Amber Farnan

'Empty' captures the strange space between feeling everything and feeling nothing. Can you talk about the emotional journey behind the song?

The song came from looking back on past trauma and finally getting to a place where I could accept it. I think when you've carried something for so long, you can end up feeling everything and nothing at the same time. Writing Empty helped me process a lot of those emotions and reminded me that moving forward doesn't mean forgetting what happened. It's more about choosing not to let it define you.

There's a beautiful tension throughout 'Empty' between its delicate acoustic foundations and its polished pop production. How did you and your collaborators shape that sonic landscape?

We wanted everything to serve the emotion of the song. My good friend Anita Wachtler played cello on the track, and I feel like it added so much feeling and depth. My twin brother also played drums, which made it really special. It was important that nothing felt overdone—we wanted it to sound natural and let the story speak for itself.

Looking back, how has that journey influenced both your confidence and your songwriting?

I've been performing since I was about 12 years old, so music has always been a huge part of my life. Over the years I've had the chance to support and work alongside artists I grew up listening to, which is still pretty surreal. Looking back at where I started in Cooktown compared to where I am now makes me really grateful, and it's definitely given me more confidence to trust my own voice as a songwriter.

Your songwriting feels deeply personal while still leaving room for listeners to find their own stories within it. How do you balance that?

I don't really think too much about balancing it. I just write honestly about what I'm going through. I've found that the more personal I am, the more people seem to connect with it. Even if someone's experience is completely different, the emotions are usually something we all understand.

Winning a Queensland Music Award, receiving Triple J support and touring alongside artists like Missy Higgins and Stella Donnelly are huge milestones. How have they shaped your perspective on success?

Those moments have definitely given me confidence, especially because I've been doing this independently for so long. But I don't really see success as awards or big opportunities. For me it's being able to keep making music, keep improving, and knowing that my songs are connecting with people. That's what keeps me motivated.

'Empty' feels like an important step in your career. Where do you see this next chapter taking you?

I feel like I'm writing my most honest music yet, and I want to keep leaning into that. Hopefully that means releasing a lot more music, getting out on tour and reaching people outside of Far North Queensland. I'm just excited to keep growing and see where the songs take me.