Beneath the ethereal veneer of Serena Stranger's saccharine voice comes a quirky and honest peek into her life lessons.
Backed by smooth, surfy tones her songs explore how personal illusions can grip us, and yet be cut by the blunt butterknife of reality. She conjures a nostalgia for a vintage age of music.Serena started out by buying a $20 green ukulele, held together by sticky tape and some kind of magic, and learned how to play while travelling in 2015. From there it was a whirlwind of anxiety-fuelled open-mic nights, gigs in strange places and figuring out how music and its equipment worked as she went along.
Five years later she was holding a hot fiery electric guitar and writing her own songs. Since then, she has collaborated with artists such as Bloom Bat and featured on 'Rage' with her singles 'Fool' and 'Butterknife'. She'll be releasing her first album, 'Last Sighs', later this year.
With a voice akin to Dusty, Lana and Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval, and ahead of her SPARK Ipswich performance alongside JB Paterson and Tom Harrison at Banshees Bar in Ipswich next week (5 July), we get to know Serena a little better.
Located just 30 minutes from Brisbane's CBD, Ipswich is home to an array of world-class artists, musicians and performers who are spotlighted by the SPARK Ipswich 2024 programme.
Who is Serena Stranger... I am an independent artist from the deep north of Brisbane. I love reverb, if I could marry it, I would – lost together in a sea of echoes, echoes, echoes.
Believe it or not, I was heavily influenced by the sounds of Gipsy Kings, the soundtrack (and movie) to 'Dirty Dancing', and a cassette of Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers, which had my feet possessed by the dancing devil.
I'm a firm believer that there is no limit to how many songs one can write about love, and I have taken it upon myself to prove this theory alongside many others.
I sound like... Mazzy Star meets surf-soul-psychedelia with a touch of Latin rhythms.
My first gig was... In 2015, at the Cardigan Bar after my mum dobbed me in as good singer.
When did you settle on the group's name, and was it a unanimous decision... Everyone pronounces my surname as Stranger so I just rolled with it, and I quite like being a stranger! Stranger things have happened. . .
In the studio I usually... Record with the magical JB Paterson in his solar studio amongst the gum trees. I make sure to fuel JB's creative fire with cold beer; it's a very important ingredient in production, and I've learned you can only go so far without it, especially for those difficult vocal takes.
I was Jack's first customer in 2019, starting out in just a tiny brick shack with some solar panels, praying for the clouds to let the sun shine down on us. Early on, having enough power was a big issue – it was exhilarating! This is no longer a concern with the studio constantly being upgraded by Jack into a bush mechanic wonderland.
We recorded on a Tascam DP32 with some SD cards and without a DAW. I really enjoy the sound Jack produces. He respects the soul of every song he works on and I'm very lucky that he played many of the instruments on my recordings – the man is a genius!
If I could tour with anyone... Jonathan Richman. I love his honest, humorous observations, his dreamy way with the guitar, the simplicity of his recordings and the nostalgia he pours into your heart.
Social media is... A field of illusions and fantasy, an electronic masterpiece on the human condition, and a stalkers' paradise – you know where to find me.
My favourite app at the moment is... Etsy – I am obsessed with vintage fashion, clothes that have lived many lives on many personalities. The strange treasures you find in pockets, the challenge on mending holes and tears. The brilliance of how clothing was once made and will never be made again.
To date, my most embarrassing moment was the time... I regret nothing! But seriously, probably belching mid song – I feel I have this under control now.
Life on the road can be... If I ever do it again, it wouldn't be in a 1985 240GL Volvo that's for sure!
If you'll have me on your bill, all I ask is that our rider contains... Ginger tea, filtered water, ripe bananas and beef jerky.
The most scary scenario I've found myself in, was... Forgetting all the lyrics and chords to a song. My remedy is telling the crowd "that's showbiz!" in a New York accent.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to be your spokesperson... Meatloaf for his passion.
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why? Burgas, Bulgaria in summer – incredible fresh produce, clear water beaches on the Black Sea, best tomatoes and watermelons of my life, sweet, friendly locals and ridiculously affordable.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party... Richard Bach for his philosophy, April Stevens for her sexual innuendo and Dudley Moore for his piano improv.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? My trainer might be reading this, so I'll say bone broth.
When it comes to pets are you a lover or hater of our furry friends? I'm about to adopt a wayward British bulldog named Teddy Brown.
No matter the expense, send me a case of... Raw gruyere cheese from France! Fancy.
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was... This week at Functional Patterns. I highly recommend this style of training – you workout while fixing your spinal alignment. Goodbye back pain!
What's the one chore you dislike the most? Grooming myself.
Do you have any phobias... I was just saying that I wanted to overcome my fear of snakes, and the next day we had a four-metre female python in the backyard. The snake made it on Channel 7 news, bless her.
Would you ever partake in a reality show? I feel like my life is turning into its own iteration of 'Grey Gardens' – a mother and daughter going quietly mad together.
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down? I love a laugh, but the jokes always on me.
Best local takeaway joint for a midnight feed that will leave you with a food coma? My refrigerator, but it's generally full of healthy food so you have to work quite hard to make something truly naughty, but it can be done.
Which fictional character best describes your personality? Austin Powers – he's silly, he means well and he's a little bit horny.
Last show you binge-watched? 'Such Brave Girls' on Stan. A very clever show that captures the essence of the book 'Women Who Love Too Much' by Robin Norwood – and turns it into a comedy.
