Exclusive Interview With Shani Weiss

April 11, 2025

Exclusive Interview With Shani Weiss

Melbourne indie singer-songwriter Shani Weiss has captured hearts with her deeply personal lyrics and uplifting melodies. Her latest single, "What's Left", embraces the unknown, forged from a life-changing move from Israel to Australia. After her hit debut, "All About Life", and an award-winning career as an independent music artist, Shani takes time to chat with us about what inspires her, the challenges she has faced, how she works creatively, and the evolving place of women in music today.

1. "What’s Left" is a powerful and personal song. Can you walk us through the process of how you wrote it and what was going through your head at the time?

I was sitting in my living surrounded by boxes and trying to think what am I chucking, what can I take with me on the biggest adventure of my lifetime. We had tickets to Australia, a Permanent Resident Visa and an Airbnb for a month, that’s it. So, it was an exciting and terrifying time together. Saying goodbye to all my family and friends, leaving my photo albums, my piano, my instruments, it was a bit much to process emotionally and when I have too many emotions to deal with, I go to the piano or guitar and spew out everything into a song and that helps me process my feeling. So, the song is pretty much every feeling I was experiencing at the time.

2. You moved from Israel to Australia with just a few suitcases and a dream which is very inspiring. Did it change the way you view yourself as an artist? How has it impacted you?

It has changed my life. Melbourne is the musical capital of Australia and arriving here, with nothing made me search for every opportunity that comes my way and say yes to everything musical even though I had self-doubts. I knew I had to be the breadwinner at the start which was incredible in itself that I was the one bringing in the salary from music. The move really stretched my limits to be able to do things I could never imagine like performing in some iconic venues in Melbourne like The Palais and Hamer Hall, creating enough of a reputation that people know who I am and listen to my music.

I have added instruments to my repertoire like Ukulele and looping in addition to guitar and keys. I can now teach music to every age from babies to seniors. I started a radio show and so many more things. These wouldn’t happen if I wouldn’t have left my comfort zone. When you are at the ‘bottom’ you find strength and creativity in yourself that you couldn’t think of before. The move was one of the best gifts I gave to myself.

3. Would you be able to explain your creative process? How do you go about transforming your experiences into music?

As I mentioned with What’s Left, I usually will write when I am overwhelmed or full of emotions. Sometimes the muse just arrives and then I need to go write. I’m a pretty quick songwriter, it pours out and not long after there’s a song, I don’t usually have unfinished songs lingering in my drawers. Once I have written a song, I try it out in a few open mic nights to get the feel of it, then I’ll create a looping version of the song, maybe with a band, let it grow and build a relationship between myself, the song, and my listeners.

4. "What's Left" tells a strong story. How did you actually find the process of writing and recording the song? Were there any unexpected roadblocks or moments of insight in the process?

This EP has been long overdue, so once I collected 6 songs that meant a lot to me, I created all the arrangements and just needed to find a recording studio to record the songs. Going into recording is such an intimate and exposing process, you really need to feel comfortable with your producer and recording studio to bear your soul. At the time I was planning on going to Israel for a visit in April 24 and come back to Melbourne find a studio and record the EP, but I couldn’t bring myself to do so.

At the time, my community were very isolated and we all felt like we had no one to trust but ourselves, so I thought, hang on, why don’t I record it in Tel Aviv, in the recording studio I recorded my debut album, Touch of Reality? It was like a second home to me and all my mates in Israel are musos, so the visit became a recording festival, and I couldn’t be happier it worked out the way it did.

5. Women artists have been speaking more and more about representation and equality in music. In your experience, do you think things have improved? Have you found it challenging at all being a woman in the industry?

I host a radio show on J-air Radio called Indie Spotlight Melbourne where I interview local Indie musicians, and I have a gender equality segment where every interviewee must recommend a female artist. I try to bring in a fact about gender equality every week to raise awareness to gender equality and women’s rights. As long as there are still realities where women are not allowed to show their face in public, let alone sing, we still have to work hard and that’s why I have my segment.

I am grateful for being able to have the freedom to speak my mind as freely as I want but also understand that this freedom is something that many brave women have fought for. I have a song called Independence is Happiness, which is made up of quotes of Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks and Emily Pankhurst, three strong women that helped shape our society till this day.

6. Your debut single, "All About Life", had a lot of traction, even selling out your launch at the Espy! How has the response to your music influenced your mindset?

It has taught me that I can reinvent myself at any stage of my life. I released my debut album before coming to Australia and once I had gotten here, releasing more music seemed like an impossible task as I had to deal with migrating issues, finding a job, covid, pregnancy, raising two boys. All About Life was such a strong message to myself that I can create, release, perform, and even sell out venues, the sky is the limit regardless of my gender, religion, ethnicity or age.

7. With 2025 shaping up to be an important year for you, what is on the music agenda next? Are there any upcoming shows, works or music collaborations in store?

I am now starting to gear up towards the third single and a big end of year EP launch. I’m dreaming of some Iconic venues on Melbourne to perform in, there’s the band, gigs, my radio show. I am seriously blessed with the ability to do what I love and am so grateful for it. If you want to know about more things in the pipeline I usually put in on socials @shaniweissofficial.

8. What words of wisdom would you give to someone who is going through a significant life change as you have?

I believe that as long as you are actively doing something to better your life, whether if in small steps or giant ones you are giving yourself the gift of evolution. You are creating a better, wiser, more understanding and appreciative version of yourself. You can’t spend your life staying in the shallow waters, that’s where the kids pee (sorry mum joke).

But now seriously, reach out, connect, get to know people, get out of your comfort zone, make an effort to network, learn the culture, learn the people, listen and enjoy life because we only have one to live and it can end in a split second, so make the most of it.