Adelaide born, music-success machine Orianthi is taking some time from the high life in Los Angeles to visit the country she once called home.
From being hailed as 'the queen of shred' by Guitar World Magazine to joining Michael Jackson on his 'This Is It' tour, Orianthi has received her fair share of incredible experiences.
Her debut single, 'According To You', was met by applause from the whole world, appearing on music charts everywhere, including number three on the Billboard Pop chart.
You've been in LA since 2006. What's it like in the States for you as an artist?
For me personally, it’s full-on but I like being busy. The music industry has changed since I relocated from Adelaide, but the advantages of being based in LA are the opportunities that come without much notice. I can get a call from another musician to jam, collaborate, song-write or from a producer to lay down a track – basically everything I enjoy doing but without much planning.
The list of people you've had the opportunity to collaborate with is insane. What have you learned from them?
People come to shows to be entertained and forget about the real world for a few hours. You can nail every note but not touch people’s hearts, and you can have a few wrong notes but make people feel something. Projecting your energy out to the crowd is really important. I still want to get it right every night I’m on stage, but I also want the audience get into the music and leave on a high, feeling good about life.
How did being invited to tour with Michael Jackson come about?
Michael reached out to his contacts in the music industry and asked who they would recommend as a guitarist to join him on tour. My name came up, so he searched YouTube and found footage of my performance with Carrie Underwood at the Grammy’s in 2009. His music director, Michael Beardon, then reached out to me through MySpace. Initially I didn’t think it was for real, but then I sent the message to my manager and we found out it was genuine. So I auditioned for Michael and became his guitarist.
Where did it all begin for you? Where did your passion for music and performance originate?
I began piano lessons at about three years of age but later switched to guitar. I would play at school assemblies and whenever I could. I formed my first band when I was in grade one and we would put on lunchtime concerts in the schoolyard. When I was about ten years of age I studied classical guitar but I was always drawn to electric guitar. When I was 11, my father took me to see Carlos Santana in concert and that night I decided that I wanted to learn to play with that same feel. It was the turning point for me.
© Silver Tiger PhotographyHow did it feel having a debut single ('According To You') do so well, and be so widely received?
It felt great. It was acknowledgement for all the work I’d put in over the years practising guitar, playing in cover bands and not having much of a social life. My goal had always been to have songs on the radio and tour the world as a musician.
You're currently working on an album set for a 2016 release. What can fans expect to hear from you musically?
The songs we have written are a collaboration of our different musical styles and influences. The album has taken a while to finish as we wanted to release something we were both immensely proud of and something worth the wait. We have written over 60 songs and are now working out the best fit for the feel and direction we see our music taking.
What's your favourite thing about touring, and why?
Getting to meet fans all over the world and experiencing the different cultures is really awesome. I’ve seen so many places that I would have never visited if I wasn’t a musician. There are still a lot of places that I haven’t seen and a few I only stayed a night so I would like to get back there again. Touring can be quite exhausting but the reward is getting on stage every second night in a different city and seeing the crowd rock out with you. And it’s really cool when they know the words to your songs.
Lastly, what can Australia expect from your show in December?
Last year everyone in the audience at The Gov said the show was like a huge party! We had a blast on stage and there was an awesome energy in the crowd. This year it will be the same. I’ll play a different set list but it’ll be guitar-based songs from a few of my albums, maybe a couple of acoustic songs and a few classic covers from guitar legends who influenced me like Jimi Hendrix, and maybe some Stevie Ray Vaughan and Santana.
