CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS 114: AZURE ON PRINCE EGOS, A NATIONAL NATIONAL TOUR, AND A FEATURE ON THE L WORD

Interview by Brooke Gibbs.

Picking right up from where Famous left us, singer and songwriter Azure, continues the story with Prince Ego.

In between shows of her national headline tour, we caught up with Azure to talk all things toxic ex boyfriends, songs she wish she wrote, and the L Word!

FMM: This is such an exciting time for you, right now. You’re joining us in between shows of your national tour. How’s the tour been? 

Azure: It is! It has been insane. I know it sounds dumb, but I just get so shocked when I walk out there every night and see the crowd full. Im like “y’all are here for me?”. I couldn’t be more grateful. 

FMM: What have been some of your favourite memories so far?

Azure: Honestly, my favourite moments are being with the fans. These are people that have supported me relentlessly, no matter what. Being able to hug them, talk to them and play their favourite songs is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Every day is a ‘pinch me’ moment. 

FMM: Now that you’ve got the debut national tour experience on your resume, what would you do differently for your next tour?

Azure: I would relax a bit. Next tour I’ll trust a bit more, rely on others more. I have this bad habit of feeling like i’m the only one that should shoulder the work, the anxiety and the responsibility. I would change that next time. Also bigger venues. I had no idea they would be packed out.

FMM: Your final show is in Melbourne in a couple of days. How will you be wrapping up such a great tour? 

Azure: My final show is actually in Sydney now considering it got moved due to technical difficulties, which was devastating, but I’m so looking forward to it now. Melbourne was unreal. I had this strange preconceived idea that no one there even knew who I was but I was proved INCREDIBLY wrong. The fans there were something else. I sat with some of them after and had some drinks and honestly we had a ball. I want to take them all home with me. 

FMM: For anyone who hasn’t seen you live before, how would you describe an Azure gig?

Azure: I would describe it as an emo scream-cry thats full of heartbreak and hectic laughs. It’s an experience thats for sure. 

FMM: The tour is titled I Don’t Wanna Die Anymore. Is that a preview of an upcoming single or EP? Or, did you feel this title just summed up your music catalogue so well?

Azure: I have struggled with mental health issues most of my life, from at least six years old. I have been suicidal for most of my life too, and I thought that I was completely beyond help. Turns out, I am not. I have healed so much with medication and therapy and hard work. I have reached a point in my life where I don’t wanna die anymore and I never thought that was possible. I vowed if I ever did, I would name something after it, so here we are. 

FMM: Your latest single, Prince Ego, gives me some old-school Avril Lavigne vibes which I love! Who are some of your musical influences?

Azure: That is the greatest compliment ever and one I’ve been getting a lot lately, which is honestly gassing me up too much. But, yes. That is extremely deliberate. Avril is a huge idol of mine along with The Veronicas, which I try to channel a lot.

FMM: In regards to the lyrics, I feel like Prince Ego follows on right from where Famous left us. It continues on from the story of an ex partner who is more in love with himself than anything or anyone else. Not dropping names, but I feel like both tracks are written about the same person? What’s the story behind this one? 

Azure: It absolutely does, very well spotted! They absolutely are. I wrote this about an actual gathering I was at where this person was moving onto manipulating someone else, that I truly saw myself in, that I understood, and despite how heartbroken and manipulated I was, I wanted to save her from that pain. I can still see it so clearly in my mind. All’s well that ends well, though. Now she’s one of my closest friends.  

FMM: Do you ever wonder if he’s checking in on your releases and listening to what you’ve been up to? Do you think he’s come across these songs?

Azure: I don’t wonder about him much, to be honest. I’ve healed a lot and become so grateful for the experience. I love my life now and I love the people in it. I’m not sure if he checks up on my releases. I would rather hope he was spending his free time trying to get a job. 

FMM: My favourite line is, ‘With all due respect, you should be terrified.’ I’d love to know the story behind this one!

Azure: When I was in the studio, I imagine what line a crowd would scream at me if I ever did a tour and the producer, Dominik Dale, and I thought this line was pretty sick and funny. Now I’m on my first national headline tour people actually do scream this line at me and I’ve never felt more stoked in my life. 

FMM: I was so stoked for you to see that your single, Bad, was featured on the L Word! How did that all come about?

Azure: Thank you so much! I am beyond stoked. The L Word reached out to my team and it just went from there. I’m a huge fan of Kehlani and have been for years and I cannot even believe my song was playing whilst she was on the screen. My best friend and I screamed when we saw it, The neighbours must have thought we were getting murdered.

FMM: How did it feel hearing it during the scene for the first time? Let’s be honest, that scene was hot as fuck as it was, and then to be topped with an Azure song… perfect!

Azure: I wanted to scream. It was INSANE. Also, KEHLANI?! FUCKING KEHLANI? I nearly died. One of my top moments in my life so far. Also, The L Word fans fucking rock. I love them. 

FMM: You recently released a new collection of covers titled Some of the Songs I Wish I Wrote. From Paramore, to Bring me the Horizon, there’s a good mix of covers in there. What is it about these particular songs that draw you to wishing you had wrote them?

Azure: I did! I’ve done a Part I and a Part II. I would love to do a Part III to be honest. It’s just honestly me being a fan girl and singing songs that I scream cry in the car. My favourite bands in the world from like 12 yrs old are in that emo/pop-punk; like Mayday Parade, Pierce the Veil, Marianas Trench, BMTH, Paramore. It’s a mix between the faves that built me and then my new faves; I love Nessa Barrett and Conan Gray and have for years. They’re genius. 

FMM: I see you’ve now updated your Instagram bio to include LA/Sydney. That’s exciting. Can you tell me more about that and what’s been happening for you in LA? 

Azure: I spent a fair whack of 2022 in LA and it was so fruitful for me. I just absolutely love it there. I love the people, I love the hustle. Its just the place for me. So, I’m making that a permanent thing. 

FMM: So you’ve got tours, features on tv shows, it looks like 2023 is your year! What’s in store for the coming months? 

AZURE: We will just have to see! I’m so excited for 2023; it feels so good already.

FMM: Anything else you would like to add?

Azure: I love you and thank you for interviewing me and I hope I can see you soon! And thanks for reading guys! I love y’all.