Amy Shark reveals scary reality check to Aussie artists

Amy Shark opens up about her skyrocketing success, and why the music industry is tougher than ever.

Amy Shark performs solo at the Darwin Waterfront on NYE. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

Amy Shark has had a whirlwind few months, juggling her role as a judge on Australian Idol, releasing her latest album Sunday Sadness, and experiencing a national tour.

The Queensland-born pop star said her Sunday Sadness tour comes at a high point in her career, with the album already earning an ARIA nomination for Album of the Year.

Shark admits the success of her third record has surpassed her expectations.

“It feels incredible,” she said.

“You never really expect to get to album three and still have people care, but this one feels really special.

“Especially with the ARIA (nomination), there’s only five nominees in that category. There’s a lot of amazing albums out, and to get that nomination was incredible.”

Amy Shark admits life as a musician can be tough.

Amy Shark's 'Sunday Sadness' album cover. Photo: Supplied.

The album’s title, Sunday Sadness, is drawn from the universal feeling of introspection and overthinking that Sundays often bring — something Shark knows all too well.

“You know that feeling when you’re just overthinking everything in your life?” she reflected. “You start asking yourself, ‘Do I need to make big changes? Should we just move to the UK?’ It’s the weirdest day.”

For Shark, the emotional weight of Sundays became especially poignant while caring for her late grandmother, who suffered from dementia.

“When I was writing the album, I was looking after my Nan, and Sundays were just way worse than any other day,” she shared.

“Sundays always haunted me, even as a kid, like you don’t want to go to school on Monday. Sundays just suck.”

Though the tour is shaping up to be a success, Shark recently grabbed headlines with a playful TikTok video where she joked about ticket sales slowing due to competition from major international acts, like Travis Scott, who was performing in Brisbane on the same night.

Although she said the Tiktok video was just a bit of fun, she also opened up about the challenges facing many Australian artists, especially emerging artists, acknowledging how difficult it can be to compete in a market flooded with international stars.

“(The video) was purely poking the slightest bit of fun at how much is happening and how many artists are touring, how many internationals are touring,” she said.

“Obviously I’ve sold 1000s of tickets, I’m sleeping okay at night.

“But there are artists out there that are looking at their careers going ‘I might need to call it a day’, which is where it gets scary, because it is tough out there, everything’s very expensive right now.

“I do get scared for everyone who wants to sort of be a musician now. It’s a battlefield out here.”

Amy Shark performs solo at the Darwin Waterfront on NYE. Picture: Amanda Parkinson

SUNDAY SADNESS SETLIST

1. Two Friends

2. Only Wanna Be With You

3. Can I Shower At Yours

4. Everybody Rise

5. It’s Nice to Feel This Way Again

6. All Loved Up

7. Beautiful Eyes

8. My Only Friend

9. Love Songs Ain’t For Us

10. The Reaper

(The Chainsmokers cover)

11. Don’t Turn Around

12. Blood Brothers

13. Worst Day of My Life

14. Babe

15. Adore

16. Spits on Girls

17. Our Time Together

Encore:

18. Gone

19. Mr Brightside

(The Killers cover)

20. I Said Hi

21. Mess Her Up

Originally published as Amy Shark reveals scary reality check to Aussie artists