Bertie Blackman
Upcoming Aussie singer/songwriter Bertie Blackman chats to Jason Cohn about secrets, lies, and David Copperfield.
Q) The album ‘Secrets and Lies’… Is it full of secrets and lies? Or is it just a name?
A) That’s a secret, but I may be lying.
Q) What is this album like musically compared to Headway and Black?
A) Musically, they are still pop songs, sonically it’s much more electronic and I hope more dynamic.
Q) You don’t really sound like anyone out there at the moment. Is that intentional or are you just going with the flow?
A) I’m just being myself. I’d like to be a cat.
Q) Thump is an obvious standout to me. What was it like working with the likes of Francois Tetaz, Lee Groves and Dave Bascombe?
A) Lee produced Thump and Dave mixed it in the UK. I have not had the pleasure of meeting Dave but working with Lee was incredible. The man is a freak. Francois plays crazy videos in the studio like this one movie called Holy Mountain. Look it up.
Q) Did you expect to sell out Melbourne and Sydney so damn quickly?
A) No. The only problem was half my guest list had to be cut! A good problem to have I think…
Q) Heart was an iTunes Australia single of the week in April. You must be stoked!
A) Yeah and we gave it away for free! We had over 17000 downloads. Humbling….
Q) Is that your real name? (Because it’s pretty damn catchy…)
A) No, but I’ve been called Bertie since I was a child. My real name is Beatrice Octavia Blackman
Q) If you could support anyone in the world, who would it be?
A) David Copperfield, the magician.
Q) If you weren’t a singer, what would you do with yourself?
A) Date David Copperfield.
Q) Favourite place to gig?
A) I can’t wait to play the Gaelic on the 7th of August.
Q) Favourite place to holiday?
A) Canberra
Q) For those of us who have never heard of them, what can we expect from Hungry Kids of Hungary and Kimbra?
A) Hungry Kids of Hungary are hungry and getting a heap of airplay on Triple J. I love their songs. I am told their live show rocks… Kimbra is a young singer songwriter from NZ. She uses this loop pedal for her vocals and is absolutely incredible. Make sure you get down early to see her.
Q) Some things you want to cross off your musical to-do list?
A) Glastonbury Festival and to sing with Cirque de soleil
To see Bertie live at The Gaelic Theatre on August 7th, email the editorial team with your name, number, and the name of Bertie’s album.
