Ahead of the release of her EP, Brisbane singer-songwriter Keziah Davies (aka Spring Hill Walkers Club) has dropped her debut single “Sertraline”. Influenced by female and gender diverse indie artists and inspired by Keziah’s own mental health journey, the dreamy track reflects on those sucky feelings of loneliness and anxiety that come following a break-up.

Keziah also acknowledges that sometimes taking antidepressants is necessary to overcome those tough times. Read our chat with the talented lass below, and treat your ears to “Sertraline” over here.

What’s the story behind the name Spring Hill Walkers Club? I was living in Spring Hill at the time, and after going on a walk a friend said the phrase and it was one of those “oh, that’d be a cool band name” moments. It started as a fun sounding name, but it’s become quite nostalgic for me now. Living in Spring Hill was when I first thought that starting this project might not just be a pipe dream. 

How did you get into making music? I was always influenced and encouraged by my family. My dad played acoustic guitar to us as kids and I use that same guitar now to write all my songs. My mum is singing all the time and my three older brothers introduced me to a huge range of diverse music when I was younger. As I got older, I realised that listening to and playing music was the one thing I always craved.

What has influenced your sound? There was a point about six or seven years ago that I realised the majority of the music I listened to was by male artists. I started to make a bit more of an effort to find more female and gender diverse artists and, honestly, it’s about all I listen to now. Acts like Snail Mail, Soccer Mommy, Julia Jacklin, Merpire and Grace Turner really inspire me and influence my music a lot.

What did the writing process for “Sertraline” look like? I started writing the lyrics last year, which took a while, as I was going through a break-up. Then in December we had a month until recording the EP and I wanted this to be on it, but I was struggling with the guitar/chord progression. Thankfully my friend Krishan (who produced the EP and co-wrote this song) ended up saving the day. He came up with the most epic bass line and guitar parts. Hearing the demo he sent back to me for the first time and realising it had all come together was such a great moment. 

How does it feel finally getting the track out in the world? “Sertraline” is the newest song on the EP – some of the others are four or five years old – but it feels like I’ve been holding onto it for so long. I’m glad to finally be releasing it. It’s nerve-wracking releasing something so personal to me and especially a song that references my mental health, but it’s also exciting and feels right to be honest and authentic about my life.

When do you feel most creative? I struggle with motivation most of the time and I'll go weeks or months without touching an instrument. But I find going to see live gigs always fires me up and gives me a creative push. Otherwise, things like gardening, painting and drawing help me feel less stressed, get the creative juices flowing and usually give me the energy to work on a song.

Any fun facts about yourself? I fell off a trampoline as a kid and broke my arm, and now I can't straighten it properly. Still love trampolines, though!

What do you get up to when you're not making music? I love to spend my spare time tending to my indoor plants and my little veggie patch. I’m also a bit obsessed with making macrame plant hangers at the moment, even though I’ve run out of places to hang them.

What’s next for Spring Hill Walkers Club? I have another single coming out this month, and then my EP drops on November 26.