CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS 135: BECCA HATCH ON HER DEBUT ALBUM, MAYDAY

Interview by Sam Elliott and Matilda Elliott.

Becca Hatch first entered the music scene in 2017. Since then, she has only released singles that showcase the prowess Becca holds within storytelling and lyricism, along with the most killer pipes and vocal ability. 

With whirring words and rich vocals, Becca Hatch, a proud Kamilaroi and Samoan woman, is stepping into the well-deserved spotlight with her debut EP, MAYDAY, a truly cathartic and encompassing release. 

Becca has been a gem of the Aussie music scene, with the powerhouse performer opening up shows for the likes of Mahalia, Spacey Jane and Vera Blue. Becca has also shown the world that she can take the world by storm on the stage as a headlining act. 

We were lucky enough to have a chat with Becca about all things music, getting through what life throws at you and connections. We also can brag that we had a listen to MAYDAY before its release and we cannot encourage you more to give this a listen. Becca and her incredible talent is showcased perfectly. We are SO excited to see what is next for her after this album launch! 

FMM: We are so excited to have a chat with you today, Becca and thank you for your time. Look, we're here to talk mostly about your debut EP, MAYDAY which is so amazing. We cannot wait for everyone to get to listen to it. The album explores themes of love, loss, growth, and of course your personal resilience with everything. Could you share with us how these themes created the direction of the peak?

Becca Hatch: Yeah, this project has been in the works since the start of last year. I had spent about a month in Melbourne. I worked with a few different producers; Tentendo, Lucy Blomkamp and Simon Lam. I was also working with a co-writer, KIAN - I went into making this project without having a specific kind of thing to talk about. I kind of was just like, “I just want to make dance music, I wanna make things that are fun.” I’d been going out heaps and a lot of a lot of the inspiration was coming from being out a lot. A lot of things were going on in my personal life, like the moment I had gone to make this project and I guess, the project as a whole. I feel like the journey and the story it tells when you are listening to the album, it's like all the songs that I've made along this journey of going through a shit time in my life. So it's like this journey of a breakup and all these other things going on, like self-doubt, a lot of pressure on you and anxiety. Then as I kind of came out of it, I was still making the project. So, I was slowly going through this journey. And even though it's like that music, it was like talking about things that were happening in my life.

FMM: You kind of laugh back at the idea, right? Once you are out of what you originally felt was a huge traumatic event, in the moment, it's encompassing. 

Becca Hatch: That is how I am looking at it now. At first, I remember I was making this project and I found it hard to listen to some of the songs because I would tear up. But now, when I look at it, I'm like, I feel really proud and like a lot of love. I just feel like it's proof that I could get through something like that. 

FMM: It's seems to have been a bit cathartic for you to create that level of raw and real emotions and you've made something so nice for us listeners. You mentioned that even just the creation of ‘Crash’ itself was within that vulnerable time as well. Can you elaborate on the inspiration for that song and how it evolved into such a message of hope? 

Becca Hatch: I wanted to write a song that got what I was going through the song and felt like when you're going through something and you are finding it hard to find hope, feeling like this is just never going to end. It feels relentless, it's like something shit happens, and then another shit thing happens and it’ll just keep going on and you're like, alright? Like, what had started the idea of the song with just feeling a buildup of things and then feeling it all weighing on you now, and you can’t do anything else, you just have to ride out that shit period. That was kind of the inspiration behind Crash as a song. 

FMM: How do you work on your creative process together with producers and other writers, and how do you find collaborating?

Becca Hatch: So, I have worked with both Tentendo and Lucy before, a couple of times. I have worked with them both separately and they’re very different sonically in the music that they make. But, in saying this, they share a similar energy of being very chill. When I make music, I hate being in a space when I am like sharing ideas like stories and then feeling any judgement. I find it really hard to share things if I feel any sort of judgment. So, they had such a nice energy and were always so chilled, so I loved working with them. 

And then, I have been a huge fan of this group called kllo. They’re a dance duo. Simon Lam is a part of that duo. I’ve been such a huge fan of them for a long time, and we ended up linking up in Melbourne and we ended up making the last song we recorded called Hold Me. I find that song is one of the tracks that really ties in Crash and the rest of the MAYDAY discography of ballads and dance songs. This one fits in somewhere in between. 

And then ,I was also working with KIAN. We have been collaborating for ages and we're very close. He’s also a very chill one to share any ideas and never shuts anything down. It was just a very safe and creative space on this project for sure. 

FMM: So, as well as being an iconic collaborator, you've also performed with a very diverse range of individuals, including Mahalia, Spacey Jane and Vera Blue. How have these experiences shaped your individual performance? 

Becca Hatch: Yeah, I think supporting other artists and playing your own show, are two completely different things. As a support, you're obviously sharing your art but, in a way, you kind of have to learn how to cater to different audiences. It definitely taught me a lot about my own sense of self-confidence, especially performing in front of people who don’t know me or what I am about. I am really grateful for these experiences. 

FMM: It makes me think of the current It girl in America right now, Chappell Roan and how she was opening for Olivia Rodrigo. And you know, these people were like, “Who's that?” and now she’s completely coming into her own and people are recognising her as a stand-alone icon and the same is happening with you. You're coming to into your own with your lane. We cannot wait to see how many people jump on the Becca train. How do you maintain your sense of self, performing when it could be opening for an artist of people who are yet to be converted to the incredible Becca Hatch? 

Becca Hatch: For me, I think it is important to keep that mindset knowing I'm here to support and that maybe there's people who might not be interested and then you're like, but there might be like two people at the front row going hard. At first, I closed myself off and I think slowly as I just kept performing my confidence definitely grew. Being on stage is my favourite. This is who I am, take me as I am, or don’t. 

FMM: What can longtime Becca fans expect from this new era of your music?

Becca Hatch: I feel like both new and old fans or people who have been listening for a long time, can expect bits of the old Becca, but I feel like this whole era for my music has a lot more energy. A lot more just like dance music, things that are a bit more like out there like upbeat, but there is also a lot of storytelling and lyricism like the classic Becca, so it really is a big mix. 

FMM: Best of both worlds - literally. We've kind of touched on how you felt making the album and the hardships you were going through to create this incredible piece. What do you want a new listener or a longtime fan to take away when they've listened to MAYDAY?

Becca Hatch: At first, the project kind of started as something that was just for me. I've got a healing experience mixed with a lot of fun. It was somewhere I could express myself and tell my story. I felt like I could talk about things that I found really hard to talk about. For people who are listening to this, I would just like them to be able to connect to any sort of song or anything with their own life that relates to any of the themes or stories that I'm talking about. I really hope people can connect to it and find solace in the music. 

FMM: Love that, and who in your personal life do you have that connection with when you go through hardships?

Becca Hatch: I am very close to my family. I'm so lucky. I am also so lucky to have really supportive friends around me who understand me and always go through the shittiest times and always there. I am so grateful for my friends and family. 

FMM: Do you have anything planned to go with your MAYDAY launch on Aug 9? We’d love to go to a show or anything and see this incredible piece of work live!

Becca Hatch: At the moment, everything is in the works behind the scenes. Over the coming weeks, there'll be some more updates and things I can reveal, but there are definitely some shows in the works.

FMM: Oh, amazing. Well, we'll keep our ears and eyes on socials!