A celebrated ARIA-nominated songwriter with more than 60 international releases with an array of artists as well as co-writing Casey Donovan's 'Proud' for Eurovision Australia 2020, Justine Eltakchi is now focusing on her own music.
Set to release her debut album in 2026, which was inspired by her childhood in rural New South Wales after her family's post–World War II migration to Australia, last week Justine released the album's first single, 'Big Dream Baby'.
An APRA AMCOS ambassador, where she champions Australian storytelling, Justine's new material is a moving tribute to heritage, place, and the timeless search for belonging.
"I have been cowriting for other artists for so long, it is easy to lose your artistic voice along the way. Writing this album and songs like 'Big Dream Baby' signify my return home. I have never made music that feels this real and true to who I am."
Atmospheric '80s synth-pop with spacious drumming, gleaming synths and shimmering bass, 'Big Dream Baby' is an infectious power-pop ballad drenched in mushy, dewy-eyed feels.
Justine's vocals are a force too, warm yet intense, conveying the song's spirit of dreaming big while fostering the emotional safety of home.
Don't sleep on the noodling guitar solo mid song either; if you're not contemplating getting a perm and/ or adding shoulder pads to your shirt (guys or girls) as it splashes across your senses, then you need to rewatch 'The NeverEnding Story' stat.
"'Big Dream Baby' for me reflects the journey of coming back home to who I am musically. I grew up listening to songwriters from the '70s, '80s funk, and contemporary pop and I think it's apparent in where the album has landed."
Today, scenestr is delighted to premiere the 'Big Dream Baby' music video, which was filmed and edited by Sydney local Ryan Mooney. Enjoy.
"We happened to accidentally schedule the music video shoot on the coldest day on record in years, and we were up in Blackheath (the top of the Blue Mountains)," shares Justine, detailing the music video creative. "Poor Mia was in a thin jacket and had to film outside for hours, she was such a trooper!
"It all came together somehow, including the local record store Hat Hill letting us film randomly. We also found old train tickets from the '70s and reproduced them for the train station scene."
Justine's forthcoming album traces her roots from Port Stephens, Newcastle and the inland country towns where she and her family grew up.
"I hope Australians can see themselves in these songs because I think we all have stories that are reflected in each other – whether you are finding your identity as a kid of migrants or you've been here for thousands of years."
Justine is planning an album launch in Sydney for 2026, so keep an eye out via her socials for those details in the coming months.
"I worked with producers Emma Greenhill and Dan Frizza on the album, who are both amazing musicians," adds Justine. "We recorded in the Blue Mountains and at Brooklet Studios (Bernard Fanning) near Byron Bay.
"You can hear in the music that the landscape inspires the production and that was important to me as I spent so much time growing up in rural NSW and my school years in the Blue Mountains. I think we even left cicada sounds in some of the vocal takes.
"What was important for this project was to give each song what it needs, rather than trying to sculpt an album from the outset. Naturally the songs have formed this body of work that reflects the stories and everyone involved, but it was cool to not be bound by certain genre rules.
"It's hard to say if this album is folk, adult contemporary or pop – I guess the audience will decide. This whole album has been such an organic process and in many ways unintentional.
"When my grandmother passed away last year, all the stories inside of me started pouring out to handle the grief. I think intergenerational memories are such a real thing, but so is intergenerational resilience.
"The stories this body of work will carve out are all about exploring what is to be an Australian, to come from other cultures and to find a space for yourself in a fast changing society – whether that was what my grandparents starting from nothing when they got to Australia, my parents' generation navigating racism, or my generation trying to 'become' something in a world that demands that we do."
