Ahead of the release of her second album Don’t Be Afraid (out October 17 via Dot Dash / Remote Control), Western Australian songwriter Carla Geneve spoke with Australian Musician’s Greg Phillips about her creative process, the inspirations behind the new record, and the journey that’s shaped her songwriting.
MORE ABOUT THE NEW ALBUM
Rooted in raw honesty and a deep sense of empathy, Don’t Be Afraid marks a period of calm reflection for Geneve following the more turbulent emotional landscape of her previous album, Hertz. Written largely on a battered secondhand piano she found online, the new record explores themes of fear, compassion, forgiveness and strength in vulnerability, inspired in part by poet Seamus Heaney’s final words, “Don’t be afraid.” “There’s a lot of turmoil in the album,” she says, “but there’s a sense of peace in it as well. It’s a reminder not to be afraid to do all the things I talk about on the record.”
Growing up in the coastal town of Albany, Geneve’s musical upbringing was shaped by isolation and a love of 70s rock, such as Neil Young, AC/DC, and also Lucinda Williams and The Drones, influences that still echo in her work. “I wasn’t surrounded by many young musicians,” she reflects. “So I kind of developed my own way of doing things. The isolation definitely shaped my music.”
The recording process for Don’t Be Afraid was spread over several years and involved a close creative partnership with long-time collaborator Dan Carroll. After a hard drive crash forced them to redo parts of the record, Geneve found unexpected freedom in revisiting her songs. “It was a blessing,” she admits. “It gave me a chance to reimagine the stories and show some growth.”
The album’s sound is layered and intricate, built piece by piece rather than captured live. “It’s just layers and layers and layers,” she explains. “Instead of big solos, it’s about textures, even a single note can add something important.” Vocally, Geneve pushed herself into new territory, experimenting with lower tones, breathier textures, and lush vocal stacks that give the songs a haunting intimacy.
Live, however, she’s keeping things organic. “It’s a tricky album to reproduce on stage,” she laughs. “But I’d rather create a unique moment than just replicate the record with backing tracks.” Her touring band includes drums, bass, synths, guitar, and harmonies, a setup designed to reinterpret, not imitate, the album’s layered atmosphere.
Geneve’s creative tools are simple but meaningful: a well-loved Gibson J-45 acoustic, a Japanese Telecaster, and that creaky, century-old piano that changed the way she writes. Sonically, she cites Cass McCombs, Andy Shauf, and Lana Del Rey as touchstones for the record’s mood and tone.
Reflecting on her evolution, Geneve laughs that her teenage self “probably wouldn’t like this album at all.” But to her, that’s the point. “It means I’ve grown,” she says. “I used to think I’d never use synths or anything electronic, now I love exploring new sounds.”
With Don’t Be Afraid finally ready for the world, Geneve admits to a mix of excitement and nervous energy, “that feeling like you’ve forgotten something,” she jokes, but mostly pride. Following some intimate in-store shows, she’ll join Paul Dempsey on tour before launching her own national run in early 2026.
As for the long game, Geneve keeps it simple: “Keep making music forever and get better at it. Anything else isn’t that important to me.”