Australian-Canadian electronic singer-songwriter…
Based in: Melbourne, Australia
Musical styles: Electronic experimental, folktronica, dream-pop, IDM / EDM, downtempo, lo-fi, ambient, chillwave, new-age
Influenced by: Dandelion Wine, Björk, Massive Attack, Sneaker Pimps, Hooverphonic, Chicane, Enya, Enigma, Jonn Serrie, Four Tet, Legion of Green Men, Geamala, Margins, Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker (USS), Rüfüs Du Sol, iamamiwhoami / ionnalee, Yogetsu Akasaka, Valicension, Car Machines, Joshua Potter & Jayden McGrath, Röyksopp, The Knife / Fever Ray, Delerium, Carbon Based Lifeforms, Morcheeba, Collide, Wax Poetic, Florence + the Machine, Josh Wink, Ivana Santilli, Explosions in the Sky, Sa Dingding, Moby, MGMT, Ladytron, Luke Paulding <3
about Gen
Born and raised in the forested expanses of north-western Ontario, Canada, Genevieve Sovereign’s most cherished memories are defined by that region’s vast tracts of wilderness renowned for their natural beauty and mystery.
“Growing up, the closest neighbour was a 15-odd minute walk down our rambling old country dirt road. The closest village was a 15-20 minute drive away and the closest city about 40-60 minutes away, depending on the weather,” she reminisces, “Even tucked down at home, I’d often sit upstairs in my bedroom window for hours – legs dangling out over the ledge just watching the moon and stars shine down on fields of summer fireflies, or clouds drifting across a distant winter sun. The profound depth of meaning to be found amidst all that quiet stillness, and the foundations it laid within my heart and mind as a girl, have been a source of strength and inspiration throughout the years since.”
Ever listening with delight to a variety of musical styles, Genevieve Sovereign’s curiosity and tastes have always been broad. In high school she learned to play flute and piccolo, and became an avid participant in both her school’s concert band and the city’s youth orchestra. When she moved away to university, her flute and interest in music went with her – she performed in the pit orchestra for a musical comedy production on campus, whilst simultaneously studying engineering full-time and working a part-time admin job to support herself.
“It was a very intense time and I learned a lot – both about myself and about the world,” Sovereign recalls, “But ultimately those levels of commitment across that many channels became unsustainable, especially once I took on a leadership role running an artwork and creative writing magazine that was also based on campus. I had to choose my priorities carefully – and at that time, music was one that fell by the wayside.”
Fast-forward many years and to her new home in Australia, amidst the rolling lockdowns of 2020. She explains, “All the beautiful music I discovered (and re-discovered) during Melbourne's various lockdowns deeply inspired me to revisit music-making myself. So I started teaching myself guitar at home, and then commenced proper lessons with pro teachers once lockdowns permitted.” In addition to reigniting her passion for listening to and playing music, Sovereign also began writing her own. Learning to use a digital audio workstation (DAW), she started exploring music creation in earnest – at one stage writing one new song per week over a period of eight weeks in mid-2021.
All this and more became faithfully catalogued in a dedicated YouTube vlog to track her musical exploration and growth. Sovereign elaborates, “I knew this would be a massive and eventful journey, and I was starting at the tiniest baby steps – just learning how to sing and write songs and use a DAW. But I knew too that progress would build faster than expected in many ways, if I kept working hard. So I began this vlog as a way to stay keen and aware of my own growth. It’s been hugely valuable as a learning aid, and also as a series of time capsules. I’m always amazed on reviewing old update videos, seeing how far I’ve come in only a year.”
Spring-boarding off the launch of her 2022 debut EP and subsequent standalone singles, Sovereign now contemplates work on a full-length album. She is also keen to continue building her music network, as well as learn from and collaborate with other artists moving forward. “The ideas just keep coming,” she remarks, “It’s like this process unlocked mental floodgates I didn’t know existed! A seemingly endless stream of new concepts and possibilities is clamouring to emerge from my brain, into this big wide reality we share. It’s incredible, and super-motivating for getting my nose onto that grindstone to get things done.”