Listicle: Yazmindi shares her top five singer-songwriters to celebrate release of new single 'Avacado Latte'
Image: Cristina Bevilacqua
Far North Queensland artist Yazmindi has been releasing music since 2014 and it is a gorgeous mix of indie. alternative, country and roots music with an authentic, earthy feel. Over the years she has performed at prestigious festivals including South by Southwest (twice) and Woodford Folk Festival.
Last month she released the single ‘Avocado Latte’, her first new music for a number of years. After moving to Melbourne in 2018 and unable to move back home, she decided to explore the difficult and challenging circumstances through music and ‘Avocado Latte’ was born.
“A love song for Far North Queensland which I wrote while working at a café in Melbourne, homesick! Raw and honest, a song straight from my heart, yet tongue in cheek teasers playing with Melbourne's city stereotypes,” Yazmindi says.
Perhaps appropriately given the inspiration for and the theme of the song, ‘Avocado Latte’ was created in two different ends of the country, both directly referenced in the song - written in Melbourne and recorded in her beloved home in far north tropical Queensland with producer Mark Myers (The Middle East, Emma Louise).
“It was so special recording ‘Avocado Latte’ back home in North Queensland, surrounded by people I grew up with and love,” she says. “I had always dreamed of producing music with Mark from growing up listening to his band's music, The Middle East. Everything felt natural and flowed smoothly in the studio and I had so much fun bringing the final version to life, exactly as I had envisioned it, in my head and my heart.”
Yazmindi is currently working on her debut album, aiming to crowdfund 50% ($10,000) of the production costs. 2022 looks set to be one of her best yet, but for now in celebration of the release of ‘Avocado Latte’ Yazmindi has written exclusively for Women In Pop a rundown of her five favourite singer-songwriters.
5 singer-songwriters Yazmindi Loves
Kasey Chambers - The Captain was the very first CD I owned when I was 7, I remember getting it for Christmas and playing it everyday on my Sony CD Discman on the bus ride to school. Kasey was my biggest inspiration at the time, I could resonate with her music as I also grew up in a rural town. When my family moved down south we found out she was playing at the Gympie Muster so we made sure we went along just for her. It was a special moment being 12 snuggled in with my mum and dad watching her concert, my grandma had only recently passed so it was a very moving concert for us. This inspired me to join the Australian Institute of Country Music (AICM) not long after and after a few years I was performing on the main stage at the Gympie Muster opening for Kasey Chambers!
Dido - Along with Kasey, Dido’s album Life For Rent was also on heavy rotation on my CD Discman when I was really young. I alternated between these two amazing women, Missy Higgins, Norah Jones and of course my beloved So Fresh CDs that I got each year in my Christmas stocking! Living in the bush off the grid, I had to somehow stay up to date with the current pop music that was happening around the world. The local Cooktown IGA would sell the latest CDs so I would enjoy rummaging through the new releases each week. Having moved around so much in my life and attending 5 different schools growing up, I could really resonate with her song ‘Life for Rent,’ it made me feel understood and less alone. When I was younger I didn’t completely understand her lyrics but now it’s super nostalgic and special listening to this album again, I understand the depth in her words.
Sade - When my brother and I were younger, my mum and dad decided to buy a caravan with whatever spare money they had, pack up our life and take off to travel around Australia for a year, which meant a lot of hours listening to music in the car! This is where my introduction to various types of music really began and watching our old family videos of these days, I love hearing what music we were playing in the background. My mum introduced us to Sade and man oh man am I forever grateful for that. Sade has so many sweet soulful songs that I listen to on repeat still to this day and always eases and uplifts my mood. Other inspiring women such as Tracey Chapman, Des'ree, Bonnie Rait and the legendary Bon Jovi were family favs on that trip.
Gillian Welch - I love Americana music, from growing up with my golden gal Taylor Swift, I then discovered Gillian Welch from my friend's mum who would always play her music. Gillian's sound is soothing and effortless with beautiful lyrics and melodies that are really comforting to me. I love her contemporary folk style and the artists she collaborates with such as Willie Watson and her husband David Rawlings, who have definitely influenced my songwriting. My boyfriend and I pumped their music while travelling through the little hillbilly towns on our huge USA road trip a few years back! I especially got engrossed in the Americana music scene when my music mentor, Texan singer songwriter Robyn Ludwick, invited me to perform at South by Southwest and live with her for a few months in Austin. Listening to Gillian's music brings me back to that amazing journey I had at 18 venturing overseas to produce, record and be engrossed in the ‘Live Music Capital of the World’.
Dua Lipa - As you can see some of my favourite music and artists are from the UK and one day I cannot wait to move over there and experience it first hand! Dua is my favourite pop artist right now. I find her music so empowering, upbeat, honest and SO MUCH FUN! Whenever I hear her songs I immediately can’t help but dance and sing aloud. I love her style, fashion sense and authentic personality. She is an artist who inspires me so much and is incredibly hard working and humble, her quote is “work hard and be nice” which I think is really needed in the global music industry. Before Dua came along, Lily Allen was another huge UK pop artist inspiration for me who is also quirky, authentic and keeps it real.
‘Avocado Latte’ is out now. You can download and stream here.
To keep up with all things Yazmindi you can follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
