Rabbit

Lydia Cole
What sort of tours have you done before?
I toured the country in June last year to celebrate the release of my EP. Four months later, I went on the popular Acoustic Church Tour (a more extensive tour) with Boh Runga, Greg Johnson and Nathan King. I have also performed several times at Parachute Music Festival and worked my way up to Main stage! Also, I have performed with Diana Krall, Rhythm and Vines, 2009's Winery Tour and at cafes and shows/festivals in NZ and Aussie.

How long have you been playing guitar and songwriting for?
I've been playing the guitar about nine years now, just mainly self taught and making up chords as I write. My first song came out whole and kind of unplanned…   that was in 2003.

Your big start seemed to come in 2008 when you received a New Recording Artist grant from NZ On Air for your song 'Feels Like’. Can you tell us a bit about how this all came about?
Well I was at the point where I was doing everything I could to get my music out there and be heard, and applying for a grant from NZ on Air was just one of those ways. I was so stoked to even hear that I had been short-listed since over two hundred artists had applied for that particular grant.

Does your spirituality play a big part in the creation of your music?
If so, how?
My spirituality is a big part of who I am, and I write what I am feeling, so yeah, there's no way it could be separate from what I create. Someone wise once said to me that songs seem to be given to people from a higher being. Even some people who aren't religious take this view too. I like to think there is truth in that.

You’ve played lots of shows & major gigs like The Acoustic Church Tour, Zoo Music, Parachute Festival. What’s the best thing for beating nerves when you perform at big shows?
This is so hard. I have to try to be really disciplined because I am a very feelings-based person and I often let it all show. The main reason I get nervous is if I feel like I don't deserve to... [continues]

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