From her inspirations to scholarships to her proudest moments of 2024, upcoming indie pop musician Lottie McLeod covered it all. Best known for her debut song ‘Happy Birthday’ and for being Triple J’s 2023 ‘Unearthed’ Feature Artist, McLeod has been rising to stardom within the Australian music industry at the young age of 18.
Born and raised in Meanjin Brisbane, McLeod’s versatility cultivates music that represents love, memories, and heartbreak. Her honesty and vulnerability take listeners on a journey into her life and lived experiences.
In this exclusive interview with W’SUP, McLeod opens up about her childhood, pursuing a love of music and her passion for indie pop and artists like Phoebe Bridgers.
We deep dived into her rise to stardom, focusing on her celebration of winning the 2024 Billy Thorpe Scholarship. We also explore the deeper meanings behind lyrics in her latest singles, Expire and So Much Better.
Finally, the interview concludes with McLeod reflecting on her favourite piece of music from 2024, an unreleased track titled The Line, and her excitement for what’s to come in 2025.
If you enjoyed this interview and want to learn more about what’s coming next, stay tuned for Part Two. It will highlight McLeod’s goals for 2025 and offer advice for aspiring musicians eager to enter the industry.
For now, we hope you enjoy Part One, which captures McLeod’s rise to fame, success, and prosperity in the Australian music scene.
W’SUP: What first inspired you to pursue music, were there any particular artists within the music industry that made you fall in love with singing?
McLeod: Yeah, so the first artist that really got me into music was Phoebe Bridgers. I listened to her all the way through high school, but my dad was the one that taught me how to play guitar and sing. He suddenly passed away and going through that, Phoebe Bridgers is kind of all I listened to. While I worked on learning guitar and music through my dad, she [Phoebe Bridges] really kind of taught me how to write the music I want to play.
W’SUP: Your first exposure to the industry was in 2023 through Triple J with the ‘Unearthed’ feature artists. What was your reaction when you found out?
McLeod: Its actually crazy, I found out when I was in my kitchen doing the dishes [laughs], and my mum was doing work from home right next to me in the lounge room. That’s when I got the notification, I looked up on my phone and then I was like, ‘Mum! Triple J Unearthed just posted me!’ It took me a while for me to actually register it, and let it hit for a while but when it did, I was like “oh shit!”
It was really exciting especially because I went to a music school so Triple J was huge and was like the “oh this is what you want to do’ sort of thing so when it happened, it was so exciting.
W’SUP: In April this year, you won the ‘Billy Thorpe Scholarship of 2024’. How did you feel winning such an amazing achievement?
McLeod: Once again, I was just so mind blown. I have never grown up rich or anything so going into the music industry was really daunting, because it was going to be tough. Being able to afford this career is not easy. So now being able to fund recording my music is just something that…like to not have to stress about it and fall asleep thinking “how am I going to pay for this” is just such an honour.
I’m so grateful for Queensland Music and Arts Queensland for trusting me with that, I’m so grateful.
W’SUP: Since your debut single ‘Happy Birthday’, your career has soared and has led to your recent singles ‘Expire’ and ‘So much Better’. How have you felt about your career reaching such amazing heights?
McLeod: I feel like in my brain, it’s my ideal sort of path, you know? I’ve had some amazing support, supporting some artists that I love, like Mia Wray and Jim Casa Daily. So, I’m just so grateful that I can meet these incredible people through all of this and keep doing that, hopefully. I’m just going to keep going – keep putting my hat in the ring and see what happens from there.
(McLeod’s promotion for her newest Single ‘So Much Better’ for Triple J | Taken by @Lottie McLeod Instagram October 2024)
W’SUP: In your song, ‘Expire’, you sing: “I know what it looks like when you’re getting tired/your words expire.” Do you ever have days when it’s hard to start or finish a song? Is it ever hard for the lyrics to come, and if so, what do you do to combat that?
McLeod: Well, I’m always in my head, I feel like if I’m trying to force a song, then it’s probably one that shouldn’t really be written. I feel like with ‘forced songs’ you’re always going to end up not liking it, because all the songs that I’ve loved are songs that have just come out of me naturally, songs that I’ve written in 10 minutes. So, I feel like if I’m sitting there like really trying to wrap my head around it, I’d always end up not loving it.
Usually when I write a song quickly, it’s like I’m at work. I journal a lot, so I just kind of pull my heart out in my notebook. So maybe after doing all of that, then I’ll be more inspired by like what I’m doing.
But if I sit down uninspired and not really feeling it, then it just doesn’t really work. I definitely think with musicians, when it when it becomes a job for them, it can easily become a chore. I never want that to happen. So, I really try and stay in love with it.
W’SUP: In your newest single ‘So Much Better’, you explain that the song is about liking someone and being infatuated with them yet also being jealous of their life and success. Have you personally struggled in comparing yourself to other people within your field or within your life?
McLeod: Yeah, I have. I met someone, he was also in the industry, and they were kind of on the exact same path I was. But then they would have more, peaks of success and I would have peaks too, but I would always keep comparing myself to their successes.
But I also liked them a lot, you know? They were a really great person, and they deserved everything that they were getting. But yeah, being that I was, so jealous and wanted to be in their shoes is kind of like, I didn’t know if I wanted to be them or be with them. It was tough, but I feel like, for musicians, it’s a universal experience.
W’SUP: What has been your favourite piece of music to make so far and what are you most proud of completing or achieving in 2024?
McLeod: Well, that’s a great question. I think my favourite piece of my favourite song that I’ve made is one that is not released yet. It’s called ‘The Line’. I’m hoping for it to be out January – I don’t want to release it in December, because everyone just wants to hear Mariah Carey [laughs]. So yeah, I’m not going to do that, but I’m excited for it. It’s got so many strings and it’s definitely my favourite song which I’ve written lyrically.
My favourite achievement of 2024… I think it would probably be the Billy Thorpe Scholarship.
I wouldn’t be doing some of the things I’m doing now without it. So, I owe everything to that and to the Thorpe Family and Queensland. I couldn’t thank them enough to be honest. I’m also thankful for all the live opportunities I’ve have gotten as well. Big Sound was amazing too – I met so many cool people doing that too.
Lottie’s music is available on all platforms for everyone to enjoy, and you can follow her on social media: @lottiemcleod
If you loved this interview, you’ll love Part 2! Stay tuned for more with Lottie!
