Indie pop artist Amy Shark proved she could do it all in the Laver Arena last March of this year when she covered a classic rock anthem and performed songs from her latest album “Cry Forever” at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena.
Between her 21-song setlist, somewhere amid “The Wolves” and “Mess Her Up,” Shark performed The Killer’s 2003 hit single Mr. Brightside. “I don’t know the rules around here,” Shark began. “I ask for, what is it? Forgiveness, not permission. And I think just for one song, we should break the rules and go a little crazy, alright?”
And then, the song’s opening guitar riff started, with Shark remaining faithful to the rock classic, belting out with her signature vocals.
But this isn’t the first time Shark has covered a pop-rock anthem. Just a year ago, she sang an emotionally-charged rendition of Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar, We’re Going Down” on triple j’s Like a Version segment. Two consecutive years prior, she covered Dean Lewis’ “Be Alright” (2019) and Silverchair’s “Miss You Love” (2017)
Those Covers Lead to Her Second Album: Cry Forever
But all those covers and solo albums (“It’s a Happy City” as Amy Cushway in 2012 and “Love Monster” as Amy Shark in 2018) wasn’t enough for the Melbourne-based singer-songwriter who found herself alone one night in a hotel in Sydney. She wandered the halls after midnight, listening to the drafts of a new song on her headphones.
“The staff kept giving me concerned looks, but I kept walking. I was at my lowest since I hadn’t released original content in ages, but there was a song in reach. I just needed to pull through.” She sent an email with a demo attached at 1 AM to her husband, who reminded her that she had to get up for work at 6 AM. Shark kept writing. By dawn, she had the core of the song “C’mon” that she finished with the help of producer and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker.
“When I get started [on writing], I can’t help but write as it’s something I love to do,” Shark opened up. “It’s also a way for me to process their thoughts and emotions. I sometimes write about people who have inspired or let me down, and I don’t always have a choice in what I write about. It just comes out and flows!”
Her latest release, “Cry Forever” (which was back in 2021), is the artist’s attempt to connect her many different versions in one record: Shark as a musician that sells out arenas like Rod Laver, as an artist who just wants to craft intimate songs, the outspoken activist who decries censorship, a singer-songwriter figuring out who her allies are, and a human gingerly picking up the pieces of an abandoned childhood.
But perhaps one facet about Amy Shark that she’ll cry forever about is her closest and longest-lasting partnership with songwriting, “It’s been equal parts frustration, relief, and joy, but I can never give that up. If I let others write for me, it’s not my work. I can’t let that go.”
And don’t you ever, Amy. Don’t you ever.
Swim with the Shark
Catch more of Amy Shark on her YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple accounts for her latest releases from her sophomore effort “Cry Forever.” You can also visit her website: https://amyshark.com/.
For more music news on artists such as Birds of Tokyo, Pete Murray and Parcels, features, and information about upcoming Aussie Sounds events, visit our archives.
Heath is the founder of Australian Sounds Live and is a dynamic and innovative business strategist with the talent, experience and drive to recognise good ideas across a range of industries and rapidly transform these into market-busting offerings. Combined with a deep understanding of what it takes for a digital-age business to thrive, and a rare ability to energise the teams propelling those businesses into the future, Heath’s passion for creating and developing new ventures unlocks potential and yields high returns.
