{"id":1968035,"date":"2025-08-19T05:04:26","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T05:04:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=1968035"},"modified":"2025-08-19T05:04:26","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T05:04:26","slug":"meg-washington-on-her-new-album-gem-and-collaborating-with-paul-kelly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/meg-washington-on-her-new-album-gem-and-collaborating-with-paul-kelly\/","title":{"rendered":"Meg Washington on her new album Gem and collaborating with Paul Kelly"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Meg Washington has been thinking a lot about why she makes music.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">On the cusp of 40, she has become a fixture in Australian music and culture over the course of her almost-20-year career.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">An ARIA winner with her very first record, 2010&#8217;s I Believe You Liar, she&#8217;s been the voice of Bluey&#8217;s teacher Calypso since 2018, and last year co-wrote the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2024-12-01\/how-to-make-gravy-movie-paul-kelly-hugo-weaving-interview\/104654220\" data-component=\"Link\">movie based on the classic Paul Kelly song, How to Make Gravy<\/a>, with her husband, director Nick Waterman.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;I love having a million different things happening and I love learning,&#8221; she tells Zan Rowe on Double J&#8217;s Take 5.<\/p>\n<div class=\"EmphasisedText_emphasisedText__McMdj ContentAlignment_marginBottom__4H_6E ContentAlignment_overflowAuto__c1_IL\" data-component=\"EmphasisedText\">\n<blockquote class=\"EmphasisedText_quote__TE6kn\"><p>&#8220;<!-- -->I love learning new ways to be creative.<!-- -->&#8220;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"ContentAlignment_marginBottom__4H_6E ContentAlignment_overflowAuto__c1_IL ContentAlignment_floatRight__nfR_t RelatedCard_relatedCard__4Im5s interactive_focusContext__yRhc_ interactive_defaults__AKxUU interactive_hoverContext__LDUDX interactive_defaults__AKxUU\" data-component=\"RelatedCard\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/externallink\/105670944\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/listen\/programs\/take-5\/meg-washington-take-5\/105628150\" data-component=\"FullBleedLink\" class=\"RelatedCard_link__rsgR9 FullBleedLink_root__lTw_U interactive_focusContext__yRhc_ interactive_defaults__AKxUU FullBleedLink_showVisited__g3Xvz\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP RelatedCard_heading__S_nm2 Typography_sizeMobile18__eJCIB Typography_lineHeightMobile24__crkfh Typography_bold__FqafP Typography_serif__qU2V5 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Hear Meg Washington Take 5 with Zan Rowe<\/h3>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP RelatedCard_synopsis__cFwMW Typography_sizeMobile14__u7TGe Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Washington conjured a treasure island writing new album, Gem. She takes you through her &#8220;oasis&#8221; songs for her Take 5.<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">But even with all her successes, Washington has been wondering lately: &#8220;Why make music in capitalism? Especially when it&#8217;s no longer your only gig?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">There was one answer she kept coming back to.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;Because it&#8217;s in my nature. If I was on a desert island all by myself and there was nobody to listen to me, I would still sing because I&#8217;m there,&#8221; she says, with a laugh.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">That&#8217;s a feeling the singer-songwriter tried to capture in one of the songs <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"Link_link__kR0xA Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/listen\/doublej\/featured-music\/feature-albums1\/meg-washington-gem-feature-album-review\/105659920\" data-component=\"Link\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/article\/105659920\">off her latest album, Gem<\/a>, &#8216;Honeysuckle Island&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">In it, she sings: &#8220;It&#8217;s all or nothing.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">As she tells Rowe: &#8220;I really do think that you have to completely surrender to the mission. You can&#8217;t half try.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Gem \u2014 which is Meg backwards \u2014 is Washington&#8217;s first album of original music since she left her major label and went independent a few years ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Striking out on her own led her to reflect on what it means to be a musician.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"ContentAlignment_marginBottom__4H_6E ContentAlignment_overflowAuto__c1_IL ContentAlignment_outdentDesktop__ijbiK Figure_figure__xLyBy Figure_docImage__DSvk4\" data-print=\"inline-media\" data-component=\"Figure\" id=\"105651216\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/imageproxy\/105651216\">\n<div class=\"Figure_content__8xRH4\">\n<div class=\"FigureContent_content__GnImC\">\n<div class=\"ContentImage_ratio__0yYeG\">\n<div class=\"AspectRatio_container__FC_XH\" style=\"--aspect-ratio:1.5\" data-component=\"AspectRatioContainer\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"Figure_caption__fS2lN\">\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Gem exposes Meg Washington&#8217;s dreams and aspirations.<!-- --> <cite>(<span>Supplied: Batflower Records\/Michelle Pitiris<\/span>)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"EmphasisedText_emphasisedText__McMdj ContentAlignment_marginBottom__4H_6E ContentAlignment_overflowAuto__c1_IL\" data-component=\"EmphasisedText\">\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;I had to renew my vows to myself and to &#8216;The Muse&#8217; and whatever my art practice means to me,&#8221; she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;[And] it means the same thing now that it did when I was 14.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;[Now] I&#8217;m kind of showing up, in a [way] that before I didn&#8217;t really feel like I had the capacity to.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP Heading_heading__VGa5B future_heading__Gcudw Heading_default__Z3p_p Typography_sizeMobile20__NUDn4 Typography_sizeDesktop32__LR_G6 Typography_lineHeightMobile24__crkfh Typography_lineHeightDesktop40__BuoRf Typography_marginBottomMobileSmall__6wx7m Typography_marginBottomDesktopSmall__CboX4 Typography_bold__FqafP Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx Typography_normalise__u5o1s\" data-component=\"Heading\">Polishing a Gem<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Washington approached making Gem, her fifth album, a bit differently to her previous records.<\/p>\n<div class=\"EmphasisedText_emphasisedText__McMdj ContentAlignment_marginBottom__4H_6E ContentAlignment_overflowAuto__c1_IL\" data-component=\"EmphasisedText\">\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;In the past, my songwriting&#8217;s been very autobiographical,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">But writing deeply personal songs \u2014 about, for instance, a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2014-07-07\/megan-washington-singer-songwriter-embraces-stutter\/5573250\" data-component=\"Link\">broken engagement<\/a> for her second album There There \u2014 can have unintended consequences: Washington found herself &#8220;re-embodying&#8221; difficult emotions night after night on stage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;[On Gem] I wanted to write what I wanted to happen, not what was actually happening,&#8221; Washington says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;[I got to] sing about things that felt good.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"ContentAlignment_marginBottom__4H_6E ContentAlignment_overflowAuto__c1_IL ContentAlignment_floatRight__nfR_t Figure_figure__xLyBy Figure_docImage__DSvk4\" data-print=\"inline-media\" data-component=\"Figure\" id=\"105644072\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/imageproxy\/105644072\">\n<div class=\"Figure_content__8xRH4\">\n<div class=\"FigureContent_content__GnImC\">\n<div class=\"ContentImage_ratio__0yYeG\">\n<div class=\"AspectRatio_container__FC_XH\" style=\"--aspect-ratio:1\" data-component=\"AspectRatioContainer\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"An album cover of Gem by Meg Washington, featuring a portrait of the singer, a 39-year-old woman, overlaid on a beach at sunset.\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\" sizes=\"100vw\" src=\"https:\/\/live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au\/7302d9a6b7a2ec4afea35958fcfd090c?impolicy=wcms_crop_resize&amp;cropH=3000&amp;cropW=3000&amp;xPos=0&amp;yPos=0&amp;width=862&amp;height=862\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"Figure_caption__fS2lN\">\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Meg Washington says Gem was like a place that she created in the songwriting process.<!-- --> <cite>(<span>Supplied: Batflower Records<\/span>)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">But it wasn&#8217;t just the lyrics that Washington wrote from a fresh perspective; it was also her music.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">While in the past she might have thought \u2014 even subconsciously \u2014 about how to get her song on the radio, Washington approached Gem with no such expectations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Instead, she wanted every song to use live instrumentation \u2014 &#8220;There are no machines in the music&#8221; \u2014 to build a stripped-back &#8220;landscape of a world&#8221;, which she has described as a &#8220;tropical fantasy beach world&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Washington told ABC News Breakfast earlier this month: &#8220;[Gem] is a concept album that I wrote about being on a treasure island.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span data-component=\"Loading\" data-print=\"inline-media\" class=\"Loading_loading__21MZU VideoMiddleware_loading__aGBo3\"><span class=\"Loading_spinner__zmkAw Loading_spinnerSize32__Z_XId Loading_spinnerColourBrand__CqEIF\"\/><span class=\"Loading_label__cTH1q\" role=\"alert\" aria-live=\"assertive\">Loading&#8230;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;Historically, I&#8217;ve always populated my songs really densely with stuff: information, chords, lyrics, things, images, blah, blah, blah,&#8221; Washington explains.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;There&#8217;s always a &#8216;big sing&#8217;. There&#8217;s always a huge note in the bridge. Every song has got so much in it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;When I was writing this record, I was really conscious of having enough space in the music to enjoy myself and for the audience to enjoy themselves too.<\/p>\n<div class=\"EmphasisedText_emphasisedText__McMdj ContentAlignment_marginBottom__4H_6E ContentAlignment_overflowAuto__c1_IL\" data-component=\"EmphasisedText\">\n<blockquote class=\"EmphasisedText_quote__TE6kn\"><p>&#8220;<!-- -->[I wanted] to have the record be like a church or like a quiet place to go.<!-- -->&#8220;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"ContentAlignment_marginBottom__4H_6E ContentAlignment_overflowAuto__c1_IL ContentAlignment_floatRight__nfR_t LegacyWysiwyg_wysiwyg___2JFa\" data-component=\"LegacyWysiwyg\" title=\"Meg Washington's Take 5 songs\" data-print=\"inline-media\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/teaser\/105655164\">\n<h2 class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP Heading_heading__VGa5B future_heading__Gcudw Heading_default__Z3p_p Typography_sizeMobile18__eJCIB Typography_sizeDesktop20___6qCS Typography_lineHeightMobile24__crkfh Typography_lineHeightDesktop24__Fh_y5 Typography_marginBottomMobileSmall__6wx7m Typography_marginBottomDesktopSmall__CboX4 Typography_bold__FqafP Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx Typography_normalise__u5o1s\" data-component=\"Heading\">Meg Washington&#8217;s Take 5 songs:<\/h2>\n<ol class=\"ContentAlignment_marginBottom__4H_6E ContentAlignment_overflowVisible__N2zKU\">\n<li><strong>Sade <\/strong>\u2014 No Ordinary Love<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Bangles<\/strong> \u2014 Eternal Flame<\/li>\n<li><strong>Kevin Morby <\/strong>\u2014 Harlem River<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eugenio Bennato <\/strong>\u2014 Ogni uno<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Roches<\/strong> \u2014 Hammond Song<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">That&#8217;s something she was able to do with the assistance of her singing teacher \u2014 the same one she&#8217;s had throughout her life \u2014 who helped her with her technique.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;As I&#8217;ve gotten older, my voice has really mellowed,&#8221; Washington says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;I used to push a lot of air through all the time, but now I&#8217;ve learnt how to close my folds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;Over the last five or so years, I&#8217;ve really found just singing to myself, with myself, really unlocked a new relationship to my voice.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Instead of being a musically complex album based on her experiences, Gem then is both a manifestation, and a statement of intent.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP Heading_heading__VGa5B future_heading__Gcudw Heading_default__Z3p_p Typography_sizeMobile20__NUDn4 Typography_sizeDesktop32__LR_G6 Typography_lineHeightMobile24__crkfh Typography_lineHeightDesktop40__BuoRf Typography_marginBottomMobileSmall__6wx7m Typography_marginBottomDesktopSmall__CboX4 Typography_bold__FqafP Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx Typography_normalise__u5o1s\" data-component=\"Heading\">Making gravy with Paul Kelly<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">One of the clearest examples of that manifestation is on album closer &#8216;Fine&#8217;, featuring Paul Kelly.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"ContentAlignment_marginBottom__4H_6E ContentAlignment_overflowAuto__c1_IL ContentAlignment_outdentDesktop__ijbiK Figure_figure__xLyBy Figure_docImage__DSvk4\" data-print=\"inline-media\" data-component=\"Figure\" id=\"105643744\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/imageproxy\/105643744\">\n<div class=\"Figure_content__8xRH4\">\n<div class=\"FigureContent_content__GnImC\">\n<div class=\"ContentImage_ratio__0yYeG\">\n<div class=\"AspectRatio_container__FC_XH\" style=\"--aspect-ratio:1.5\" data-component=\"AspectRatioContainer\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Meg Washington, a woman in her late 30s with wet hair, stands on a beach at sunset, wearing a blue button-down shirt.\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\" sizes=\"100vw\" src=\"https:\/\/live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au\/c6abfadf37ac710197ccb6a21947110e?impolicy=wcms_crop_resize&amp;cropH=600&amp;cropW=900&amp;xPos=0&amp;yPos=55&amp;width=862&amp;height=575\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"Figure_caption__fS2lN\">\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Meg Washington says Gem is a concept album that she wrote about being on a treasure island.<!-- --> <cite>(<span>Supplied: Batflower Records<\/span>)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">In the song, Washington and Kelly declare: &#8220;I&#8217;m the reason that I sing,&#8221; and &#8220;I&#8217;ve been looking at the future and everything&#8217;s gonna be fine.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8216;Fine&#8217; also appears in the movie How to Make Gravy, as sung by a choir of prisoners, including Brendan Maclean. It won Washington, Maclean and the choir an AACTA Award for Best Original Song.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;I was writing it in the apartment at the same time that we were writing the film,&#8221; Washington recalls.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;We were looking for a song for the choir to sing in the movie and I was tying myself into knots and ribbons trying to figure out what they would sing about and what it would be and what it would say.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Waterman suggested using &#8216;Fine&#8217; in the movie, leading Washington to think about what the song would mean from an inmate&#8217;s perspective.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"EmphasisedText_emphasisedText__McMdj ContentAlignment_marginBottom__4H_6E ContentAlignment_overflowAuto__c1_IL\" data-component=\"EmphasisedText\">\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;[It&#8217;s] the same sentiment: an affirmation to the future,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Things came full circle when, on December 21, or <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2024-12-21\/what-is-gravy-day-how-to-make-gravy-paul-kelly\/104754246\" data-component=\"Link\">Gravy Day<\/a>, last year, Washington was playing a gig in Melbourne, and Kelly joined her on stage to sing &#8216;Fine&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;It just was awesome to sing together,&#8221; she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;It felt really natural for him to be the other voice on this [album] version of it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"ContentAlignment_marginBottom__4H_6E ContentAlignment_overflowAuto__c1_IL ContentAlignment_outdentDesktop__ijbiK Figure_figure__xLyBy Figure_docImage__DSvk4\" data-print=\"inline-media\" data-component=\"Figure\" id=\"105643704\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/imageproxy\/105643704\">\n<div class=\"Figure_content__8xRH4\">\n<div class=\"FigureContent_content__GnImC\">\n<div class=\"ContentImage_ratio__0yYeG\">\n<div class=\"AspectRatio_container__FC_XH\" style=\"--aspect-ratio:1.5\" data-component=\"AspectRatioContainer\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A black-and-white photo of Megan Washington, a woman in her late 30s, with Paul Kelly, 70, his arm around her.\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\" sizes=\"100vw\" src=\"https:\/\/live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au\/c650985c723a5f355ab41c9c79712abf?impolicy=wcms_crop_resize&amp;cropH=438&amp;cropW=657&amp;xPos=0&amp;yPos=0&amp;width=862&amp;height=575\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"Figure_caption__fS2lN\">\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Meg Washington says having Paul Kelly feature on the album version of Fine just brought everything home.<!-- --> <cite>(<span>Supplied: Batflower Records<\/span>)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">Writing songs was a respite for Washington while she was making How to Make Gravy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;It was a familiar place in which I kind of know what to do,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">It also gave her the opportunity to reconnect with her raison d&#8217;\u00eatre; that thing she&#8217;d be doing on a desert island.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;For the first time, the garden was a garden again,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\">&#8220;When you start making your passion your career, you turn the garden into a factory and other people come and work there. And it can be sort of gnarly.<\/p>\n<div class=\"EmphasisedText_emphasisedText__McMdj ContentAlignment_marginBottom__4H_6E ContentAlignment_overflowAuto__c1_IL\" data-component=\"EmphasisedText\">\n<blockquote class=\"EmphasisedText_quote__TE6kn\"><p>&#8220;<!-- -->But with this record, there was nobody else. And it was just a peaceful, quiet sanctuary that I just loved dwelling in.<!-- -->&#8220;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\"><strong>Hear Meg Washington&#8217;s full interview with Zan Rowe on the <\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/listen\/programs\/take-5\" data-component=\"Link\"><strong>Take 5 podcast<\/strong><\/a><strong> and ABC listen app.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\"><strong>Gem, which is <\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"Link_link__kR0xA Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/listen\/doublej\/featured-music\/feature-albums1\/meg-washington-gem-feature-album-review\/105659920\" data-component=\"Link\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/article\/105659920\"><strong>Double J&#8217;s Feature Album<\/strong><\/a><strong>, is out now.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph__iYReA\"><strong>Meg Washington&#8217;s Gem tour kicks off at the Ian Potter Centre for Performing Arts, Melbourne, on October 10, before heading to Sydney and Brisbane.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.abc.net.au \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Meg Washington has been thinking a lot about why she makes music. On the cusp of 40, she has become a fixture in Australian music and culture over the course of her almost-20-year career. An ARIA winner with her very first record, 2010&#8217;s I Believe You Liar, she&#8217;s been the voice of Bluey&#8217;s teacher Calypso [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1968036,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[349022,349021,349027,349026,349019,349025,349023,349024,349020,22200],"class_list":["post-1968035","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-calypso-bluey","tag-fine-lyrics","tag-gem","tag-how-to-make-gravy-movie","tag-meg-washington","tag-meg-washington-album","tag-meg-washington-gem","tag-meg-washington-new-album","tag-megan-washington","tag-washington"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Meg-Washington-on-her-new-album-Gem-and-collaborating-with.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1968035","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1968035"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1968035\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1968036"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1968035"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1968035"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1968035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}