November 8, 2023 • 22 mins
On today’s podcast, I have the winner of ‘The Masked Singer’ ‘Dami Im,’ who successfully beat out Conrad Sewell and Darren Hayes in that epic season finale of the popular "bonkers" singing competition on Network Ten.
If you missed any of ‘Dami’s' performance as ‘Snow Fox’ you can go back and check them out on ‘Ten Play’. Honestly there are so many amazing classics that would make a fantastic album if 'Dami' was to put them all together.
'Dami' Im is an Australian singer and songwriter. She represented Australia at the 'Eurovision Song Contest' 2016 held in Stockholm, Sweden with the song "Sound of Silence", placing second and achieving the highest 'Eurovision Song Contest' score for Australia.
Dami also won ‘The Masked Singer’ on the very stage she won 'X Factor' ten years ago and what an amazing full circle moment for her as an artist.
There is so much to unpack with 'Dami' today and I am excited to ask her so many questions:
- I will ask if 'Dami' used any tactic to hide her voice and if she knew who was behind the Bouncer and Grim Reaper masks?’
- 'Dami' will share some of her insights into how making music has changed over the last decade and what her journey has been like since leaving 'Sony Music.'
- We will find out which of the songs she sung will most likely be on a future album… not to mention some exciting details about a Christmas Album which is just about to drop.
Plus we will get plenty of exclusives from behind the scenes of ‘The Masked.’ Which returns next Monday night on ‘Network Ten’ and if you have fallen behind you can catch up on - on ‘Ten Play.’
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's in the news today, but it was actually on
TV Reload the podcast last week. They might welcome back
guys to TV Reload. As you may know, my name
is Benjamin Norris and this is your podcast to get
all the inside goss on the popular TV shows that
you may be watching from around the world. Undeniably, our
TV sets a major part of our home entertainment, and
yet very little is known about how our favorite shows
(00:20):
get made. So each episode I've been finding the guests
that want to dive just that little bit deeper into
the shows that they're currently making, so that you can
hear all the exclusive stories and gain access to the
biggest names in Australian television. I want to thank you
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I love hearing your feedback, so make sure you leave
a review or a comment on your chosen podcast platform.
(00:43):
On today's podcast, I have the winner of the mass
singer Dami Im, who successfully beat out Conrad Suel and
Darren Hayes in that epic season finale of the popular
Bonkers singing competition on Network ten. If you missed any
of Damy's performances as Snowfox. You can go back and
check them out on ten play. Honestly, there are so
(01:03):
many amazing versions of hit classics that would make a
fantastic covers album if Dummy was ever to put them together.
Dummy Im is an Australian singer songwriter. She represented Australia
in the Eurovision Song Contest in twenty sixteen, with the
song Sound of Silence placing second and achieving the highest
Eurovision Contest score for Australia. Dummy also won the Mass
(01:26):
Singer on the very stage that she won X Back
to Like ten years ago, and what an amazing full
circle moment for her as an artist. There's so much
to unpack with Dummy today and I am excited to
ask her so many questions. I will ask Dummy if
she used any tactics to hide her voice and if
she knew who was behind Bouncer and the grim Reaper masks.
Dummy will share her highs and lows and how making
(01:48):
music has changed over the last decade, and what a
journey has been like since leaving Sony. We will find
out which of the songs she sung is most likely
to feature on a future album. Not to mention some
exciting details about a Christmas album which is just about
to drop. Plus we will get some exclusives from behind
the scenes of The Marst Singer Season five, which you
(02:08):
can catch up on if you've missed any of those
episodes on ten Play. Anyway, guys, let's bring Dummy into
the podcast and guys, I hope you enjoy it's very
insightful look at the Mast Singer for twenty twenty three.
Hi Bam, Hi dummy. How are you?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
I'm good? Thank you? How are you?
Speaker 1 (02:24):
I'm very good. You know. I used to work in
breakfast radio, so I think it was when Sony was
looking after you. We used to do a lot of
chats with you and I always had so much fun,
Like you've just got aside to you that I don't
think everyone in Australia always gets to see.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Oh thank you, that's so nice.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
So congratulations on winning The Mast Singer season five. That
is a huge achievement with the voices that we're in
that competition.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Do you think that you won because you did the
best job at disguising your voice as Snowfox?
Speaker 2 (02:53):
No, definitely not. I didn't try to disguise my voice
at all.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
I just sang whatever I normally see, and we didn't
know who.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Anyone else was. We could only guess.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
And I didn't get to hear Darren Hayes or Conrad
Zell sing their last performances, so you know, none of
us really had an idea who was going to win.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
We just sang our songs and that's all we could do.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
They didn't allow us to even watch the others. Yeah,
it was a nice surprise, so you never got.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
To see Grim Reaper or Bounce the sing.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Only when we were doing our group songs, which is
like a tiny snippet. So I did have an idea,
like I guess, but no one ever confirmed or denied
my guess was And we never got to sit next
to each other like they wouldn't allow any contact with
the other contestants.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
So we found out on TV like everybody else.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
That's crazy. But I mean, when you did those group performances,
as soon as I heard Conrad Sell, as soon as
I heard Darren Hayes's voice, I picked them straight away.
So did you have a guess did you think it
might have been those boys?
Speaker 3 (03:56):
I knew Conrad's voice straight away because I've known him
for a long time. I didn't guess starn Hayes until
kind of the last couple of weeks I sort of went, oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I think that's who that might be.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
I had to look him up, and I just knew
he was very popular. That's because I couldn't hear him
sing that much, but I heard the audience applaud loudly.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
And for a long time, and I was like, Okay,
that guy is good. He must be a singer. And
that's as far as I knew.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
So did you get the chance to talk to either
of the boys after the show? So once you've taken
your masks off and did you didn't even get a
chance to swap notes?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Not at all.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
So once our mask threw off, we were by ourselves
and they played like loud music outside so nobody could
hear each other or anything like that.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Who made the most ridiculous guests? Because I think you
were the hardest person to guest this season. But you
know you've got Chrissy, mail Abby and Hughesy and all
of them guessed some very crazy things. Yeah, who were
those judges? Did you think maybe the craziest guests?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
My favorite, yes, was when Hughesy said, is Aretha Franklin alive?
Speaker 2 (05:06):
He is not?
Speaker 3 (05:09):
That was pretty awesome, you know, Jesse j I mean,
can't complain. That's pretty cool. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
And then you know Tina Arena, she's awesome. Delta, you know, yeah, it's.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
A good company to be in. Dewy, Yeah, I was.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Like, yeah, come on, throw out more amazing names please.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
A really good question to ask you at this point
is what was your favorite song? You know, some people
come on the show and then they get to do
one maybe two. You got to sing like a whole
album worth of snow Fox songs. I want to yeah,
which was your favorite?
Speaker 3 (05:40):
My favorite was Joni Mitchell song Both Sides Now. I
really enjoyed singing that song, and you know the arrangement
that Dorian West put together, and you know, with Gary
Pinto and I we worked on this and it just
came out so beautifully and I just loved doing that song.
So I might steal that for my next show.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Well, yeah, you've made comment about singing covers before, and
you know, you do an amazing job at putting your
own arrangements in with other people's songs. What are you thinking?
Do you think that with your next album, you would
be able to include some covers like that Joni Mitchell
song or.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Yeah, so my last album that came out this year
just before Mark Singer, we filmed it.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Actually it's called in Between.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
It was all original, all about my experience, and you know,
I wrote all the songs on that. But the next
album I am actually releasing, funny enough on an album
next week, and it's a Christmas album, so that is
a lot of different covers and Christmas classic and includes
an original song called Baby's First Christmas Day, which is
you know, definitely about my experience with my new baby.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
But you know, I actually have been.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Thinking about including maybe it could be a cover from
this year onto the next album or an EP, and
I thought it'd be nice to maybe not a full
album of covers like the old days, but it could
be you know, it could be nice to have like
one cover in there, you know, just a nice touch
to just I don't know, like an classic songs is
(07:08):
always a classic for a reason, right, and it's a
masterpiece that one. So I'm thinking about it.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
You've been working with studios for so long now, has
it changed the way in which we're making music? In
two thousand and three to when you first started, Like,
what are the biggest changes about being an artist and
working with companies today?
Speaker 3 (07:26):
A lot I've actually changed, for sure since I first
started to record, and you know, when I was I
suppose off X Factor, which was ten years ago, and
the whole world has changed a lot, and it's evolving
so quickly and so now, and through COVID as well,
everyone's changed. A lot of people work remotely, and I'm
(07:48):
really loving that because I can work with musicians and
songwriters from all over the world. There's less restrictions around geography.
So you know, for example, like my last album and
this next Christmas album, it was all all the musicians
were based out of Nashville, and I didn't have to
be there physically, Whereas when I did I hear a
(08:09):
song album in I think twenty eighteen, I flew over
there in person and recorded it. You know, had to
do it in person, that was kind of the only
way to do it, Whereas twenty twenty three, I worked
with them through Zoom and just a lot of back
and forth. But yeah, I didn't have to fly and
you know, as somebody who's got a life outside of
(08:32):
just work, you know, as a baby and you know,
mass singer and everything else.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
It's great that I can do that.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Yeah, isn't that strange as well? Like you don't even
get to meet these people, like a lot of people
you're collaborating with, and you're such a personal experience and
to get music out, you know, is like a process.
The facts in the room with them must feel strange
at times, I guess.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Yeah, definitely, But you know it helps if you have
worked with them in person before. You know, if you've
never ever met them and you were trying to make
a record with a stranger, I suppose that.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
That could be.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
I don't know if I could do that or get
the same result out of that. But you know, with
the Christmas record, I got to do the record with
Rick Price and those musicians in Nashville, and I actually
know them and we you know, we had a good
laugh about it and talking about the memories we had
last time free COVID and so doing it remotely with
people that you actually trust to know and love. I
(09:30):
think that's the key that there's still that personal connection.
You're not just talking to a computer necessarily. It's not
like AI, you know what I mean exactly, write me
a song, Write me.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
A song, and I'll sing it.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
You know.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
The Sound of Silence is one of my favorite songs
of all time. And I just want to tell you
that after a couple of drinks, if there's a karaoke bar,
that is my go to song. And I love that
I cannot sing it. I cannot sing it, but I
just love I can imagine what that song means to me. Like,
I just think that's so powerful. It surprises me still
to this day that you just didn't take out that
(10:03):
whole Eurovision competition.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Thank you. I love that. I love that you're singing
it at karaoke. It's yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
When I still sing it, everybody sings along, and it's.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Just it's something very beautiful and very magical about the
lyrics and about the way in which that song is delivered.
I feel like it's it's kind of like the John
Farna and You're the Voice song. Like that's powerful, empowering songs,
you know.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Yeah, And I think, yeah, that's a big power ballads
always going to be a winner. In most situations, everyone
just sings long and they just you know, have their
phones up in the air, and yeah, so it's definitely
as a singable.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Song, definitely, And you know, there's always so much consideration
about who is going to go to Eurovision. You know,
which Ozzie's going to go and represent us next. Do
you have an idea as to who you think could
go and represent Australia in the next Eurovision, To.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Be honest, no, I don't know either, Anna, and I'm
always looking at you know, what's happening and trying to
get the latest news update. But I think from what
I know, it's very up in the air, and you know,
whether Australia is going to be even competing next year,
which would.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Be such a shame because it's I love that we're
in it.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
It's such a fun celebration and you know, culturally it's amazing,
Like the Eurovision fans that I met through twenty sixteen,
they're still like, I feel like I'm still part of
that community, and so I hope that we continue to
be a part of it next year.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
I think community is so important, and I think you know,
when you do tap into a community like that which
then allows you that kind of access, especially like on
a global platform, it's just so powerful. And I think
music artists need those platforms, you know, I think it's vital.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Definitely being in Australia is awesome, but I think sometimes,
you know, it's necessary to branch out and reach out globally,
and Eurovision is definitely one of those platforms that I
got to meet a lot of fans overseas and yeah,
I really do you know, cherish those fans that are
said on board and yeah, it's just so amazing to
(12:10):
you know, have people that appreciate my music outside of
this country.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Well, of course, you know, there's something about your voice
at times that I'm sure people have said this to
you before, but I hear nodes of Delta goudroom. There's
really Yeah, does that because you've listened to a lot
of Delta as is she an artist that you you know, admired.
I wondered where that sound at times comes from, because
all of a sudden, it'll just be like a particular
note and you go, that sounds like Delta.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
I do admire her hugely. She's incredible.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
I did go to her twentieth anniversary show the other
night I'm in Brisbane.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
That was a you know, not.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Long ago, and she's just incredible for having such a
long career and such loyal fans and the following, So
I definitely do, you know, admire what she does. And
you know, I'm not sure, you know, I didn't grow
up necessarily listening to her because I you know, came
from when I was a young age. Maybe I was
(13:03):
like trying to get used to what's what's happening in Australia.
So but I know she was such an you know,
iconic artist from twenty years ago and she's still going
so strong.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
So yeah, that that's a big compliment.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
You know, also as well, I was looking today because
today is like a celebration of dummy IM day for me.
I read about this this moment. Were you nearly walked
away from music? What is your relationship with being an
artist in twenty twenty three? Are you glad that you
didn't walk away from singing?
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Look, it's it's I love music.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Music is always something that's been around me and I've
been surrounded with since I was a baby. You know,
my mom has been in music, and you know, I
could never live away from music.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
But there were really difficult.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Times in my career when I was you know, signed
to my previous label and you know that the whole
there was a big story that came out a few
years ago, and you know, I spoke probably only one
of the very very few artists that spoke up about
the issues that were happening in there.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
And you know, those were really really tough years for me.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
And yeah, for me to even think about quitting music,
that's that's a huge deal because I don't ever want
to do that, but it was even that difficult. I Yeah,
at one point, I think I wasn't going to quit,
but I said I'd rather go home and sing sing
at my church for twenty people rather than recording albums
that I didn't get to have a say or get
(14:29):
pressured into doing things. You know, I just felt very
it was a very toxic culture. So I've come out
through the other side, which I am, you know, really
proud of myself and also grateful for the people that
stuck by me, like my you know, manager and yeah,
so to be here today and so happy doing what
(14:50):
I loved still and performing and for my fans, I am,
you know, I'm very lucky.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Because not everybody came through the other side.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
You know, what about being a mom hasn't as being
a mom now helped you feel more inspired about music.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
I think being a parent definitely makes you appreciate your
work a lot more. You have to maximize the time
that you are allowed to you know, you can like
every moment you spend on something like on your work
is time that you could be spending with your baby.
(15:27):
So I definitely try to make the most of it.
And I know that it's worth it and it's good
for me and my family and for Harrison as well,
So I definitely appreciate it more. And I think once
he's a bit older, he's going to appreciate coming to
my concerts and knowing that, you know, his mom has
a life outside of just being a mom, And I
(15:49):
think that's really important.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
You're like a superhuman, like you're a superhero that you
have this other life. You know that is so powerful
and so powerful the way that you can reach and
touch people. Think think that that would be so impressive
for him when he grows up to see how much
you've made an impact on music here in Australia. I
think that that's going to be really exciting to watch.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Yeah, definitely, and you know, as a person with you know,
from a different background and immigrant, and you know, also
as a woman, as a mother, I feel like I'm
not just doing it for myself.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
It gives me a bit of responsibility. I feel to
just do my job well.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Because other women, other moms feel really encouraged by that,
and other people from different backgrounds, Asian backgrounds that I
hear a lot of people come up to me and
tell me that that. You know, it's inspiring and gives
them courage to continue to do their jobs and follow
their dreams. So I feel like that's something that I'm
proud of.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
You should be, You should be, you know. I also
read a comment today that this person had put on
TV Tonight's website that you're the last true star to
come out of a televised singing competition in Australia. Why, yeah,
it's so you know, why do you think it's so
hard to merged from under the pressure of winning a
reality TV show to becoming a successful music artist.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
You know, I have thought about that, and I mean,
I'm really lucky because when I was on XCER, TV
was a big thing, like everybody watched, everybody tuned in
a lot of people tuned in back then, something like
one third of the country. Watched the final and I
(17:27):
had that platform, but it's not like that anymore that
you know, there's a lot more again, it's a lot
more fragmented.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
That's yeah, that's the word fragmented.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
And that's why, you know, I know that I'm like
one of the last to be you know, emerging from
a platform TV platform and like a household names you
like and so I don't know like and and even
so it's I think it was I wasn't expecting to,
you know, have this kind of level of career when I.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Won that show.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
I honestly thought I was going to be doing this
for maybe two or three years and then I'd go
back home and you know, do my local gigs and
things like that.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Not at all pop. I mean, people love you, you know.
I think it's amazing, like you're one of our biggest
music artists in this country, like with people have really
come on a journey with you, and I think that
you're very beloved by people. And it's true when you
read those comments about it, you think, well, who else
is coming out from underneath these shows? When we've got
two big singing shows in Australia at the moment with
(18:33):
the voice still happening in Australian idol. Do you have
advice for those sorts of people that are going through
those competitions on how they can turn that experience into
becoming someone like you.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Well, I think for me, you know, there's still so
much great talent coming out of Australia, right like, I
see it so much, but it's just a lot more
fragmented in the way that they get found. So I
guess these days it's finding your people. I think that's
the most important thing, finding your fans, your community and
(19:05):
just really focusing on that.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
I think that's the way to go. And that's even
for me.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
That's what I try and do rather than you know,
just I mean, I do big, fun, crazy national TV
shows like this once in a while, but other times,
for the rest of the time, I'm focusing.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
On my fans, the Dami Army, and I'm making.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Music for them and putting on shows for my people
rather than just everybody. Which, yeah, if you make music
for everybody, it's kind of making it for nobody. You know,
You've got to focus on your your market and your
your family, your your fans.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
So that's the most realistic advice from me.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Yeah, I think as well, like back in the day,
people are like you have to have like a record
company sign you, or you'd have to have an album
that's in the art and the ARIA charts. And it
was like clear paths back then as to what the
touch points were as a form of success where I think,
you know, these days, with social media and being able
to turn the camera on your elf, there's other ways
of being able to reach success and reach those numbers
(20:04):
that you know, has really changed the way in which
we you know, music is accessible definitely.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Yeah, Yeah, there's so many different ways, and I think
in a way it's an exciting time for musicians because
you can be found, you can find your fans through
those different platforms and not have to wait for somebody
to discover.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
You somewhere exactly right. Yeah, I think it's definitely changed
the landscape of that industry. Well, I just want to
say thank you so much for being able to chat.
And I'm so excited that you won this competition. I
think it's great and you beat Darren Hayes, which you
know that's an oh, well, that's an achievement girl in itself.
But before we go, one question I ask everyone who
joins the pod is what is something from behind the scenes,
(20:44):
something of a behind the scenes secret, something we as
an audience we didn't get to see, but something you
can share.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
So Chrissy, you.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Know, we were on Master Chef together, and she's just
such a lovely, funny person, right and I've known her
winning X Factor, like, I've spoke, like seen her on
radio back then, and so then you know we have
this history and to see her but she her not
seeing me obviously until right at the end was really crazy.
(21:12):
And I I love hearing her voice and her guesses
every week. She was very generous and lovely and just
an awesome person. So I love that I got to
be on a show with her again, even though she
didn't know that.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Had you ever seen, I guess while making Master Chef
though you wouldn't have been singing, So I guess Chrissy
may not have ever seen you sing live before, though,
had she No?
Speaker 2 (21:34):
I don't think so.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Yeah, so yeah, she she got you know, she saw
me singing on Master Chef, like, but not you know,
while cooking while making a peacecap.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Quite different.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
I do a lot of singing. I'll do a lot
of my best kitchen singing, you know, while I'm cooking,
So yeah, dummy. I just don't want to say thank
you so much for your generosity with your time and
talking to me to thank you.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Thanks, oh, your first feet.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
I'm in the army, beautiful. Thanks.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
He takes a lot. I
It's in the news today, but it was actually on
TV Reload the podcast last week. They might welcome back
guys to TV Reload. As you may know, my name
is Benjamin Norris and this is your podcast to get
all the inside goss on the popular TV shows that
you may be watching from around the world. Undeniably, our
TV sets a major part of our home entertainment, and
yet very little is known about how our favorite shows
(00:20):
get made. So each episode I've been finding the guests
that want to dive just that little bit deeper into
the shows that they're currently making, so that you can
hear all the exclusive stories and gain access to the
biggest names in Australian television. I want to thank you
for downloading or subscribing to this podcast however you've found me.
I love hearing your feedback, so make sure you leave
a review or a comment on your chosen podcast platform.
(00:43):
On today's podcast, I have the winner of the mass
singer Dami Im, who successfully beat out Conrad Suel and
Darren Hayes in that epic season finale of the popular
Bonkers singing competition on Network ten. If you missed any
of Damy's performances as Snowfox. You can go back and
check them out on ten play. Honestly, there are so
(01:03):
many amazing versions of hit classics that would make a
fantastic covers album if Dummy was ever to put them together.
Dummy Im is an Australian singer songwriter. She represented Australia
in the Eurovision Song Contest in twenty sixteen, with the
song Sound of Silence placing second and achieving the highest
Eurovision Contest score for Australia. Dummy also won the Mass
(01:26):
Singer on the very stage that she won X Back
to Like ten years ago, and what an amazing full
circle moment for her as an artist. There's so much
to unpack with Dummy today and I am excited to
ask her so many questions. I will ask Dummy if
she used any tactics to hide her voice and if
she knew who was behind Bouncer and the grim Reaper masks.
Dummy will share her highs and lows and how making
(01:48):
music has changed over the last decade, and what a
journey has been like since leaving Sony. We will find
out which of the songs she sung is most likely
to feature on a future album. Not to mention some
exciting details about a Christmas album which is just about
to drop. Plus we will get some exclusives from behind
the scenes of The Marst Singer Season five, which you
(02:08):
can catch up on if you've missed any of those
episodes on ten Play. Anyway, guys, let's bring Dummy into
the podcast and guys, I hope you enjoy it's very
insightful look at the Mast Singer for twenty twenty three.
Hi Bam, Hi dummy. How are you?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
I'm good? Thank you? How are you?
Speaker 1 (02:24):
I'm very good. You know. I used to work in
breakfast radio, so I think it was when Sony was
looking after you. We used to do a lot of
chats with you and I always had so much fun,
Like you've just got aside to you that I don't
think everyone in Australia always gets to see.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Oh thank you, that's so nice.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
So congratulations on winning The Mast Singer season five. That
is a huge achievement with the voices that we're in
that competition.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Do you think that you won because you did the
best job at disguising your voice as Snowfox?
Speaker 2 (02:53):
No, definitely not. I didn't try to disguise my voice
at all.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
I just sang whatever I normally see, and we didn't
know who.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Anyone else was. We could only guess.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
And I didn't get to hear Darren Hayes or Conrad
Zell sing their last performances, so you know, none of
us really had an idea who was going to win.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
We just sang our songs and that's all we could do.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
They didn't allow us to even watch the others. Yeah,
it was a nice surprise, so you never got.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
To see Grim Reaper or Bounce the sing.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Only when we were doing our group songs, which is
like a tiny snippet. So I did have an idea,
like I guess, but no one ever confirmed or denied
my guess was And we never got to sit next
to each other like they wouldn't allow any contact with
the other contestants.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
So we found out on TV like everybody else.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
That's crazy. But I mean, when you did those group performances,
as soon as I heard Conrad Sell, as soon as
I heard Darren Hayes's voice, I picked them straight away.
So did you have a guess did you think it
might have been those boys?
Speaker 3 (03:56):
I knew Conrad's voice straight away because I've known him
for a long time. I didn't guess starn Hayes until
kind of the last couple of weeks I sort of went, oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I think that's who that might be.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
I had to look him up, and I just knew
he was very popular. That's because I couldn't hear him
sing that much, but I heard the audience applaud loudly.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
And for a long time, and I was like, Okay,
that guy is good. He must be a singer. And
that's as far as I knew.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
So did you get the chance to talk to either
of the boys after the show? So once you've taken
your masks off and did you didn't even get a
chance to swap notes?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Not at all.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
So once our mask threw off, we were by ourselves
and they played like loud music outside so nobody could
hear each other or anything like that.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Who made the most ridiculous guests? Because I think you
were the hardest person to guest this season. But you
know you've got Chrissy, mail Abby and Hughesy and all
of them guessed some very crazy things. Yeah, who were
those judges? Did you think maybe the craziest guests?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
My favorite, yes, was when Hughesy said, is Aretha Franklin alive?
Speaker 2 (05:06):
He is not?
Speaker 3 (05:09):
That was pretty awesome, you know, Jesse j I mean,
can't complain. That's pretty cool. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
And then you know Tina Arena, she's awesome. Delta, you know, yeah, it's.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
A good company to be in. Dewy, Yeah, I was.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Like, yeah, come on, throw out more amazing names please.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
A really good question to ask you at this point
is what was your favorite song? You know, some people
come on the show and then they get to do
one maybe two. You got to sing like a whole
album worth of snow Fox songs. I want to yeah,
which was your favorite?
Speaker 3 (05:40):
My favorite was Joni Mitchell song Both Sides Now. I
really enjoyed singing that song, and you know the arrangement
that Dorian West put together, and you know, with Gary
Pinto and I we worked on this and it just
came out so beautifully and I just loved doing that song.
So I might steal that for my next show.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Well, yeah, you've made comment about singing covers before, and
you know, you do an amazing job at putting your
own arrangements in with other people's songs. What are you thinking?
Do you think that with your next album, you would
be able to include some covers like that Joni Mitchell
song or.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Yeah, so my last album that came out this year
just before Mark Singer, we filmed it.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Actually it's called in Between.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
It was all original, all about my experience, and you know,
I wrote all the songs on that. But the next
album I am actually releasing, funny enough on an album
next week, and it's a Christmas album, so that is
a lot of different covers and Christmas classic and includes
an original song called Baby's First Christmas Day, which is
you know, definitely about my experience with my new baby.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
But you know, I actually have been.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Thinking about including maybe it could be a cover from
this year onto the next album or an EP, and
I thought it'd be nice to maybe not a full
album of covers like the old days, but it could
be you know, it could be nice to have like
one cover in there, you know, just a nice touch
to just I don't know, like an classic songs is
(07:08):
always a classic for a reason, right, and it's a
masterpiece that one. So I'm thinking about it.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
You've been working with studios for so long now, has
it changed the way in which we're making music? In
two thousand and three to when you first started, Like,
what are the biggest changes about being an artist and
working with companies today?
Speaker 3 (07:26):
A lot I've actually changed, for sure since I first
started to record, and you know, when I was I
suppose off X Factor, which was ten years ago, and
the whole world has changed a lot, and it's evolving
so quickly and so now, and through COVID as well,
everyone's changed. A lot of people work remotely, and I'm
(07:48):
really loving that because I can work with musicians and
songwriters from all over the world. There's less restrictions around geography.
So you know, for example, like my last album and
this next Christmas album, it was all all the musicians
were based out of Nashville, and I didn't have to
be there physically, Whereas when I did I hear a
(08:09):
song album in I think twenty eighteen, I flew over
there in person and recorded it. You know, had to
do it in person, that was kind of the only
way to do it, Whereas twenty twenty three, I worked
with them through Zoom and just a lot of back
and forth. But yeah, I didn't have to fly and
you know, as somebody who's got a life outside of
(08:32):
just work, you know, as a baby and you know,
mass singer and everything else.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
It's great that I can do that.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Yeah, isn't that strange as well? Like you don't even
get to meet these people, like a lot of people
you're collaborating with, and you're such a personal experience and
to get music out, you know, is like a process.
The facts in the room with them must feel strange
at times, I guess.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Yeah, definitely, But you know it helps if you have
worked with them in person before. You know, if you've
never ever met them and you were trying to make
a record with a stranger, I suppose that.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
That could be.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
I don't know if I could do that or get
the same result out of that. But you know, with
the Christmas record, I got to do the record with
Rick Price and those musicians in Nashville, and I actually
know them and we you know, we had a good
laugh about it and talking about the memories we had
last time free COVID and so doing it remotely with
people that you actually trust to know and love. I
(09:30):
think that's the key that there's still that personal connection.
You're not just talking to a computer necessarily. It's not
like AI, you know what I mean exactly, write me
a song, Write me.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
A song, and I'll sing it.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
You know.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
The Sound of Silence is one of my favorite songs
of all time. And I just want to tell you
that after a couple of drinks, if there's a karaoke bar,
that is my go to song. And I love that
I cannot sing it. I cannot sing it, but I
just love I can imagine what that song means to me. Like,
I just think that's so powerful. It surprises me still
to this day that you just didn't take out that
(10:03):
whole Eurovision competition.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Thank you. I love that. I love that you're singing
it at karaoke. It's yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
When I still sing it, everybody sings along, and it's.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Just it's something very beautiful and very magical about the
lyrics and about the way in which that song is delivered.
I feel like it's it's kind of like the John
Farna and You're the Voice song. Like that's powerful, empowering songs,
you know.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Yeah, And I think, yeah, that's a big power ballads
always going to be a winner. In most situations, everyone
just sings long and they just you know, have their
phones up in the air, and yeah, so it's definitely
as a singable.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Song, definitely, And you know, there's always so much consideration
about who is going to go to Eurovision. You know,
which Ozzie's going to go and represent us next. Do
you have an idea as to who you think could
go and represent Australia in the next Eurovision, To.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Be honest, no, I don't know either, Anna, and I'm
always looking at you know, what's happening and trying to
get the latest news update. But I think from what
I know, it's very up in the air, and you know,
whether Australia is going to be even competing next year,
which would.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Be such a shame because it's I love that we're
in it.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
It's such a fun celebration and you know, culturally it's amazing,
Like the Eurovision fans that I met through twenty sixteen,
they're still like, I feel like I'm still part of
that community, and so I hope that we continue to
be a part of it next year.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
I think community is so important, and I think you know,
when you do tap into a community like that which
then allows you that kind of access, especially like on
a global platform, it's just so powerful. And I think
music artists need those platforms, you know, I think it's vital.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Definitely being in Australia is awesome, but I think sometimes,
you know, it's necessary to branch out and reach out globally,
and Eurovision is definitely one of those platforms that I
got to meet a lot of fans overseas and yeah,
I really do you know, cherish those fans that are
said on board and yeah, it's just so amazing to
(12:10):
you know, have people that appreciate my music outside of
this country.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Well, of course, you know, there's something about your voice
at times that I'm sure people have said this to
you before, but I hear nodes of Delta goudroom. There's
really Yeah, does that because you've listened to a lot
of Delta as is she an artist that you you know, admired.
I wondered where that sound at times comes from, because
all of a sudden, it'll just be like a particular
note and you go, that sounds like Delta.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
I do admire her hugely. She's incredible.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
I did go to her twentieth anniversary show the other
night I'm in Brisbane.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
That was a you know, not.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Long ago, and she's just incredible for having such a
long career and such loyal fans and the following, So
I definitely do, you know, admire what she does. And
you know, I'm not sure, you know, I didn't grow
up necessarily listening to her because I you know, came
from when I was a young age. Maybe I was
(13:03):
like trying to get used to what's what's happening in Australia.
So but I know she was such an you know,
iconic artist from twenty years ago and she's still going
so strong.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
So yeah, that that's a big compliment.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
You know, also as well, I was looking today because
today is like a celebration of dummy IM day for me.
I read about this this moment. Were you nearly walked
away from music? What is your relationship with being an
artist in twenty twenty three? Are you glad that you
didn't walk away from singing?
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Look, it's it's I love music.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Music is always something that's been around me and I've
been surrounded with since I was a baby. You know,
my mom has been in music, and you know, I
could never live away from music.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
But there were really difficult.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Times in my career when I was you know, signed
to my previous label and you know that the whole
there was a big story that came out a few
years ago, and you know, I spoke probably only one
of the very very few artists that spoke up about
the issues that were happening in there.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
And you know, those were really really tough years for me.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
And yeah, for me to even think about quitting music,
that's that's a huge deal because I don't ever want
to do that, but it was even that difficult. I Yeah,
at one point, I think I wasn't going to quit,
but I said I'd rather go home and sing sing
at my church for twenty people rather than recording albums
that I didn't get to have a say or get
(14:29):
pressured into doing things. You know, I just felt very
it was a very toxic culture. So I've come out
through the other side, which I am, you know, really
proud of myself and also grateful for the people that
stuck by me, like my you know, manager and yeah,
so to be here today and so happy doing what
(14:50):
I loved still and performing and for my fans, I am,
you know, I'm very lucky.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Because not everybody came through the other side.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
You know, what about being a mom hasn't as being
a mom now helped you feel more inspired about music.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
I think being a parent definitely makes you appreciate your
work a lot more. You have to maximize the time
that you are allowed to you know, you can like
every moment you spend on something like on your work
is time that you could be spending with your baby.
(15:27):
So I definitely try to make the most of it.
And I know that it's worth it and it's good
for me and my family and for Harrison as well,
So I definitely appreciate it more. And I think once
he's a bit older, he's going to appreciate coming to
my concerts and knowing that, you know, his mom has
a life outside of just being a mom, And I
(15:49):
think that's really important.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
You're like a superhuman, like you're a superhero that you
have this other life. You know that is so powerful
and so powerful the way that you can reach and
touch people. Think think that that would be so impressive
for him when he grows up to see how much
you've made an impact on music here in Australia. I
think that that's going to be really exciting to watch.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Yeah, definitely, and you know, as a person with you know,
from a different background and immigrant, and you know, also
as a woman, as a mother, I feel like I'm
not just doing it for myself.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
It gives me a bit of responsibility. I feel to
just do my job well.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Because other women, other moms feel really encouraged by that,
and other people from different backgrounds, Asian backgrounds that I
hear a lot of people come up to me and
tell me that that. You know, it's inspiring and gives
them courage to continue to do their jobs and follow
their dreams. So I feel like that's something that I'm
proud of.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
You should be, You should be, you know. I also
read a comment today that this person had put on
TV Tonight's website that you're the last true star to
come out of a televised singing competition in Australia. Why, yeah,
it's so you know, why do you think it's so
hard to merged from under the pressure of winning a
reality TV show to becoming a successful music artist.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
You know, I have thought about that, and I mean,
I'm really lucky because when I was on XCER, TV
was a big thing, like everybody watched, everybody tuned in
a lot of people tuned in back then, something like
one third of the country. Watched the final and I
(17:27):
had that platform, but it's not like that anymore that
you know, there's a lot more again, it's a lot
more fragmented.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
That's yeah, that's the word fragmented.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
And that's why, you know, I know that I'm like
one of the last to be you know, emerging from
a platform TV platform and like a household names you
like and so I don't know like and and even
so it's I think it was I wasn't expecting to,
you know, have this kind of level of career when I.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Won that show.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
I honestly thought I was going to be doing this
for maybe two or three years and then I'd go
back home and you know, do my local gigs and
things like that.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Not at all pop. I mean, people love you, you know.
I think it's amazing, like you're one of our biggest
music artists in this country, like with people have really
come on a journey with you, and I think that
you're very beloved by people. And it's true when you
read those comments about it, you think, well, who else
is coming out from underneath these shows? When we've got
two big singing shows in Australia at the moment with
(18:33):
the voice still happening in Australian idol. Do you have
advice for those sorts of people that are going through
those competitions on how they can turn that experience into
becoming someone like you.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Well, I think for me, you know, there's still so
much great talent coming out of Australia, right like, I
see it so much, but it's just a lot more
fragmented in the way that they get found. So I
guess these days it's finding your people. I think that's
the most important thing, finding your fans, your community and
(19:05):
just really focusing on that.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
I think that's the way to go. And that's even
for me.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
That's what I try and do rather than you know,
just I mean, I do big, fun, crazy national TV
shows like this once in a while, but other times,
for the rest of the time, I'm focusing.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
On my fans, the Dami Army, and I'm making.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Music for them and putting on shows for my people
rather than just everybody. Which, yeah, if you make music
for everybody, it's kind of making it for nobody. You know,
You've got to focus on your your market and your
your family, your your fans.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
So that's the most realistic advice from me.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Yeah, I think as well, like back in the day,
people are like you have to have like a record
company sign you, or you'd have to have an album
that's in the art and the ARIA charts. And it
was like clear paths back then as to what the
touch points were as a form of success where I think,
you know, these days, with social media and being able
to turn the camera on your elf, there's other ways
of being able to reach success and reach those numbers
(20:04):
that you know, has really changed the way in which
we you know, music is accessible definitely.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Yeah, Yeah, there's so many different ways, and I think
in a way it's an exciting time for musicians because
you can be found, you can find your fans through
those different platforms and not have to wait for somebody
to discover.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
You somewhere exactly right. Yeah, I think it's definitely changed
the landscape of that industry. Well, I just want to
say thank you so much for being able to chat.
And I'm so excited that you won this competition. I
think it's great and you beat Darren Hayes, which you
know that's an oh, well, that's an achievement girl in itself.
But before we go, one question I ask everyone who
joins the pod is what is something from behind the scenes,
(20:44):
something of a behind the scenes secret, something we as
an audience we didn't get to see, but something you
can share.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
So Chrissy, you.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Know, we were on Master Chef together, and she's just
such a lovely, funny person, right and I've known her
winning X Factor, like, I've spoke, like seen her on
radio back then, and so then you know we have
this history and to see her but she her not
seeing me obviously until right at the end was really crazy.
(21:12):
And I I love hearing her voice and her guesses
every week. She was very generous and lovely and just
an awesome person. So I love that I got to
be on a show with her again, even though she
didn't know that.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Had you ever seen, I guess while making Master Chef
though you wouldn't have been singing, So I guess Chrissy
may not have ever seen you sing live before, though,
had she No?
Speaker 2 (21:34):
I don't think so.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Yeah, so yeah, she she got you know, she saw
me singing on Master Chef, like, but not you know,
while cooking while making a peacecap.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Quite different.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
I do a lot of singing. I'll do a lot
of my best kitchen singing, you know, while I'm cooking,
So yeah, dummy. I just don't want to say thank
you so much for your generosity with your time and
talking to me to thank you.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Thanks, oh, your first feet.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
I'm in the army, beautiful. Thanks.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
He takes a lot. I
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