Odette, esteemed singer-songwriter, today returns to announce a string of performances this July, supported by Aotearoa / New Zealand’s Paige, in celebration of the five-year anniversary of her debut album, To A Stranger.
Jul 6 – Northcote Social Club – Naarm / Melbourne
Jul 7 – The Great Club – Eora / Sydney
Jul 8 – Black Bear Lodge – Meanjin / Brisbane
Speaking to the celebratory run of shows, Odette shares “Releasing To A Stranger changed my life. It connected me to people who felt the same as I did when I was writing the songs. It was kind of a risky experiment to put my most vulnerable self out there and see what happened and I’m so glad I did it. It’s been five years now and my life’s trajectory has completely shifted because of it. I’m so excited to be able to tour this record again and honour it and the people who fell in love with the record.”
Including her ARIA Gold accredited debut single ‘Watch Me Read You’ (#56 on triple j’s Hottest 100 in 2017), To A Stranger unveiled Odette’s deeply personal songwriting, inspired in part by her straddle and embrace of her mixed heritage and mental health advocacy. Manifested through her arresting live presence with warm and soulful vocals – be it just Odette and her piano or backed by a full band – best captured in her stripped-back cover of Gang Of Youth’s ‘Magnolia’ originally performed for triple j’s Like A Version.
Written in collaboration with producers and songwriters, Charlie Hugall (Florence + the Machine, Ed Sheeran), Jason Cox (Blur, Gorillaz), Alex Hope (Troye Sivan, Broods) and Paul Mac (Ngaiire, Silverchair), and LA-based, Grammy-nominated producer Damian Taylor (Bjork, The Prodigy, The Killers); To A Stranger would go to land at #13 on the ARIA Album Chart and #1 on the Apple Music Chart, earning Odette two ARIA Award nominations including Breakthrough Artist, boast over 55 million streams, sell out national headline tours in Australia, the UK and Europe and live show appearances at Splendour In The Grass, Falls Festival, SXSW, The Great Escape, BIGSOUND and more.
Its follow-up Herald, brought new experimental pop heights, leaving no stone unturned as it canvassed love, heartbreak, grief, anger, self-analysis, accountability and more, like a theatrical, dramatic and surreal coming-of-age drama – minus the happy ending. Praised by Rolling Stone as “a showy demonstration of Odette’s advanced musicality and ear for melody, [and] emotional candour,” and a “beautiful sonic tapestry” by the Guardian, amongst an Australian Music Prize nomination and crowning as one of the best albums of 2021 by NME, Tone Deaf, The Music, Junkee and more.