Spin To Win #49: Living, Laughing, And Loving Online With Ama
Her debut EP, 'Julie's House', is one of the strongest Australian pop releases of the year.
Anyone else really struggling with the cold? As I get older, I’m becoming a lot less tolerant of winter, mainly because my car keeps icing over in the morning. I keep forgetting to do something about it the night before, and then the next day, dealing with it throws off my schedule. It’s a lesson I’m worried I’ll never learn, either. If you’ve got any advice on preventing icy windows, I’m all ears.
Thankfully, today’s interview is red-hot, so your computer/phone is at no risk of icing over. I spoke with Western Sydney singer-songwriter Ama, who is, in my opinion, one of the most exciting artists in Australia. Her songwriting cuts to the core of the human experience, which is increasingly moving online. As I’ve said before, if I was a label, I’d be looking into signing Ama.
Her debut EP, Julie’s House, is all about her recent online situationship, and it’s a very fun listen. If you’re a fan of artists like Gracie Abrams and Lizzie McAlpine, then I’m guaranteeing you’ll dig Julie’s House. We chatted about finding love online, being yourself, and her approach to songwriting — read on to learn more!
Also, I’m running a 20% off deal for paid subscriptions until the end of the financial year. If you’ve been thinking about subscribing, and want to keep the lights on over here at Spin To Win HQ, then it’s just $4/month to support me. I’d love to hit 50 paid subscribers, so I can put more time into writing features for the newsletter — and for transparency, like Bon Jovi said, I’m halfway there. Don’t leave me living on a prayer.
Ben Madden: Firstly, congratulations on the release of Julie's House! The EP's been out for a few weeks now - how have you been since it dropped?
Ama: Thanks so much Ben! I’ve been awesome — although I did get sick during release week which was a bit of a nightmare, so I didn’t get to properly enjoy the moment [laughs]. But since then, it’s been filled with gigging, writing new music, and trying to settle into a solid routine.
I’ve been feeling really grateful for all the support and the way people have connected with the EP. It feels so good to finally have it out in the world after wanting to release it for so long. It’s also been surreal to reflect on where I was with music last year compared to where I am now.
BM: The EP's centred around you falling for someone online, and the emotions that come with that. I'm curious — do you feel like you're someone who is more comfortable being themselves online versus in real life?
Ama: I think what stood out to me about connecting with this person online was that it felt more about how we got along than how we looked. That’s not always the case, but in this situation, it really focused on how naturally and deeply we could converse rather than that initial physical attraction. While physical attraction is still very important, I do think it’s been overemphasised to the point where it sometimes impacts how we build meaningful relationships.
In a way, it also felt like I was starting off with a clean slate — like I was figuring out who I was while getting to know this person. I genuinely love meeting people face to face so I’d say I’m comfortable in both settings, but there’s definitely something less intimidating about talking to someone through a screen, some things are much easier said that way [laughs]!
BM: Listening to the EP, and your music to date, I'm always struck by the clarity of your lyrics. When you're writing a song, what comes first — the lyrics, or the music?
Ama: If I’m writing on my own, I’ve usually got a slight idea for a concept or a lyric line to start with. Most of the time, it’s tied to whatever I’ve been feeling recently, and I’ll just spill everything completely unfiltered into my notes app.
It’s mostly a bunch of nonsense and honestly if someone were to read it, they’d probably be a little alarmed at how oddly specific and detailed every single thought is. Then I’ll pick up the guitar and start playing around with some melodies and chords. Slowly but surely, everything ends up piecing together.
The entire process is a little bit different in collaborative sessions. Those usually start with a big chat about whatever’s been going on in our lives, then I’ll start shaping a melody while someone’s building out the music. From there, we hone in on a concept/idea that emotionally connects with what we’re creating sonically.
BM: I also have to know — has the person the EP's about heard it, and if so, what was their reaction like?
Ama: And that’s an answer I don’t have for you [laughs]. We’ve sadly parted ways and aren’t in contact anymore so I won’t ever actually know if she’s heard the EP, but I’d like to think so!
BM: For anyone out there that is currently entangled in online love (or, they're searching for romance online) what advice would you give them?
BM: I’m not too sure if I’m the best person to give romance advice but I’d say, to just go for it! Life is too short — be yourself, give as much or as little as you want to and be unapologetic about it. In person or online, the right person will see who you are and your true intentions. If you wanna put all your hopes into an online situationship, do it, you might just end up writing an entire EP about it!
In all seriousness, I would say, be as honest as you can and tell them how you feel sooner rather than later — it will always work out the way it’s supposed to. Maybe it’s not in the way you pictured it, but that’s okay! I’d rather lay it all out on the line than look back one day wondering how things might’ve been if I’d just spoken up.
BM: And, more specifically, as you mention worrying about on 'Sucks', what should people do if their online love isn't the right height? (Editor's note: being 5'7 is a perfectly normal height)
Ama: It’s a scary thought, meeting someone you have a pretty big crush on for the first time. You never know how it could turn out, or if they’ll meet the expectations of what you’ve made them out to be in your head. Are you gonna get along the same way in person, are they gonna end up sucking in real life, and yes, are they gonna be the right height in person? It’s kind of a hit or miss and one of those things where you can’t really do anything but hope for the best.
If you ever end up in that position, I’d probably advise you to just chill out! Nothing is perfect and the sooner you come to terms with the fact that most things in your life won’t end up the way you want it, you’ll save yourself from so much suffering. I’m a super anxious person as you can probably tell through my music, but I’ve slowly come to realise that most of the time, me worrying about something usually makes the situation out to be 1000x worse than it actually is.
If they’re not the ‘right height’ and if that’s a serious deal breaker then there’s about 8 billion other people in the world you can meet and experience; so, there’s gotta be at least one person out there you can get along with, right?
BM: I also wanted to ask about your work with other artists — for instance you co-wrote ANGEL xo and Verity's recent track 'You Can Have That Boy'. For any artists reading this that may want to move into writing with/for other artists, how would you recommend they put themselves out there?
Say yes to any and every session. No matter who it is, as long as you like their vibe, I say do it! You never know what you’re gonna make, and people can surprise you so much in writing rooms — both in the music that they make behind closed doors and in who they actually are when they open up to you.
Taking it upon yourself to reach out to people and put yourself in uncomfortable situations is insanely important. I remember reaching out to hundreds of different artists and producers a couple years back when I didn’t really know anyone in the industry. So many cold emails and DMs; a lot of no responses but ultimately this led to me getting in rooms with some of my favourite artists and working alongside people I’d admired for so long. For example, Jordan Everett, an artist/producer who I was fortunate enough to release a single with at the end of last year.
I’d been a fan of his work for so long and reached out one day, and now we’re good friends and he is one of my favourite people to sesh with. You never know if you don’t try — but also bear in mind that being genuine and having good intentions with those people goes a long way!
BM: What's the one piece of songwriting advice you wish you'd had when you were first starting out?
I find that I usually get my best songs when I don’t think too much and just go with my first instinct. It’s something I’m still working on, but the more I stop overthinking and write with my natural reactions; the more authentic and real it feels.
When you’re freestyling and random words start flowing, even if they don’t make sense they can feel right in the moment. That feeling is usually a sign to follow your instinct and go with it, you can always adjust the story to guide you in that direction.
BM: And on the flipside, what do you think people often get wrong about songwriting?
Ama: I think it’s good to note that not every session has to come out with a polished song. I’ve noticed a lot of people getting too caught up on how many ‘hits’ they can smash out but a mindset like that can really take away from the authenticity of songwriting; the focus should be on the process and not the product.
To add to this, sometimes songwriting doesn’t need to be that deep. Sometimes a catchy hook, solid beat and nonsense lyrics can have just as much impact on someone as a song with immersive storytelling and detailed production. Writing should feel cathartic and expressive, not like something you have to really struggle with. Of course, there will be moments where you can get a little stuck, but it should always feel like a satisfying experience.
BM: Finally, what are you hoping the rest of 2025 brings you, both personally and musically?
Ama: The plan is to keep moving full speed; putting out some fresh music and playing as many shows as I can. I've got a couple things lined up for the rest of the year and the hope is that the list keeps growing.
I'm getting final mixes on a couple tracks right now and am heading out to BIGSOUND in September for the first time which will be fun. I also wanna dig a little deeper into the co-write scene here in AUS while building my artistry, play around with current and new collaborators and do a bit more travelling!
Ama’s debut EP Julie’s House is out now.
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