By Ashleigh Fielding | posted on January 20, 2019
DENMARK singer Willow Sukys, 15, lives and breathes music.
Her family jokingly says she started singing the second she was born and was writing songs before she could talk.
And it’s not an unbelievable claim.
Sukys has been surrounded by music from day dot, with her father and uncle current-day musicians (Denmark outfit Evergone), her mother an enthusiast of music, and her younger brother a secret singer.
She’s escalated through Perth singing schools and choirs, performed at multiple Albany and Denmark venues, and last year recorded a song for the Sounds of the Great Southern album.
Most recently, Sukys landed herself a new type of gig – being one of four Great Southern singers selected to perform at the inaugural Tasty Tapas and Tunes on Stirling Terrace in Albany in April.
‘Moody pop’ is how she describes the sound people will hear from her.
“When I was told I got it, I was crying,” Sukys laughs, reflecting on learning that she had landed the Stirling Terrace gig.
“It was so crazy! “I was like, ‘they want me? Oh, my gosh!’”
Although her set list for the show is still on the drawing board, Sukys says some of her original work is on the cards.
She’ll have plenty of opportunities to fine tune the list over the next few weeks, with performances lined up for this weekend at the Denmark Arts Markets and at Six Degrees on January 20.
“My music isn’t all up and down like some pop,” Sukys says.
“Some of it’s emotional…my inspirations are Twenty One Pilots and Billie Eilish and Lorde.”
Sukys says that, so far, her songs have been about romance and love – some of it unrequited– and they’ve gained her a bit of local fame.
“The kids at school often sing my lyrics to me,” she chuckles.
“The boys at school say I’m a meme, which is totally a life goal.”
But for Sukys, meme status is not her only dream.
“It might be a bit far- fetched, but I’d love to play at big arenas to lots of people,” she says.
“I really want to build on my live performances…I definitely want to work on my guitar and I want to learn piano.”
Sukys will be joined by Albany musician Blake Grobbler at Tasty Tapas and Tunes on April 13.
