G Flip Talks About the Importance of Music Education for Young People and Her Debut Album “About Us”

Written by Vocalo Radio on August 7, 2019

Vocalo sat down with Melbourne’s G Flip at Lollapalooza 2019 to discuss her upcoming album About Us and her journey as a musician, including her roots as a drummer.

Jill Hopkins: You are a producer, songwriter, a multi-instrumentalist. But more than anything, it seems like drums are your thing. How did your story as a drummer start and how did that impact the way you write music?

G Flip: Drums have always been my first love. My drumming history began when I saw my cousin playing drums. When I was really small, I’d look up to him and I was really fascinated with the drum kit. So my uncle bought me a drum kit for my 9th birthday. I had a really amazing drum teacher, who was this sick tomboy kind of chick and was the first person I identified with as a young teenager. She taught me how to play drums and I fell in love, played in a heap of bands, then decided to go solo. I was secretly writing songs in my room and didn’t tell anyone. So yes, I guess it helps with my songwriting. The way I think of rhythm and melody, my melodies are more rhythmic because of my drumming background.

We are big champions of education and educators, and you’re an educator now yourself. My music teacher from high school is named Martha Murphy. She was the one that changed everything for me. I understand that you had Jenny Rose Morris.

Yes, Jenny one hundred percent changed my life. I feel like when you’re in those young teenage years, there’s a role model or someone that really shapes you like you’re Play-Doh and molds you into what you end up becoming. She totally did that for me. I wanted to be exactly like her, I even wanted the same clothes. I bought the same drumsticks and the same drum kit as her. Yeah, and I followed in her footsteps and I even got the same music degree as her. She totally shaped my life and she sadly passed away a few years ago, which has inspired me greatly. Every time I’m on stage, I’m always hoping that she’s watching me because this is all so cool.

There’s so much positivity in the music and the art that you make, whether it’s the energy that you pack into a live show, or the inspirational lyrics found in songs like “I Am Not Afraid” or “Bring Me Home.” Is it important to you to help your fans overcome some personal obstacles and to accept themselves for who they are?

When I’m writing songs, I’m not thinking about how it is going to help or inspire people, because I’m so in the zone. When I’m writing, I’m really just focusing on what’s happened in my life. It wasn’t until I released my songs that I had so much feedback and so many people sharing how they’d be going through the roughest times but that my song helped them. To hear that as a songwriter, that the lyrics that you’ve written have actually helped someone in some way or have changed someone’s perspective is so humbling and heartwarming. It’s something that I didn’t know I was going to feel doing this. I was always sitting behind the drums my whole life, so I never got to write lyrics and get a response from a fan on how they’ve interpreted the lyrics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE1qcGlHmZ4

I want to talk about your debut album. About Us comes out August 30. How does it feel sharing these songs with the world?

I’m so stoked. Majority of the songs on this album I wrote end in 2016-2017 when I was going through an on and off relationship. So I’ve been playing them for a while I before I was playing them to audiences. I was playing them to the walls in my bedroom. But now it’s great to finally share it!