Melbourne, Australia-based artist Karen Harding, music is not only an outlet for expression of her feelings and emotions, drawn from a lifetime of experiences; music is also a soul conversation that allows the masks that we hide behind to fall away from a moment of sharing.
Music has always been a part of Karen Harding’s life. From learning piano from the age of 6, beginning singing lessons from the age of 14, and more recently learning to play the guitar.
Throughout the years, Karen has played at many cafes and bars around the North-Eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, in a combination of solo, duo, and band performances that have contributed to the sound that you hear today. Her true love of art comes from the creativity of writing her music.
The whimsical essence of Karen Harding’s latest composition, “I Heard Somebody Talking,” instills a delicate yet prevailing sense of intimacy that ushers us towards her heartrending offering. Enlisting the undeniable skillset of producer, and mix and mastering engineer Joshua Hennessy, the striking resonance that is conveyed represents the idea that the decisions we make lead to an outcome, whether that outcome is desired or not.
Karen Harding delves into an exquisite vocal performance that navigates towards the illuminating hues of a narrative so authentic to our realities that we can’t help but to sit and reflect. Her melismatic timbres cascade over a piano forward instrumentation rich with emotion-evoking tendencies. We admire the breathtaking performance that is delivered to us in “I Heard Somebody Talking,” and we value how each lyric leaps from the speakers, and buries itself into your mind.
‘I heard somebody talking that the mutiny arose. You felt a sense of freedom. Like you woke up from your doze,’ is a prime example of the poetic structure that is etched into the elaborate scheme of us as distinctive humans who embody a varied perspective to what surrounds us. With Karen Harding steering the ship of our profound thoughts, we eagerly grasp onto her quintessence as we infuse our perspectives with an outlook that is classic to her mindset.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Karen Harding, and congratulations on the release of “I Heard Somebody Talking.” This is a beautiful composition that sheds light on such a relevant theme. Was there a precise moment or story in your life that inspired the thesis of this song?
Thank you so much. It's so great to have the amazing opportunity to share my music with you! As you mentioned, 'I Heard Somebody Talking' is based on a current, relevant theme. The song was born out of the first Covid-19 lockdowns in Melbourne, Australia. I was sitting at home, watching the news, when a story came up about an anti-mask rally happening in the city of Melbourne. There was a man that ran across the screen and at that time, I wasn't just seeing him as a random person in this protest.. he was a real person.. with a family.. and a life.. making a decision to fight passionately for what he believed in. At this moment, the song came to me.. to write a song about what I would say to this man.. how he would feel if his decision to fight in this protest, led to him taking Covid-19 home to his family.. how he would feel when the illness became real for him in his life.
How would you compare this record to your previous single release, ‘I Didn’t Realise’? Did you find that there were similarities or differences in the creative process you used to approach the creation of each song?
The style of the two songs is very similar, having been written during the same period.. They were both written with me on the piano and are both very emotional songs. They were also both produced in the same timeframe, with the same producer, Joshua Hennessy of Pivotal Music. That being said, they are very different in the content of the lyrics and the intent.
'I Didn't Realise' is a song written in deep reflection of a breakup and looking at how far I have come since my breakup. It is extremely introspective and is aimed at shining a mirror on the feelings that listeners have surrounding their own experiences with breakups. 'I Heard Somebody Talking' is based on external events - the events of the anti-mask rally - and then expressing my own internal feelings surrounding these events. It's more of a conversation between two adults with differing views and looking at a situation from a very curious perspective.
Where do you find yourself to be your most creative self? Does anything in particular trigger your imagination to pour out crafty song ideas?
I honestly believe that there is inspiration absolutely everywhere you look. you could look at a leaf on the ground and write a song about that if it triggered a memory or feeling within you.
I do, however, find that I am most creative when I am alone at home.. just me and my piano or me and my guitar. I am an introverted person and I find that when I have that time to myself with no one else around, it allows me to process all the things that I've seen, heard, or felt throughout that day. Sitting and creating a song can be a way for me to access the depth of what is actually happening for me internally. The things that inspire me the most are the conversations, events, or those real little moments that make you stop for a moment and think.
What message do you aim to send out to your audience through the music that you create?
Overall, I feel like my main message is with my musical journey itself. It has taken me a long time to get to the point where I felt I could share the music that I create. My hope is that others may see my journey and in some way be inspired that they can be vulnerable and believe in themselves enough to share the things that make them feel alive.
What's next for you?
I have spent the last year writing so much music and I really cannot wait to share it.
I am in the beginning phases of working on an EP which I plan to release. The process of this has been delayed a little due to the current climate, so potentially I may release another stand-alone single prior to bringing this out.. we will have to wait and see what happens in the coming months! Keep an eye out for updates through my social media or head to my website and sign up for my mailing list at www.karenhardingmusic.com and you can stay up to date with all upcoming releases.
