Kleigh

“It was one of the most intense 10 days of my life.”

The album Beautiful World was recorded over an extraordinary 10-day session in Tari, North New South Wales. He traveled four hours from Apollo Bay to Bendigo, then another 16 hours by car to reach the studio. Working with an incredibly supportive producer, the sessions were so intense that he lost 13 kilograms during the recording — pushed hard in the studio, drenched in sweat, drinking five or six liters of water a day. The result is an album treasured by many.

“This is a turning point and I’m not going to put up with your crap anymore.”

Written during a major turning point while living in a suburb of Bendigo, Victoria. After leaving a six-year job and battling seven years of fear, paranoia, and illness, he set up a small home studio — black curtains, a modest PC, guitar, and piano. Devil Get Away from Me became the pilot album that led to the Beautiful World recording sessions in Tari. It is the sound of standing up, getting strong, and refusing to be held back any longer.

“It didn’t click with me at first, but then with a bit more effort, it just turned.”

A Better Me almost didn’t happen. He wasn’t happy with the initial version — no guitars, something missing. Then friend and collaborator Bill stepped in at the new studio (the Purple Room at mum’s place), came up with a guitar riff on the spot, and over a couple of hours laid down tracks that transformed the song. He reproduced the whole thing, re-sang it, and A Better Me came alive. It’s about the universal pursuit of becoming a better self.

“Sometimes you just got to ignore the haters.”

Born from years of dealing with jealousy and a lack of support from those closest to him, Bounce Back is his anthem of resilience. To this day, external listeners have resonated deeply with his music while those nearest have held back. The song is a lesson in self-belief — if you believe in what you’ve got, that’s a massive step forward, even when people deliberately choose not to give your work a chance.

“My cat tore up the lyrics while I was recording.”

Written in Apollo Bay, Victoria, inside a two-story Western Red Cedar home overlooking the ocean. He had just recovered from bronchitis when the song came together — starting as nothing more than piano and vocal. The cat famously shredded the handwritten lyrics mid-session, but the pages were pieced back together for the pilot vocal. When a friend heard the demo, he shouted that it was amazing. Recorded later in Tari for the album, the title track captures a moment in a truly beautiful place.