Singer-songwriter Ella Freestone is a unique young acoustic pop artist from Manly. She is a talented songwriter, guitarist and performer who has just released her debut album. Ella exhibits a level of control and ability that’s rare in someone so young. The depth of emotion Ella evokes speaks of a maturity that far belies her 17 years.
What was the first band you saw live?
The first proper concert I went to was Coldplay on their Viva La Vida tour. It was a huge show at the Acer Arena and it was incredible.
What’d you learn from them?
The main thing that I learnt from that experience is that live music isn’t just about being amplified through a sound system and being watched by a polite audience who claps after each song respectfully. Live music is about energy and authenticity. Experiencing live music should always be varying and original – each audience should be left with a particularly flavoured memory that they wont easily forget.
Got any pre-gig rituals?
Nothing too bizarre or interesting I’m afraid! I always do proper vocal warm ups and also make sure my fingers are warm and relaxed so that playing guitar isn’t too much of a battle. I drink some warm water to relax my vocal chords and don’t have too much dairy that day. I’m always up for a shoulder massage too!
What do you think the most important issue facing artists in NSW is?
I’ve only just really begun to enter the music scene, so I think I will continue to discover issues and obstacles on the way. At the moment I am just trying to get as many gigs under my belt as I can and I think that this is the best way to get my music heard and my name out there. It seems that a lot of artists are ‘making it’ independently at the moment but some young artists don’t yet realise that you have to do a lot of the groundwork yourself. You can’t just sit back and expect it to happen for you because more often than not, it won’t. I’ve also found that amidst a culture of downloading music for free I tend to sell the most hard copy albums after performing at a gig. Most people, particularly young people, aren’t used to actually buying music. It’s really important to remind people that musicians deserve proper credit for their work, just like any other artist.
If you weren’t a musician, what do you reckon you’d be doing?
Probably not too much! I would be sitting back and relaxing post-HSC and then perhaps look for a job to save money to travel. I really want to go backpacking around New Zealand, I love it over there!