Meet Jessica Mauboy – singer

Like many Aussies, I grew up watching Jessica Mauboy’s career unfurl on TV. I saw her perform for the first time on Australian Idol in 2006, and when I was 13 and 14, I used to rock out to her single Running Back in my bedroom. I was also a big fan of her movies Bran Nue Dae and The Sapphires and had them on DVD – our own homegrown star Jess Mauboy, making her mark on the world.

Recently, I was fortunate to have the chance to chat with Jess about her new album, Yours Forever. Here’s what I can tell you; Jess is not just insanely talented, she’s also incredibly genuine and down to earth. To celebrate the release of Yours Forever, Jess is touring Australia, and you, the folk of the New England North West, can see her perform live at Wests Tamworth on 21 March 2024. Below I chat to Jess about all things Yours Forever, her creative process, and the people she worked with. We reminisce about the last time she was in Tamworth and I learn about the new feel-good Stan Original Film she plays a role in. Trust me when I say, this woman is as powerful as she is kind, which is all the more reason to like her.

Tell us about your new album,Yours Forever.

When I think of the new record Yours Forever, it feels like a circle because when I created Been Waiting in 2008 (released in 2009), I thought of the people who came together to help create it and it was very tranquil – it felt fluid.

That’s the kind of thought process I had when making Yours Forever. I took in that fluidity and applied it and it works wonders because there’s no force. You’re working with the people you want to work with because you think they may spark a side of you you’ve never seen before, and I felt like that was happening with Yours Forever.

Name-dropping a few people, I worked with like Nick Littlemore, Styalz Fuego, Shungudzo, Miiesha, PJ (PJ Harding), Meg Mac and WLSN – all of these people came together so easily. In making this album, I was meeting these artists for the first time and had never worked with any of them before, so it was a getting to know each other process. Usually, that could take one to two hours and then we’d get into actually writing the music. I think starting that way helped us to find whatever was coming after those conversations.

What is it about?

If I were talking to even my mum, I would say that it’s about the many faces of love – the depth of love, but it’s also about communication. It’s really hard to put this album into just one sentence because it’s about everything. Yet I’m in it, it’s truly about me, and also about others.

With every song in the new album, from Yours Forever, to Underwater, to Flashback, and Forget You (which is my current single), they all talk about the many kinds of relationships and about what love is – how hurtful it can be, how low it can be, how twisted it can be and how unpredictable it can be.

When I began making the record, I didn’t think that was how it was going to be, it just happened that way. Once I collected all the songs I thought: “Oh, they’re all about love”. They’re about different kinds of love – a love that is selfish or a love that has a bad habit. All the songs are different and dynamic, but they also speak about the vulnerability of love.

I was listening to Forget You recently and it’s such a great, RELATABLE track.

Yes, I think we’ve all had enough of BS and bad behaviour or feeling suppressed or compressed into nothingness. We all individually exist, we all have a worth and we all have our way of dealing with certain things. Forget You says “Absolutely not. I’m taking back my voice and my body and I’m taking a stance – I’m not taking the BS anymore.”

That’s also really important in life because we can get run down, we can be pushed to the side and then we wonder later on: “Where is the feeling coming from?”. That’s when you realise it wasn’t yours to hold. It’s other people’s energy and weight that you take on, so Forget You is about being careful of who you give that energy to and then also being prepared to fight to get that energy back.

Do you have a favourite song from the album?

Forget You and Quite Like You – they’re very different songs.

Quite Like You is gentle. Imagine you turn out the lights in a room, but you can still see everything in its frame in the dark, then a little light appears and begins to light up the room, making everything new to your sight. It’s like that, a big feeling and you have no idea what’s going to come next.

It’s an interpretation of meeting a person for the first time and not knowing what’s going to happen next, but having a sense that something has brought you here for a reason. It’s about existing in this space and feeling grateful.

So Jess, you have a tour coming up and you’re visiting Tamworth on 21 March. Can you tell us about that?

Yes, it’s going to bring me full circle because I was 14 years old when I was in Tamworth for the very first time. Now that I’m 33, I’ve got new bodies of work, new loves, new hates, and new stories. Tamworth saw me when I was little and now they’re going to be seeing me in my total adulthood.

I hope anyone who comes to the show walks away feeling empowered, because that’s the kind of show I like to take on the road.

I read this album is about self-empowerment and discovery, how does that feed into your songwriting?

Before every song I genuinely think about the person who’s going to hear it and how it’s going to make them feel. I like to think that if a song makes me feel something, then surely it’s going to allow the person listening to open up or reflect on things.

I love the excitement that comes after finishing a song, that feeling of: “Oh my god, this is it”,’ and envisioning who it’s going to impact once it’s out. I just hope that it makes people feel empowered. I also hope my vulnerability and honesty in this record can be shared with the people who need it the most.

I’m thrilled that Yours Forever is out for people to hear and particularly to have for themselves. I know we all like to have our own, so I’ve created so many things for Yours Forever. Whether it be the album, the vinyl, or the merch to go with it.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Yes, I did a film while I was finishing my album!

I play this awesome character called Aunty Cressida in the new Stan Original Film called Wind Catcher, directed by Tanith Glynn-Melonie and Boyd Quakawoot who shared his wonderful story with us.

The real star, though, is Lennox Monoghan – he’s surreal. He’s young and he’s never acted before, and there was never a dull moment working with him. There were times when we were actually dancing and singing. Lennox is a triple threat, so watch out for him – he can act, he can sing, and he plays the didgeridoo – he’s a little star.

In Wind Catcher, Lennox plays Percy Boy and I play his Aunty Cressida. Percy Boy wants to be the fastest runner at his school, so he enters into his sports day race. Along the way, he meets new friends and faces, adversity and bullying.

Aunty Cressida is a no-nonsense type of woman who doesn’t take no for an answer, but she’s struggling to keep her family together after having to leave her job to become a full-time carer to Percy Boy, her father, and her aunty. I think that anyone who is a carer or takes care of someone will have a connection with my character.

It’s going to be a wonderful bonding film for a lot of families – so get together, watch Wind Catcher (it’s out on 28 March this year on Stan) and bond. The message of this movie helps to create understanding and patience and reminds us to take care of each other.

Amazing! You’ve been so busy!

Yes! The last three years have been crazy busy but it’s all worth it. I love the creative process. I love collaborating and being a part of people’s projects and I fell in love with Wind Catcher as soon as I read the script. Among all that, I was also making my album Yours Forever and creating a tour. So yeah, there are so many wonderful things that are in the works.

What would you say to someone who’s on a journey of self-discovery and wants to feel more empowered?

Be yourself. The more that you’re comfortable being yourself and the more you discover yourself, I think you’ll be completely surprised by how far that will take.

Be yourself, work hard on that, and love your relationships, no matter how hard they are. Which, in this case, are all on my record Yours Forever, so maybe you could listen to it and take some notes.

So where can we find Yours Forever?

You can listen to Yours Forever on Spotify, and you can find all kinds of special bundles and merch on my website, as well as your local JB Hi-Fi. There’s limited editions of things that I’ve already signed, so that’s really special too.

Website | Instagram | Photography Peter Brew-Bevan