You've made the
right decision. Now let's talk about the music that you make. Now,
I've done quite a bit of research on you. I
want to talk about your song Alien. The one thing
(13:56):
that I can really relate to you on is this
idea of micro belonging that you were talking about, especially
growing up as Chinese. Right, You've seen your Chinese right,
And for me, I grew up as Burmese and Mauritian,
and I think I think we're part of a generation
where we are kind of in between cultural acceptance cultural pride,
(14:20):
where we have to become I'm trying to think of
the right way to say this because you were saying
how when you're in rooms it was kind of like
the elephant in the room. Is that you were the
Asian person in the room. Yeah, and then when you
would go to China, you would kind of be looked
kind of looked down upon because you couldn't speak Chinese properly,
the or the or it wasn't as fluent. Yeah, tell
me more about that, because that's I think that's where
(14:41):
I can relate to you a lot.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Is you know you were doing all these things, you
would competitions, playing the pursuing all of these things. And
this was in New Zealand, right, So tell me more
about that.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Well, firstly, I love hearingbout your heritage. That sounds so cool.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
It's such a mixed it's such a mixed eraor dig
it's giving.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
You some wonderful gens. I mean, just look at you.
Anyone who's listening to this, you need to check.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Out the visual so you can admire how or just
the specimen the I'm like looking at. I think it
took me a long time to realize what was going
on because I think, you know, as you grow up,
you're not noticing all these social you know, games and
(15:24):
effects that are actually being trickled down.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
To you through the system.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
And New Zealand is a wonderful multicultural place. I mean
so as Australia. But I think that you know, as
I said, we're part of a generation where, for example,
my parents immigrated to New Zealand and I was born
and raised in New Zealand. I do really identify with
the Chinese part of my culture. But of course I've
(15:49):
always known from a young age I'm never going to
be I'm never going to speak absolutely one hundred percent immaculate,
perfect Chinese. I'm never going to have the same thoughts
and beliefs as a Chinese person just because I didn't
grow up there. And I mean I go back to
China every two years to go see family, my dad
lives there, but you always just notice, you know, for example,
(16:11):
China's was just like complicated because so many dialects.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
And my Mandarin is good.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I'm fluent and I can talk to people fine, but
I will never be able to speak, for example, my
mom's dialect right, and it just feels.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
You're kind of out of place.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
And even within my family members sometimes it's hard for
them to understand my point of view and my perspective.
And then essentially when you come back to Auckland, I
do feel at home in Auckland, like Auckland will always
be my home for me. But there are, of course
moments where even the thing you know, with school lunchboxes
when you're a little you look back and my mom
(16:49):
never gave me rice. She wasn't that, but she, you know,
would wouldn't really give me the stereotypical Kiwi food.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Resonate with you on that yause that was my childhood too.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
And it never made me feel weird, but now they
look back at it. We used to do, you know,
lunch box swapping, and I never told my mums, but
people would always fight me for my food.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Really.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
Yeah, there were these, like I think cracker things my
mom gave me. They were a position of power. I
could get whatever a food I want. That was like
the highest tier of food training. I had that, thanks Mom.
But things like that I remember even little. It's like
all the little things, like for example, I remember once
a teacher said to us, like, I want you to
(17:32):
go home and look at the blocks of butter and
how they measure them in the like fifty grams, you know,
in those lines, and she was like, that's your task.
You have to go home and check this out. And
I go home and I'm like, we don't do that.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
We got my feeling is that what is we go by?
That would be enough, just just a screen for we.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Just don't buy that butter, oh right, okay, and like
we don't like an age of it.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
We don't butter, yeah right okay.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
And so I went home and I was like, I
can't check this out because it's not in my culture
to own this up. And I'm not going to tell
my mom to go and see why just to buy this,
you know, big stick of butter that she's never gonna have,
you know.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Yeah, yeah right. I love your perspective on that, because
for me, I speak quite negatively, but I think you're
you're it's a positive experience for you.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
I'd say I feel very mixed about it. At times
I feel so sad even now, I feel like there
are times within my new friend groups here in Sydney
and Australia, I just feel so out of place, especially
on just simple values because I do carry I don't
know if you feel this. I feel like I carry
a mixture of like Western and Eastern values that I
(18:42):
can't explain, like why for this thing I believe in
this Western way and why for the other I have
more Eastern mentality, but I just have it and I
can't explain it, And then having to try to explain
yourself to these people is so hard.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Yeah. Do you think that has an influence in the
way that you make your music?
Speaker 3 (19:01):
No, absolutely, I think because when you can't find places
of belonging that fit you to your mold or anything
like it, the only option is for you to make
your own way and think, so these are my values
and this is the way that I behave and this
is the way that I choose interact with people. And
I'm just going to make my own way and hopefully
with and my whole project's about, you know, because I
(19:23):
never had anyone like me really to look up to
when I was growing up. I want to forge your
head to make this community above anything for people. Do
the of chance that people do, you know, think and
look and not necessarily look.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Well maybe if they.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Just dress a bit crazy like me, you know, but
they feel out of place that they can look towards
my project and feel like, oh, you know, I can
do whatever I want. I can forge my own way
and crept my own identity without having to feel like
I'm forcing to be something I'm not.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Mm hmmmmm. I love that. I love that. What was
the inspiration behind this new identity because I mean, when
I saw you in the red car, but I was like,
this person is a dazzling, dazzling identity, a dazzling personality.
Who were those people I think?
Speaker 3 (20:08):
I mean, I'm a massive Lady Gaga fan, people like
Fay Wong. They was someone I listened to a lot
in the car when I was growing up, and again
didn't know what I was singing about. Too young, and
I was just mumbling the Chinese words. But okay, I
think I got older. I researched her and I was like, oh,
she's pretty dope, And I think I really got into
(20:29):
like Caroline Polar Chick.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
She's still one of my favorites. Christine and the Queens.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
The Queens, right, I love them, Yes, And.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
I think I had this realization recently. My mum really
brought me up to listen to divas right Love, Whitney Houston, Celindon,
Barbara Streisan, you know, like even like like Dione Warwick.
You know, those are my girls. And I think just
(20:58):
seeing the power and confidence that they deliver those ballads
really gave me a sense of oh, because I feel
like I naturally sing like that. Yes, like I'm not
naturally a very soft singer. I've experimented a lot so
that I can, you know, deliver different tones and moods
and things like that. But if you just left me
to my own devices, I would just scream all day long.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Well, I think your new song new Woman is definitely
that vibe. Yeah, Diva vibe, you know what I mean.
I see a lot of Whitney, I see a lot
of I see a lot of Selene that that idea
of completely owning your your womanhood.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Would you say that's such a culpliment banking?
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Okay? Really? Really okay. I'm looking into your character the
way you've kind of completely developed this identity on your own, right.
I feel from the very beginning as a kid, you know,
you really had to kind of prove yourself. Yeah, when
it came to your mom pushing you to go through
something to really really prove yourself. Do you think you're
there or is it more that you want to say
(21:57):
or more you want to prove to people.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
I think it armor isn't really the right way, but
I think it's a skin you step into every day
and it's never going to be complete, but you're just
constantly tweaking at it and trying to add little things
to become even more and more this person. I think
even like not to be morbid, but like you know,
at the end of my life, I think I'm still
not going to feel like I'm completely there. Yea. Because
the thing is, I think people are so fluid and
(22:21):
life is so fluid and we're always changing. And so
that's why I don't think anything will ever feel complete
to me, because one one day I might feel like, oh, yeah,
this is how I am. Tomorrow, I feel like I
could be a completely different person if I wanted to.
But I think it's great that I've got really incredible
like mentors in my life. I think who have really
helped me develop this person, Like my creative partner and manager, Benja,
(22:44):
really helped me craft this who I love.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
I know Benja through Ricky Lee. They did directed on
my own music video. Did you see that one? Like
Ricky's Glacier in New Zealand? Oh my gosh it was.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
It was brilliant, outrageous, loved it.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Okay, So you credit him for.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Yeah, I mean, he has really taught me so much
about visual identity, and because I think he always saw
inside me, like internally who I could be and who
I was like fighting to be but just couldn't quite
express it. And he obviously has all these incredible tools
and talents and he was just very generous to give
so much of that to me, and so I'll always
(23:23):
be grateful to him for doing that for me. But
then I even think. You know, my it's all the
people who've believed in me in my life before I
was able to believe in myself like I Actually these days,
I've been thinking a lot about my piano teacher who
passed away in the past year, and that really impacted
me a lot because I joined with her because I.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Was in her choir. I was in the Auckland Girls choir.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
And she when I met her, she was already I
think like ninety two ninety three.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
She was walking around, she was doing all this stuff.
She never stopped until the end.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
She was someone who was literally my grandmother. You know,
I have I have beautiful grandparents who are in China,
but obviously I don't see them a lot because which
is another part of you know, you know, existing New
Zealand being away from not from your extended family, is that,
you know, I didn't have a normal relationship with my
(24:20):
grandparents or my extended family, I don't think. And so
she was my grandmother and she came along to my
grandparents day, and she above anyone, taught me how to
work hard and how like if you want something, you
get it. And she said to me, and I thought
of this Actually, today, when I got up at like
five am to do my hair, she said to me,
the only way to make the day longer is to
get up earlier. Oh wow, this morning, as I got
(24:41):
up earlier, I was like, I'm making the day longer.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
I was. I was actually going to ask you a question,
but I think you've You've kind of answered it, but
I want you to touch on it more. Is how
do you come back to yourself? So when things get
loud or when you feel stretched in between expectations places
you moved from New Zealand to Sydney, would you say
that your piano teacher helps you come back to yourself?
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Absolutely?
Speaker 3 (25:03):
Think classical music really grounds me and reminds me of
who I was and who I'm becoming. And so I
think going back to classical music in that's just like
listening something or playing something on keys, It really makes
me feel good and even just I think I'm really
realizing as I go as I get older, I sound
like I'm.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Not old, you reflect.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
I'm reflective, And I'm sure I realized this even more
as I you know, progress in life. But my you know,
your day ones are your day ones, and my friends
from you know, back home. They really sent to me
like no other, and I think sometimes they really give
me the perspective of, you know, like you've got this,
(25:49):
because I think sometimes you know, for example, just before
I wrote A New Woman, when I went through a
really hard time, all I really needed to hear was
my best friend from back home, tell me remember who
you are.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
You've got this.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
You're gonna go forward like you are, you You're like
I used to. I had this engraved onto my one
of my earbudzs case I had I am Venice mf quinn.
I love that and every day I wake up when
I tell myself I'm Venice.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Motherfucker could what am I gonna do today?
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Let's then talk about Sydney, because you moved from from
New Zealand to Sydney and you're signed by Sony, which
is incredible, and I want to know what your experience
is like because you just you just spoke about you
just touched on it briefly that there was a time
where you needed to be reminded of who you are.
You know, what were the setbacks, what were the challenges
that you went through.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
I look back at it now and I'm like, wow,
I really was a badass. Yeah, because when I moved,
basically I came to Sydney, I met up with people
here for the first time, and then I went back
home because I had to, and I basically was the
most annoying person and just complained for two straight months
about how much I disliked living NorCal and how much
(26:59):
I wanted to move here. And then as soon as
I could, I got my plane ticket. I went over
one trip just you know, inspect somewhere to live, and
I just did it. I moved, I found a way
to make money, literally did a job interview maybe the
day after I go off the plane. Just did it,
and I got all my you know, like the medicare and.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Things, sorted all the boring stuff.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
Yeah, And I just I didn't think very hard and
I just did it. But I think that's one of
the coolest things I've ever done, is I just did
not think very hard. And I mean, to be really personal,
I just like dived right into it with my like
you know, dating life as well. I didn't really you know,
like you know, I'm human. I liked people, and I
you know, tested the pool a littleit in Auckland. But
(27:42):
I didn't really do that much. When I came to Sydney.
I was like, I'm by myself. I'm gonna do whatever
I want. And considering I hadn't really settled here yet,
I think I could have been a bit wiser about
some of the experiences I went on. Some of them
I told I reminded some of my friends the other
day about like I went, oh, god, now my mom's
gonna listen to this, and she's really gonna hate this.
(28:02):
But I went on a hike.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
With someone for the first date.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
Oh my god, that's a bad idea.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Don't do that.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Well, it didn't turn out well.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
It learned a new woman like a couple months later.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Well, the good thing is you're alive. You're alive, and
you're going to bring a new song out of it.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Right, and at least I look back. I didn't know
where it was at the time, but we actually only went.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
To Man We so we're so fine.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Okay, you're fine, not like a like a national park
up in the in the code. Okay, good, all right, good, well, okay,
I'm happy because a brand new song came out of it.
It's beautiful. I love it. Sometimes you have to go
through those experiences to get some really good art out
of it, right exactly.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
I love that you get at.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
I'm gonna repeat a lyric from your new song new Woman.
You say had to stop and redesign all the memories
in my mind, but now it's all crystal clear, which
I think is such a powerful line. I think there's
release andution to it. And I think throughout this show,
throughout this podcast, you shared so much about your memories,
(29:05):
your past and and what makes you come back to yourself.
So I want to know what do you want the
world to know about Venice Quinn.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Oh, well, you actually affect my favorite lyric in the
song so thank you?
Speaker 1 (29:19):
Why why is that? Why is that your favorite lyric?
Speaker 3 (29:22):
Ah? I think I love the way the word play
on it, Like the memories in my mind are like
the mmurmur And I like this idea of you know,
it makes you think. You know, I looked back on
this relationship and I thought, yeah, they were really great.
You know, how did I lose this? Like I'm never
going to be this happy ever again? But then I think,
(29:43):
in a very healthy reflection where you look back and
you learn things.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
You go actually a lot of that that ain't that.
That wasn't it.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
You know, that was not the way that someone should
be treated, like any of it. And so when you
look back to it, you have to go through all
your memories again to think, actually, this thing that thought
was good, that was ship, This one thing I thought
was fabulous, that was awful. And I think be able
to do that it really changes you into a new woman,
being able to go back and reflect and realize actually
the way that was thinking back then, nah, that's gone
(30:12):
because that wasn't it.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
That's really mature. That's a very mature perspective. And like
reframing the past, the memory so that you can progress
into a newer version of yourself. That's really what this
song's about.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
And I think maybe what I want people even just
to learn about themselves, you know, like, yeah, they can
learn about me.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
That's cool. You know, let's hang out, let's you know,
let's let's dance a Gaga together.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
You know. I love that, like, you know, for sure,
be part of my community, you know. But I think
what I want people to know, like is that that
they can be whoever they want to be. You don't
need to feel defined by your culture, by you know
what you grew up as by you know what you
came from, Like, you can choose a new identity and
you can. You should feel all the support from well,
(31:01):
you should feel for support from everyone around you who
loves you to be able to do that. And so
I think it's less about you know what people want,
what I want people to know about me, but what
I want people to know about this community that I'm building,
and that if you come and join us, we will
do nothing but love and support you and encourage you
to be yourself.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Oh Venice, I love your attitude and I love your positivity,
I love your energy, and I think from this chat
I'm learning more about myself that it's honestly because I've
always felt quite I'd say my mindset about feeling different
(31:40):
was quite victimizing the mindset that I have. But seeing
the personality that blossoms out of you, the person that
you are, the artist you've become, and the way that
you really choose ways that the routes become unexpected. Right,
you played the piano, the pun you know, you were
singing high school musical and then you become this Lady
(32:02):
Gaga like personality with so much optimism, positivity, and a
selfless a selfless vocation in some regard to allow people
to find themselves to your music. I really really appreciate that.
I admire that from you.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Thank you, I admire you.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Oh stop, stop ask questions, but thank you, Thank you
so much. Venice Quinn. Her brand new song, New Woman
out now. Please listen to it, Please listen to everything
Venice Quinn has done. You're going to be huge And
it was an absolute pleasure and honor to chat with
you today.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Thank you, it was I wanted to be here. Thank
you so much for having me. I've had the time
of my life.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
Thank you, Venice. Flying back in time.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
This is the Jimmain Plan.
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