Azure Ryder
Earlier this year 20 year old artist Azure Ryder came storming onto the Australian, and global, music scene with her stunning debut EP Running With The Wolves. Tomorrow she will begin “chapter two” of her journey with the release of her follow up EP, Crazy With The Light, ahead of two debut live shows in December.
Speaking with City Hub Ryder reflected on the wild year that has been 2020.
Following the release of her debut EP Ryder spent much of the early part of the year travelling back and forth between Nashville and London to work with various producers, writers and creatives. A processes and time period which Ryder said “feels like a very long time ago after how this year has gone.” According to Ryder these opportunities saw her further develop as an artist.
“It was an incredible experience where I really felt like I stepped into who I am as an artists and really became comfortable and clear in that vision.”
Much like the rest of the world COVID-19 quickly swept in to place that development on hold as it forced her to return home ahead of border closures.
“I was just about to do a couple of live shows in London, I had put my band together there, but then my team said ‘maybe we should get you home’ because we weren’t sure when the borders were going to shut.”
Luckily Ryder heeded the advice and returned home to Australia when she did because borders would close one week after she flew into Sydney. Despite this setback in her journey Ryder remains upbeat and positive stating that she believes “being back here all happened how it was meant to.”
Even on a more grand scale Ryder believes this “pause was very needed in this world” because it has allowed everybody to take note and recognise “what is truely important.”
For Ryder that is her connection with the music, her emotions and her fans. All of which she will have an opportunity to showcase and develop further with her new EP and her debut live performances here in Sydney in December.
“Everything to me is a journey. This EP is the second chapter to that journey. I go a little deeper into my stories and into me. It is showing the relationship between the darkness and the light that wasn’t as evident in the first EP, simply because I hadn’t gone there yet. So I’m excited for people to see this and hopefully feel connected to it,” Ryder explained when speaking about the EP. In regards to the live shows she added, “Live to me is the most important part. It is where the music and the artist get to have that physical face to face connection with the audience. It’s a very special experience. Being in COVID and being able to do this I think will make it even more of a magical experience. Not only for me but also for everyone there.”
Dec 2-3. Oxford Art Factory, 38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst. $23.97+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.oxfordartfactory.com
