Carla Geneve: 'I Love Being In The Festival Vibe Mood'

There’s a 19-year-old from Perth who is conjuring up a lot of talk that involves the C-word. We are talking, of course, about Carla Geneve and key influence Courtney Barnett. In fact, Geneve is even playing a couple of festivals with Barnett later in the year. Yes, comparisons may be lazy but there is an argument here that it can be a valuable tool, and the comparison means a lot to Geneve.

“It's very cool to be compared to her,” she muses with reverence. “She's a big influence of mine and I love her music and I have done for ages. It's so cool that I get to play with her as well. I've only seen her once, so I'm actually just looking forward to watching her again.”

One could say she is more excited to be watching Barnett than playing her own set. “Yeah, sick, free ticket to a Courtney Barnett show," she laughs. "It's going to be awesome."

The Fairgrounds Festival line-up, which Barnett and Geneve share, is pretty huge. Speaking on The Music Podcast last month at BIGSOUND, Geneve said she even “shed a little tear” when she found out she would be playing. Every comment she makes just exudes humility. “It's just such a hectic line-up for me to be playing on,” she starts. “It's the biggest thing that I have done to date and just to be on the bill with The Breeders and Billy Bragg, it's just so crazy. I'm not used to it at all. It’s very cool.”

Geneve played Groovin The Moo earlier in the year and this festival season she’s got dates lined up for Hyperfest, the Summersalt series and Queenscliff, as well as Fairgrounds. How does she find the festival experience compared to the more intimate gigs? Turns out she “really like[s] it”. 

"I love being in the festival vibe mood."

“I love the way that when you play a festival, everyone is kind of in the festival mood. It's great to play intimate gigs and pick a few bands that you'll be sharing the stage with - I always become really good friends - and there are really great acts when we do local shows or whatever. But it’s so cool to meet people at festivals and watch people that you haven't seen before. It's so fun. I love being in the festival vibe mood.

“I think as an artist, I don't know, everyone's kind of pumped up for their own set in a way. I'm not sure, it's probably different for everybody but I always get excited to play a fun gig on a bigger stage and everyone's excitement feeds off each other and meeting everybody and hanging out is really great as well.” 

The changing landscape of festivals isn’t lost on Geneve though and “equality in gender [representation] is really big for” her. 

“Growing up as a girl and with my parents taking me to some folk festivals and stuff, I didn't see many, but when I saw a female performer or a female musician or whatever, it was just so big. It was such a big deal. I was like, 'Oh my god! I can actually relate to that person.’ I think that in terms of cultivating more female musicians, that having them see girls on stage is the most important thing ever."

And as for “festival bucket list” moments, both as a fan and a musician, Geneve is content. 

“I probably would have said Fairgrounds actually,” she laughs, “because of the line-up especially this year, it would be awesome. 

“I don't know, I do enjoy festivals... I guess I should say I want to go to Splendour In The Grass or something just because it's so huge but it's a long way from Perth, so hopefully I get there one day. I just go wherever I end up.”

Carla Geneve plays Queenscliff Music Festival on 23 Nov, Fairgrounds Festival on 30 Nov, Summersalt Series on 13 Jan and Hyperfest on 24 Feb.