It’s been a slow process of creating for Brisbane singer-songwriter Aislinn Sharp, but every step she takes is massive.
Following the release of her debut EP ‘On The Couch’ in 2012, Aislinn is back with her funky new single ‘The Wall’. “The song is literally about trying to be close to someone in a relationship, but there’s an invisible wall between you and them,” Aislinn explains.
“'The Wall' started off written on keyboards and vocals. I took it to Caleb James, who’s my producer, and he gave me some feedback that I needed to work more on the texture and diversify a bit more. So I took that constructive feedback away and then thought I’d rearrange the song, and in doing so I decided I would like a beatboxer. So then I had to find a beatboxer.”
{youtube}i1kPD7K_gkI{/youtube}
Rather than getting any old beatboxer, Aislinn aimed high and got world champion beatboxer, ARIA chart-topper and Brisbane local Joel Turner, who was more than happy to help after hearing the song. “It’s just incredible what he can do with different sounds,” she says.
“The trumpet hook in the song is him making that sound. He’s a really chilled, cool guy to work with. When we were filming [the video] with a couple of the parkour guys, they loved having him make different sounds on the set and he’d be quite happy to entertain them in that way.”
Compared to her earlier songs, ‘The Wall’ has seen a change in Aislinn’s sound, which is something she is proud of. “I think doing this track with Joel has added a hip hop vibe to my pop music. I think the elements that are me, like the funky keyboard and the jazzy percussive chords, are still there, but it’s my sound evolving into the next thing.”
For the song’s video, Aislinn reached out to the members of BNE Parkour, who feature 'Australian Ninja Warrior' contestants and twin brothers Brodie and Dylan Pawson.
“I wanted to make my wall metaphor literal in the video by having the parkour guys running and jumping over large gaps. It added this whole level of them being athletic with these two teams of guys running around Brisbane and challenging each other. They were really keen to be part of this, and again it was just through networking and trying to reach out to people that I think would be cool to work with.”
{youtube}pXz-XVmFC7Y{/youtube}
As to whether Aislinn learned any tricks from BNE Parkour, she says it’s in everyone’s best interest not to teach her. “We were shooting near Eagle Street Pier [Brisbane CBD] and I accidently fell backwards into one of those fountains that are at ground level. It was the most unsafe thing to happen and it was just me walking backwards,” she laughs.
Avoiding moving backwards, Aislinn is moving forwards and planning for her future. She’ll next release the single ‘Unsung Hero’ and follow with her debut album, ‘On The Cusp’. As a self-funded and self-managed artist, she knows it will be a challenge. But it’s one she’s ready to take on.
“I think there’s always going to be challenges, but the more I do it, the more I learn and the easier it is to move forward. But I’ve already made some ground and made some contacts, so I’m already building on what I’ve established, so I think it does get easier.”
