For Melbourne singer-songwriter Helen Ryder, the journey to her second album Love Over Hate has been one marked by recovery, reflection, and creative rebirth. Speaking with Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips ahead of the album’s November 7 release, Ryder opened up about the long gestation behind her long-awaited follow-up to 2015’s Someday Love, the challenges that shaped it,
and the resilience that ultimately defines it.
MORE ABOUT HELEN RYDER’S ‘LOVE OVER HATE’
The album’s origins trace back to a difficult period following a serious car accident that left Ryder unable to work for two years. What could have been a setback became, as she describes, a “strange silver lining.” The extended recovery gave her uninterrupted time to write, to sit at her piano or guitar each day and explore songwriting for the first time in earnest. The process deepened further during the pandemic, when isolation became a creative incubator. “It was a big moment of experimentation for me,” she told Australian Musician. “Every morning I’d just go to my instruments and write. It was healing.”
Thematically, Love Over Hate emerged from this period of solitude and introspection. The title, she explains, represents both a personal and political statement. “As I was writing, I kept reflecting on what was happening in the world – the conflict, division and also on my own life. The phrase ‘love over hate’ just kept returning. I wanted these songs to be about that choice we all have.”
Across its eleven tracks, Ryder blends elements of soul, pop, country, folk and roots, exploring stories of love, loss and compassion through her warm, expressive voice. Several songs draw directly from real-world inspiration: Before You Give Away Your Love was prompted by a tragic domestic violence story, while Weight of the World reflects on children caught in war zones. Others, such as Careful What You Wish For and A Summer Song, balance personal reflection with universal emotion.
Once again, Ryder teamed with Bruce Haymes (Paul Kelly, Renée Geyer, You Am I), who co-produced her debut and returned to helm Love Over Hate alongside longtime collaborators Roger Bergodaz (drums, mixing), Shane Reilly (pedal steel, guitars, arrangements) and Stephen Hadley (bass). The sessions took place at Union Street Studio in Melbourne, where Ryder says the relaxed atmosphere, “no clock on the wall” allowed the songs to take their natural shape.
The album’s creation became an act of recovery in itself. Ryder admits she initially struggled with lingering PTSD after her accident, even finding it difficult to speak certain words. “Sitting at the piano or guitar and singing really brought me back,” she reflected. That return culminated in her ambitious Ode to Bobbie Gentry live show, which reignited her confidence as both a performer and storyteller.
Ryder’s influences run deep – from Dusty Springfield, Bobby Gentry and Bob Dylan to the Laurel Canyon icons of the ’60s and ’70s – and their echoes can be heard throughout the album. Yet Love Over Hate feels distinctly her own: a meditation on resilience, empathy and the enduring power of song.
Ryder will launch Love Over Hate on November 27 at Melbourne’s Wesley Anne, joined by Bruce Haymes, Lachlan Bryan, Stephen Hadley and Tony Floyd. Beyond the launch, she hopes to tour the album regionally and possibly to Sydney, finances permitting. “It’s a mystery what happens after you release a record,” she said with a smile. “But I’m excited to finally share these songs, they speak of the times we’re living in, and the importance of choosing love.”
Helen Ryder’s album Love Over Hate is out November 7, 2025.