VASSY, Supplied
Collaborations with electronic music big shots David Guetta and Tiësto have helped Darwin-raised vocalist VASSY become one of Australia’s most successful EDM exports. The LA-based VASSY won the Icon Award at Miami’s EDM Awards in March 2023 thanks to the combined success of “Bad”, her 2014 single with David Guetta and Showtek, and “Secrets”, her 2015 single with Tiësto and KSHMR.
In February 2024, VASSY received a platinum plaque from the US’s National Music Publishers’ Association certifying sales in excess of one million copies (or equivalent streams) for “Bad”. “Bad” is also on APRA AMCOS’s 1,000,000,000 List, which celebrates songwriters from Australia and New Zealand who’ve had a song surpass one billion streams.
VASSY has released a bunch of new music in recent months: the single “Krazy” came out in September and “Off Switch” in January, while the album Supreme landed in February. “Krazy” peaked at number three on the US dance music airplay charts in February, keeping company with Dua Lipa’s “Houdini” and Tyla’s “Water” at the pointy end of the chart.
Ahead of a trip home for a slot at Darwin’s BASSINTHEGRASS music festival, VASSY tells us about her hard-won international success and her lasting connection to Darwin.
Check Check: You moved to America a decade ago. Were you always really ambitious?
VASSY: Yes and no. I would say my career started 15 years ago. I got unearthed but then I was finishing my degree and then, when I came to America, I started all over again. I think that when you move to a country and no one knows you, you have to prove yourself, and in America you’re nobody until you’re somebody.
I feel like in Australia there’s not as much pressure, whereas they’re just competitive in the US. People are a lot more aggressive. It’s just a whole different thing here. People are on it all the time. It’s not laidback like it is in Australia.
When you decided to move to America, did you envision your career unfolding in this way? Or have you surpassed your expectations?
Yeah, I think I did surpass, but then I think I could’ve taken some different routes in my career had I wanted to go next level and I specifically chose not to go down those roads. And maybe that was good or it wasn’t, but I wanted to do things at my pace that I felt comfortable with while remaining authentically myself.
Like DJing, for example. I’m obviously very well known in the dance genre – that’s the genre that’s made me all my success as an artist internationally – but I’m not a DJ, which is really rare.
You won the Icon Award at the 2023 EDM Awards – impressive given you’re not a DJ.
Oh totally. First of all, I’m not a DJ. And I’m a woman. And I’m from Darwin, which most people in Australia haven’t even been [to]. So all the odds are up against me, and it was an honour. When I made those big records with David Guetta and Tiësto, they were literally a year apart on the day, which is so weird, how the universe works.
I was mentoring, the other day, a whole bunch of artists and everyone was saying, “How’d you do it?” And I was telling them, “You’re a leg up already because you’re in America.” I literally grew up in Darwin. There was nothing there. So, I don’t know how I’ve done it.
You’ve got to have the talent but you’ve got to have the hard work ethic, the perseverance, you’ve got to deal with rejections – they’re gonna come so much, more so for women I think, but you’re going to get a lot of them.
Do you think your success has been dependent on the move to the US?
I had success in Australia and it was good, but I feel that I reached a roadblock and I just couldn’t get past that. Maybe if I stuck it out I would’ve [been more successful], but I think it would be hard. Australia definitely has its bubble and what’s happening in Australia doesn’t translate here necessarily.
I definitely like to inspire local musicians. I do think it helps to spend a lot of time [in America]. Like, anything’s possible. So, that’s why I always tell young Australian artists, you know, don’t give up. I know it’s hard but I’m like, “It’s not impossible, I’m telling you.” But it is hard.
People get vulnerable very fast out here. Money, not having family around, or friends, and you’ve got to be tough enough to stick that out and put in the time. None of these things happen quickly – even the Taylor Swifts and the Justin Biebers and the Beyoncés, these guys have been doing it since they were three years old.
Do you maintain connections with musicians in Darwin?
Yeah. I’m still in touch with people who I grew up with who are actually going to be playing for me when I do BASSINTHEGRASS. One of them’s a drummer and now he runs Music NT. My guitarist is a local guy. What’s really beautiful is that they’re all there still living a life. And every time I go home, I catch up with everyone.
When I go back to Darwin, I’m still the girl from Darwin and that will never leave me. That’s why I have a lot of friends who are not in the business, because I actually don’t like talking about the business. I just talk about other shit and it’s so refreshing. So, the cool thing is I’ve kept these relationships.
Follow VASSY here
BASSINTHEGRASS 2024
Sat 18 May – Mindil Beach, Darwin
Macklemore
Bag Raiders
Jet
King Stingray
dameeeela
VASSY
+ more – full lineup
