Last Updated on 2025-11-16 by a-indie
Australian singer-songwriter Harriette Pilbeam’s project, Hatchie.
Her third album ‘Liquorice’ was produced with Melina Duterte’s solo project Jay Som, whom we recently interviewed.
In this interview, Hatchie explicitly states that she was influenced by Jay Som’s ‘Anak Ko’, and traces of Jay Som’s DNA can be felt throughout her previous work.
The change that emerged from their direct connection is the coexistence of rich sweetness and passionate sound.
While retaining the Cocteau Twins and Pale Saints lineage dreampop sound that characterizes her music, it merges with a powerful, clear sound like clearing mist.
It stimulates the auditory senses while expressing contrast and dynamics, projecting a gorgeous and ephemeral emotional landscape.
What deserves praise is that this is not a product of coincidence, but that Hatchie has brilliantly and clearly manifested as sound the influences of Kylie Minogue and Cocteau Twins, as well as the romance films that inspired this work.
While it was inevitably a work born of necessity, one cannot help but feel reverence for the skill to express exactly the sound image she envisioned and everything under her influence.
Every answer in this interview directly connects to ‘Liquorice’. As an interviewer, this is the first time interview content and work have been so directly linked.
If you listen to the album and read this interview, you’ll have no choice but to agree with that fact.
And it means that Hatchie answered every question honestly, without any falsehood.
About Hatchie
Artist: Harriette Pilbeam Interviewer: Yuuki Takita Translation, Editing, Proofreading: BELONG Media, A-indie
Childhood Musical Experiences and the Beginning of Hatchie
-Yuuki Takita: I believe ‘Liquorice’ is a work that reflects on past experiences and explores self-discovery, depicting how admiration and obsession become intertwined. At our publication, we value understanding an artist’s roots, the background behind their music, and the music, culture, and art that have influenced them. Since this is our first interview with you, I’d like to start by asking about your background so that our readers can better understand your appeal. Could you tell me about how you spent your childhood and how you came to start your artistic career as Hatchie?
Harriette Pilbeam: Hi Yuuki!! Wow, amazing. Thank you so much for the support! My childhood was very musical, I have three older siblings and my parents encouraged us all to play instruments and sing all the time. I constantly listened to music on my walkman or discman in the car, on the bus, in my bedroom, basically everywhere! As a child I loved Kylie Minogue, Hilary Duff, The Corrs, and S Club Seven. My parents also played us their favourite music like Billy Joel, Todd Rundgren, Carole King and The Beatles, so I had a lot of old and new influences. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do as a career growing up, but I loved performing. I joined a friend’s band playing bass when I was 17 years old and have been playing in bands ever since!
Creating in Two Cities: Brisbane and Melbourne
The Two Cities That Became the Stage for Album Production
-Yuuki Takita: I understand that you began creating ‘Liquorice’ in Brisbane in 2022-2023, and later continued the production in Melbourne while living with Agius. Could you tell me about that period? What prompted you to move to Brisbane and then to Melbourne? And what was your daily life like in those cities?
I was feeling lost after spending a lot of time on the road touring and working on my second album, so I decided I needed a break to figure out my personal life. I started slowing working on the album in Brisbane while I was taking time off touring, but I still felt unsettled living with my parents and working random jobs. I tested out so many ideas and started to realise what I wanted to album to sound like after a lot of experimentation with different sounds. I realised I wanted the album to be less polished and feel more like my own creation, with less fancy production. We made the decision to move to Melbourne after thinking about it for a few years – most of our friends from Brisbane had moved here already so it was a logical choice. I kept writing pretty much as soon as we arrived and finished the album in the next 12 months.
Brisbane and Melbourne: Their Musical Foundations
-Yuuki Takita: I’m also curious about Brisbane and Melbourne as cities. What is the urban landscape like, and how would you describe the local music scene and culture?
Brisbane is like an over-populated small town. It feels really quiet in comparison to the major cities, which is what makes it a special place to grow up. But unfortunately many of the venues in Brisbane have closed down, so it’s harder to be a small musician there than it used to be. Melbourne is a very busy city, with lots of venues and opportunities to play music. There’s more of a nightlife here.
Musical Influences and Roots
Three Albums That Shaped Hatchie’s Music
-Yuuki Takita: I know you’ve covered Jennifer Paige’s “Crush” and have spoken publicly about influences from artists like Kylie Minogue and Primal Scream. If you were to name three albums that have had the greatest influence on your music, which would they be? For each one, could you explain which aspects influenced you and share any memorable stories or experiences connected to them?
Ooo this is a great question! I love pop music and feel like it has had a big influence on my vocal melodies and song structures. My favourite Kylie Minogue album is Impossible Princess, but her greatest hits album ‘Ultimate Kylie’ that came out in 2004 was the CD I played the most when it came out. I would also say Heaven Or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins, as it really opened my eyes to more experimentation with vocal melodies and guitar tones. Reading Writing and Arithmetic by The Sundays was also a big influence when I was making early Hatchie songs. I love Harriet’s sweet voice combined with the more melancholy lyrics.
Meeting Jay Som and Their Musical Connection
-Yuuki Takita: When I interviewed Jay Som recently, I mentioned that I could hear her musical influence in your work. She was delighted to hear that. Could you tell me about the influence you’ve received from her music and your impression of her as an artist? (We can discuss the collaborative production on your latest album a bit later.)
She’s the best! I love that I can hear her influences in her music but she still has her own distinct sound. I especially loved her album Anak Ko when it came out. She is an amazing guitarist, she added some guitars into the final track on my album, which I love. She blends indie rock with pop so well.
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