Singer-songwriter Jordan Thipthorpe left his home in British Columbia (Canada) and relocated to Queensland to chase his dream of being a full-time musician.
Jordan has released the new EP from his band Sound City Lights called 'Over When It's Over', a loose collection of songs he's been working on for several years.
“Sound City Lights started when I was about 17 or 18 when I was doing a lot of writing with one of my first bands, and we had about six original songs and I think only two of them were any good,” Jordan says.
“For anyone who's looking to venture overseas and give it a try I'd say it takes about a year to get a good foothold.”
“I took some time off to really focus on writing and it was no longer about the quantity of songs, it became about the quality of the songs; I think that's more important.
"It eventually comes to a point where you can write 15 songs but if only 3 of them are something you're proud of and any good, then what are the other 12 going to do?”
This month marks three years since Jordan first came to Australia. Originally settling on the Gold Coast, he has recently shifted his base of operations north to the Sunshine Coast.
From Canada to Caloundra, Jordan says it was a massive gamble that is now starting to pay off. “I hear a lot of people say that Canadians and Australian are very much alike; we drink the same, we can keep up drinking with one another,” Jordan laughs.
“I didn't find the transition among Australian people had been hard at all. Mostly it's the act of picking up and leaving everything you know behind, all your friends and family.
"Your whole life support is basically left behind. I'm not going to say it's been easy and it isn't an easy adjustment for anyone.
“For anyone who's looking to venture overseas and give it a try I'd say it takes about a year to get a good foothold, so don't give up [after] two or three months.
"It does take a year and even entering a new music scene, it takes a while to find connections and chat to people to see what's this and what's that.”
Although 'Over When It's Over' has already been released, the official launch shows won't take place until January, with details still to be confirmed. “The live shows are a work in progress for me especially as a songwriter,” Jordan says.
“Once this record is done I'm already thinking of the next thing. I'm already thinking about my next voyage into recording with new sounds and new songs.
"So getting them on the road I find is really important because I like to see the audience connecting with certain songs – whether they be songs I've recorded or ones I want to record – and I can see what works and what doesn't.
"Right now I just do them acoustically, which is how I wrote them and then I'll bring in the electric and live aspects.”
