There’s no denying that this past year has been a significant one for 2024 Commissioned Artist Louisa Williamson. From her APRA Award win in 2023 for her debut album What Dreams May Come to her sold-out 2024 Wellington Jazz Festival show The Chasm Where We Fall Into Each Other, she has continued to make waves in the Pōneke music scene. Louisa has performed at the 2024 APRA Silver Scrolls, been a pre-show artist for the 2024 World of WeareableArt (WOW), toured nationally with L.A.B., and held a highly successful residency at The Rogue & Vagabond with Heavy Flow, a monthly set of improvised jams. And that’s just scratching the surface.
Now, with a highly anticipated new release In Tune (feat. MĀ, our other 2024 Commissioned Artist) having dropped just the other day – the first single from her upcoming sophmore album ‘Groundwork’ – Louisa is gearing up for another big year. Adding to the excitement, The Chasm Where We Fall Into Each Other will return to the stage at NZ Fringe Festival this March. With so much on the horizon, we caught up with Louisa to get an inside look at what’s next.
'In Tune' – A Glimpse into the new album
With her upcoming album Groundwork set for release in April, this first track In Tune stands out as the only song on the record to feature vocals. “Maarire and I have been working together mostly on her music for the last few years, and we’ve formed this amazing friendship based on creativity and trust". Recorded last year with longtime collaborators Daniel Hayles, Callum Allardice, Johnny Lawrence, and Cory Champion, Louisa later invited MĀ to overlay vocals on the track, “making it sound like it was always supposed to have vocals on it!”, thus bringing a fresh dimension to the work blending neo-soul tones with hip-hop cadences with the flurry of woodwinds, piano and explosive rhythms.
“This track was inspired by the journey of moving through the hustle and bustle of the city, then retreating into the calm sanctuary of home,” she explains. With the bones of the music written in 2021, it evolved with the input of her musicians and collaborators, each adding their own musical qualities to the mix and sound. In Tune is available to stream on all services including Bandcamp and is a delicious taste of what is in store to come.
Revisiting The Chasm Where We Fall Into Each Other at NZ Fringe
Debuting The Chasm Where We Fall Into Each Other at the Wellington Jazz Festival last year was a deeply meaningful experience for Louisa. She shared, “It was probably the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had. Writing a whole new set of music with a strong concept and direction was really fun, and it felt like it all made sense together. Then teaching it to a band I already had a lot of experience with, and trusted, resulted in an extremely gratifying and humbling experience. I was really proud of it! I definitely felt very vulnerable for a few days after the show, like I had actually poured my heart out – I'd never felt that feeling so much before.”
As she prepares for the upcoming NZ Fringe presentation of the work, Louisa shared some of the refinements she’s made “I’ve changed and developed a few things since that first performance. I’ve added a new song and refined a few bits, but in terms of direction, it’s still the same.”
Reflecting on how the piece continues to evolve, she shared, “As I keep composing and refining the music, I’m finding new perspectives on what ‘the chasm’ can represent, and that’s been really cool. One song in particular, ‘Here With You’, has really grown on me – I keep finding more depth in it every time we play”.
“I’m excited to present this work again in a new environment, with a new audience. Every time we play the music, it will develop and find new surprising and exciting places to go. It’s still very new music, so there’s lots of excitement, anticipation and attention attached to performing it. I just can’t wait to share it with more people!”
The Chasm Where We Fall Into Each Other
7.30pm + 9.30pm, Friday 7 March
Hannah Playhouse
With an album on the horizon, a highly anticipated Fringe performance, and many more exciting projects to come, we have no doubt 2025 will be another defining year for Louisa Williamson. We cannot wait to be in the audience every step of the way.