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Over 150 pop fans packed out Redfern’s Bat & Ball Hotel this week for Spotify’s latest Turn Up Aus live show. For its third instalment, rising Australian pop stars aleksiah, Chloe Parché and Darcie Haven took to the stage for an evening celebrating local talent.
Super fans arrived early, ready to sing along to their favourite acts. Each artist was provided with their own unique stage lighting: blue for Darcie, green for Chloe and pink for aleksiah. Combined with atmospheric smoke, the colourful lighting gave each performance its own visual identity while creating a playful link between all three exciting up-and-coming acts. Here’s what went down inside the Bat & Ball Hotel.
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Hailing from Esperance in Western Australia, 24-year-old Darcie Haven kicked things off, performing “Burner Account”, “Hounds”, “Wishbone” and “Girlfriend”. Sydney’s 22-year-old Chloe Parché followed, bringing her strong voice and energy to the stage in a matching double-denim look. Performing “Knots”, “Silver Bullet”, “Changing Shapes” and “Not For the Better”, Chloe had the crowd singing along before handing the stage over to aleksiah.
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The Adelaide singer brought a distinctly theatrical energy to the night, performing “Clothes Off” and “The Hit” under pink lights. Dressed in a red satin doll-like dress, aleksiah launched into her high-energy bubblegum pop track “Be The Diva” from atop the bar before making her way through the crowd. The audience wasn’t ready for her set to end, loudly chanting for “one more song” after her final track.
And then came the finale. Darcie, Chloe and aleksiah all returned to the stage for an encore of The Veronicas’ “4ever”. The event celebrated Australia’s most exciting up-and-coming pop artists, all under one roof in Redfern. Elsewhere in the venue, a dial phone was available for guests to leave messages for their favourite acts, while a photo booth proved popular with the young crowd. The packed-out show ended Spotify’s latest Turn Up Aus instalment on a high note, celebrating Australia’s next generation of pop talent.
Before the show, we sat down with aleksiah, Chloe and Darcie to get to know the three rising artists.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: Describe your music in three words.
Darcie: Diaristic, dark and dramatic.
Chloe: Fun, hooky, energetic.
aleksiah: Fun, melodramatic, honest.
What do you think audiences are connecting with right now, and how has that shaped your own approach as artists?
Darcie: I think audiences are connecting with artists they can see themselves in. There’s something especially powerful about hearing your experience expressed by someone who feels close to your own world. That’s shaped my approach by making me want to be more specific in my writing, and more open and honest about where I come from.
Chloe: I think that the live scene is becoming a hugely important thing again, which is so important to me, and so it ends up becoming a part of my writing approach. When I’m in the studio, I am often thinking about how a song is going to hit live.
aleksiah: I think no matter what age you are, where you’re from or what genre you love, everyone will always crave that human authenticity. Something that feels honest and real and like a friend that you instantly click with, who totally gets you. When I write, I always want the music to feel relatable; I want people to find company in my songs.
You’re all part of a new wave of Australian pop artists building incredibly engaged fan communities. What does it mean to perform at an event like Turn Up Aus Live, where you’re surrounded by your biggest supporters?
Darcie: I’ve played many shows to empty rooms, to empty pubs, to a smattering of people at the bar looking into their beers instead of at me. Playing a show to a room full of my top listeners on Spotify will be an experience I could only dream of a few years ago. All that support and passion and love crammed into one room? I seriously can’t wait.
Chloe: It’s really special. The support that these listeners have shown is absolutely everything.
aleksiah: It’s every artist’s dream to be surrounded by people who find genuine joy and excitement in hearing live music. It feels like one big sleepover, and we all get to have so much fun and share it together.
Australian pop is enjoying a moment, with more homegrown artists finding audiences both here and overseas. What’s giving you the most optimism about the future of local music?
Darcie: How quickly the love for Australian pop, in particular, is growing. Pop felt like a dirty word a few years ago, but we’ve clawed our way through a full 360. Pop is cool, and Australian pop is even cooler. It feels like we’re becoming more confident in our own version of the genre as well, instead of looking overseas for permission, and that’s really exciting to see as an artist.
Chloe: I think something that’s super promising is how much individuality there is in Aussie pop right now. We have so many pop artists who are really carving out their own worlds and finding people who connect with them. It feels like there is a genuine appetite for Aussie music.
aleksiah: The fact that the divas are being found in all corners of the world, not just your major markets. If you’re talented, you have drive and you have something to say it’s entirely possible, and it makes me so excited for the future of Aussie music.
Turn Up Aus as a way to make Australian artists “unmissable, undeniable and inarguable”. What do initiatives like this mean for the future of homegrown music?
Darcie: Too often we are lost in the tidal wave of overseas talent, so it’s imperative to show Aussie music lovers the incredible music that’s being made on home soil.
Chloe: There’s so much talent in Australia, and it can be easy to forget just how many incredible artists are coming through. It’s about giving artists a platform, but it’s also building confidence in the idea that Australian music can have a huge impact. For me, being part of something like Turn Up Aus is a really nice reminder that there’s a community of people who want to support and champion Australian music. I feel very lucky to be included in that.
aleksiah: I think there’s still a lot of work to be done to share all the talent we have in this country, like more local acts on festival lineups, Aussie support acts for every international artist that plays here, but I think this initiative is a great stepping stone to getting Aussie artists out there.
What’s next for each of you? What should fans be excited about?
Darcie: I’m taking some time to shape the next era of my music. I want each project to grow, change and develop from the last, and that often means taking time to get it right. Keep an eye and ear out for what you might hear soon
Chloe: I’m currently writing a lot of new stuff, and I’m having a lot of fun doing it and figuring out where I want to go next with my songwriting. I’m super excited for people to hear what we have been working on.
aleksiah: I’m currently in album-writing mode, and I’m also playing my first touring festival in Dec with Spilt Milk, so I’m very excited! More new music very soon.
Hear more Australian music with the Turn Up Aus Spotify playlist.
