I am interviewed before my critically acclaimed Like a Version performance on Triple J, a radio station I have not listened to since 2009
or
delusions of grandeur ……..still
I imagine myself
describing how I could never imagine
myself here (there not here)
The host, Alex:
(a safe bet, white and gender neutral)
The host, Alex:
that song of course was Drake’s ‘God’s Plan’ you’re listening to mornings on triple J with Alex and Alex
We’re joined in studio today by Adalya
by ????????
for Like a Version thanks so much for being here
Adalya, Me:
Thanks so much for having me
The other host, Alex:
Well Adalya,
Well guys,
Well ,, can you tell us a bit about what you’ve brought in today??
Adalya, Me:
haha yeah! as soon as i got the call i knew what i had to bring:
hair body face by Gaga baby!!!
a queer reimagining of Charlie Puth's 'BOY'
influenced by Cher, the entire discography of ABBA
Joanna Newsom's 'Colleen', because i really like whales
The host, Alex:
Now you and Newsom are both classically trained, but interestingly not in voice, do you think that’s part of what draws you to her music??
Adalya, Me:
Yeah definitely, playing in an orchestra playing these big symphonies
playing music with so many people
it really changes like your ear
you learn to be so quiet and so loud as a collective
a way of forgetting your body
(sometimes)
or a way of performing its grandness / glamour /mechanics separate to your self
The host, Alex:
It sounds like we’re in for a real treat
Alright well let’s get into it lets get into the reason we’re here let’s get into the cover this is like a version we’re joined by Adalya who’s about to give us the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto!
Adalya, Me:
Fuck you Roy! You never believed I could do this!!
The host, Alex:
Take it away!
sculpted body
structured gown
mugler / rodarte / balenciaga
(great gowns,, beautiful gowns)
an effortless magnetism
a quiet presence
unsettling gaze
my voice is good
but most voices are good
but sometimes maybe my voice is exceptional
gloves to my shoulders
hair past my butt
thanks so much for having me
About the author
Adalya Nash Hussein is a writer, editor and educator. Her work has appeared in Voiceworks, The Lifted Brow, The Suburban Review and Going Down Swinging. She has been shortlisted for the Scribe Nonfiction Prize, has been an Emerging Writers' Festival Melbourne Recital Centre Writer in Residence and is a current Wheeler Centre Hot Desk Fellow. She is the Online Editor of The Lifted Brow and a nonfiction editor for Voiceworks.
