We had the pleasure of interviewing Hattie Oates, and here’s what she had to say:
Q: What does “Buy Me A Dream” mean to you?
OATES: This song is a melting pot of thoughts and feelings. I wanted to capture the feelings of spending time and energy towards something but not getting anything back, burying yourself in emotional exhaustion. Whether that’s relationships or in a more literal sense, a career. Mix that all together and I got “Buy Me A Dream”!
Q: Could you walk us through the production process for this song?
OATES: My producer Ben and I wrote this song in Sydney last year, and I had nearly fleshed out a completely different song before Ben hummed a melody, and the session spiraled in a new direction. The whole concept after that came hard and fast, clearly, I was feeling a certain way! The song was done in less than an hour, but we refined the final mix for the next few months, to get it right where I wanted it. An anthem that allows you to speak to your depleted and exhausted self, but then takes you on a journey that leaves you inspired and re-motivated by the end. I knew we had something special after the session, but we did sit on it for quite a while. We went back and forth between various mixes and production options. I think I re-did the vocals 3 times before I was 100% happy. I had an idea of how I wanted the song to make me feel, so then it was like putting puzzle pieces together until we got the sound… which created the anthem it is now! I think we had the majority of the song within the hour, with a demo recorded.
Q: What was your best aspect of the songwriting process?
OATES: It was the second song we attempted in that session. I had been writing on a completely different train of thought until Ben came up with another melody that sent us on a spiral in a new direction. I guess you never know when inspo is going to hit, even when it’s interrupting the first thought! The best part is, I still have that first idea to flesh out… who knows what that could turn into! So, you could say I got a 2 for 1 in that session.
Q: What do you like the most about being a musician?
OATES: Being a musician is something that I constantly remind myself how grateful and lucky I am. The creative industry has a very special and unique community, and being able to be a part of that is the best! The fact that I get to collaborate with other amazingly talented people every day, makes me feel so full and although it can be really hard, we share this bond and love for music that makes it so exciting at the same time.
Q: What would you say is a downside?
OATES: I think the obvious downsides are those times when you feel defeated or nervous about the future… but at the end of the day that’s only because we care so much about our art, and ultimately those feelings fuel us to keep going! I basically wrote ‘Buy Me A Dream’ about those times.
Q: Who’s one artist you would really love to work with at some point?
OATES: There is a long long list!! But, Julia Michaels was a massive inspiration for my songwriting early on. So, if a miracle occurred, collaborating with her would be incredible. Otherwise, sharing the stage with Ed Sheeran would be a good day out too!
Interviewed by Zoey King
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