It's a Tuesday between Darwin and Melbourne, and I've just gotten off a video call with Bernadette Novembre.
Our long-distance chat wasn't about time zones though – it was about music, memory, and momentum. Her debut album (that's due for release mid-2026) had been on loop for me all morning, with 'Run Around' on repeat like some hypnotic reverie.
I tell her this right away. She lights up: "That one came out of a real place of emotional exhaustion – when you feel like you've given everything and you're still stranded."
There's something about its vintage sway and lyrical ache that hits like a letter unsent. Some cities have a way of soundtracking their artists.
Melbourne breathes music – in the laneways, on the trams, inside tiny late-night bars – and Bernadette Novembre lets that rhythm move through her.
"Melbourne is just me," she says of her home town. "Artistically. . . you can't put it into words, but there's an undertone, a pulse. The creativity here, it's alive."
The same could be said for Bernadette herself. Her sound fuses a love for '60s soul, Brit-rock energy, and the kind of lyrical depth that only comes from a little heartbreak and a lot of honesty.
She cites George Harrison as a lifelong hero, but there'S also something distinctly her own in the bones of each song – like a vinyl spin on a modern diary.
With collaborator Joshua Moriarty, she finds a partner in crime. "We bounce off each other," she says. "He gets it. We've got similar taste, and I usually come in with the lyrics and we get together and nut out the idea. He's really cool and I sometimes don't have to even say anything, he just knows!"
This kind of effortless candidness is part of Bernadette's charm. She talks about introversion, mental health, and the tension of making music while holding down a day job.
"The balance is tricky," she admits. "It's a slog. I've nearly given up so many times. Especially in lockdown, there was this weird stillness that gave me space to reflect. . . but now it's a rat race again."
That tug-of-war shows up across the album. On current single 'Sliding', Bernadette dives deep into her own psyche, pulling listeners into the vivid emotional spaces behind her mental health.
'Sabotage' explores the small, destructive patterns we fall into – especially in relationships. 'She's Invisible' takes aim at haters and projection, while 'Delusa', written in Italian, unpacks heritage and disappointment. "I wear my heart on my sleeve," she says. "Sometimes it bites."
Whether it's social commentary ('Dystopia', 'Plastic Age') or poetic play ('Mirage' – Xanadu inspired, dreamy and surreal), her music doesn't shy away from any part of the human condition.
'11PM To Midnight' hits the culture of non-committal flings with the sharp eye of someone who's lived it. "That one's about player guys who only message late at night. You know the type."
Then there's 'Into The Now' – the very first track written for the record. "It's about trying to come back to the present," Bernadette says. "I don't look back much. . . I'm always looking ahead, but some days I'm still learning how to just be in the now."
More than anything, this music is a rescue and a retreat. To the self. To the stillness. To the real. Bernadette tells me this as a lasting line. "I want this album to be unapologetic. I love the thought of someone just sitting on their bed and listening to my music, in their own space to reflect on it."
While the full album won't see the light until next year, Bernadette plans to let singles drop like breadcrumbs along the path – paired with playful, cinematic videos that make the whole process feel less like pressure and more like pure joy.
The 'Sliding' single launch takes place at Northcote Social Club (Melbourne) on 13 September.
