Following the release of her new single, we got to chat with Karen Harding, a rising singer-songwriter hailing from Australia.
– Your new single, “Imaginary Boyfriend”, offers a refreshing alternative for those embracing solitude on Valentine’s Day. Can you share more about the inspiration behind this indie-pop anthem and how it celebrates independence and individuality?
Absolutely.. Imaginary boyfriend was written as a way to capture the choice to be single, or moreso, the choice to not be with someone that isn’t absolutely right for you and truly that someone special. At the same time, it doesn’t stop you picturing the good things that come with a relationship. So much of our lives are spent moving between different relationships and so many of us don’t take the time to really assess what we truly need in a relationship, or from ourselves during a relationship. When you take a step back and you realise that you have a choice to be single or you have a choice to say no to a relationship, even if it means you remain single, that choice is independence because you are focusing on what you truly need for yourself and not accepting anything less.
– As an artist from the vibrant music scene of Melbourne, Australia, how have your surroundings influenced your musical journey and the themes explored in your upcoming debut album?
I am so incredibly lucky to live in a place with such a vibrant music scene and in a city where I have the freedom to experience anything that I would like to. For me, the development of my musical journey has for the most part been intrinsic.. it began evolving into a public space out of the long Melbourne lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, however from that there is a huge amount of support within the Melbourne music space and many of those connections have helped me to continue to grow and made me want to keep going.
In terms of the themes in my album, I live a little way out of Melbourne city. When I wake up in the morning, I look out the window and I’m surrounded by green trees, the sounds of birds and I can watch the sunrise over the valley. I feel like this environment really helps me to spur on my creativity and helps me access what’s going on for me intrinsically. A lot of the themes within my album are very much about what is going on internally.. It’s about stripping the mask away and laying it all bare.
– Your distinctive voice has been compared to artists like Sarah McLachlan and Ella Henderson, yet you bring your own unique flair to your music. How do you balance staying true to your musical roots while also pushing the boundaries of creativity?
It’s a great question.. my mind has always had a huge imagination and so creativity can often take over and I’m always experimenting with new things.. This has a lot of benefit for me, but it can certainly also take you on a lot of tangents, which can slow the process at times. I feel that for me, my focus that I try to keep it to, is always staying true to myself and always being authentic. I think it is so important to share music that is authentic, because then it doesn’t matter how others feel about it in the end – it has ultimately served you in the process of creating the sound and substance of the music. I also feel that listeners can feel this in the music.
– Your debut single, “I Didn’t Realise”, introduced you to the music scene in May 2021. How do you feel your sound has evolved since then, and what can listeners expect from your upcoming debut album?
It has evolved so much! I think like any artist, it’s amazing when you listen back to your first releases because you do realise how much you are growing in your artistry and skills.
I have a great vocal coach who continually helps me develop my voice, and over time, my songwriting has explored many different spaces. I love the evolution and can’t wait to see what happens over the next few years.
My debut album, ‘Behind The Mask’ is a mix of a number of different genres, from the indie-pop feel of ‘Imaginary Boyfriend’, to slower pop ballads, bluesy tracks and pop songs. It’s a journey of feelings and experiences that has been developing over the last 3 to 4 years, and comes together to take listeners through the highs and lows of a life filled with waves of emotion.
– Music serves as a vessel for self-discovery and personal growth for you. How do you approach songwriting as a form of therapeutic expression, and what messages or emotions do you hope to convey to your audience through your music?
The thing that I love most about my music journey is that it didn’t evolve from a place of looking to share my music. Writing songs was always a way for me to unpack my feelings and to gain a greater understanding of what was really happening for me. As I began to share some of the songs, I saw that listeners were able to see a glimpse of their own feelings and experiences within what I wrote and I never want that to change because I think it’s truly beautiful.
While ‘Imaginary Boyfriend was written and self produced last year, most of the songs on my upcoming album, ‘Behind The Mask’ were written over the last number of years and recorded as voice memos on my phone. They were purely expressions of the raw feelings I felt at the time. I’ve been working with an amazing producer, Daniel Nieberg who has helped me bring many of these to light and I am really excited to begin to share some of these songs. As a result, I am hopeful that listeners will feel the raw emotion and connect with the songs on their own personal levels.
