After originally making her mark as Little Coyote, singer and songwriter Teagan Johnston has now broken free of her formative guise as she delivers her spellbinding debut album 'Sentimental Ballad'.
Featuring the previously shared singles 'Blue Monday' and the more recent 'Get Out Of Town', 'Sentimental Ballad' sees her deliver a wonderfully powerful listen. Channelling the warm and wistful approach of acts like St. Vincent and Lucy Dacus, she sweeps and swoons across a flurry of piano-led offerings, conjuring a beautifully rich aesthetic in the process.
So with the new album available now, we sat down with her to find out more about her background and what has been inspiring her most recently.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
The first instrument I fell in love with was the violin. I saw a girl play it when I was about 3 or 4 and I asked my mom if I could learn to play. We already had a piano though so my mom told me that I could play that instead and of course I then fell into a life long love with the piano.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I loved a lot of what my parents were listening to - lots of The Beatles, Beach Boys, David Bowie, The Cars, Tom Petty, Mamas and Papas. I think the first artist I really fell in love with on my own though was Avril Lavigne.
What was the first album you remember owning?
The first album I owned was a CD of Endless Summer by The Beach Boys.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
There are so so many. One off the top of my head right now would be “I will survive” by Gloria Gaynor.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Not really no, it’s just me sitting at my piano. I guess isolation and usually a cup of coffee or a glass of wine at the piano would be two rituals of sort.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
I’ve been listening to a lot of Aldous Harding’s new album Warm Chris. Also been listening to a lot of Surfbort and Modern Baseball.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Emily Haines.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
I find it really rewarding to see the things in my brain come to life in a physical, visual or auditory way I guess, I love seeing ideas and feelings become real.
And what is the most frustrating part?
The state of the industry.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
The best piece of advice I have received as a musician was probably when I was 16 I was talking to a bassist from a band I really admired. It was after one of their shows and I was trying to tell him that I also made music but I went about it in a really really awkward way because I didn’t feel like I could just say “I am a musician.” I was saying things like “ya uh I like sort of make music too and like it.” Mid sentence he turned to me and just said “Hey if you want to be a musician, just start saying you’re a musician. No one can tell you you’re not.” So after that I just started telling everyone I was a musician and it just kind of came true.
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Teagan Johnston's new album 'Sentimental Ballad' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.