Della Harris - Country Singer
Q: Why have you stopped playing music?
A: It doesn’t feel like me anymore. For so long I defined myself through music, but somewhere along the way I lost the passion. Covid didn’t help—after it ended, I couldn’t get my energy or enthusiasm back. Being an artist takes motivation, time, money, and I don’t know if I’ve got that drive anymore. Losing Mum and Dad also shifted my focus. Now I’m wondering: do I even want to go back?
Q: But you’d stopped before that, hadn’t you?
A: Yes. Before Covid I had momentum—I was about to launch an album and tour, then everything got cancelled. At first I felt relief, like a huge weight had lifted. I realised how much stress I’d been carrying. But I’ve always struggled with putting my life on display, especially on social media. I’m a private person, and I hated the pressure to keep proving myself after awards and recognition. I thought: maybe that future isn’t what I want.
Q: What did you imagine your life would be when you left school?
A: I wanted to sing, act, and dance. When I moved to Melbourne I took classes in all three. Acting was too cutthroat, dancing I wasn’t much good at, but singing stayed. I was shy and a perfectionist, though, so I held myself back. My teacher pushed me into a band as a backing vocalist. My first gig I shook so much I nearly fell over, but afterwards I thought, “I want to do that again.” From there I was nudged into fronting bands.
Q: Do you get in the way of your own destiny?
A: Absolutely. I’m my own worst enemy. I constantly tell myself I’m not good enough. Having someone push me really helps, but lately I’ve lost that. I used to rely on others—musicians like Rob and Ali—but when Ali stopped performing and Rob became too busy, I felt exposed and unsupported. Since then I’ve been searching for “my people” to play with.
Q: What happened with your last performances?
A: The last gig I did was awful. My voice didn’t work as it normally does, I panicked, and then my guitar playing fell apart. I was having a panic attack on stage. I got off and said, “I never want to do that again.” It shook me badly. Now I feel that if I could find the right people and rehearse, maybe I could put myself out there again. But working with pros, there’s no rehearsal—it’s just turn up and play. That worked when I was younger, but not now.
Q: Do you think you suffer from imposter syndrome?
A: Absolutely—100%. I’d transform into “Della Harris, the country artist,” with the makeup, the hair, the outfit. But as soon as I got home I’d strip it all off and clean the house—that’s the real me. Performing felt like becoming someone else, like Beyoncé’s Sasha Fierce. Now I don’t think I have the energy for that again. Whatever I do next will just be me—take it or leave it.
Q: Is that fear rooted in childhood?
A: Yes. We grew up being told, “Don’t be a show-off.” So I’ve always had that monkey on my back asking, “Who do you think you are?” I envy people who don’t care. I keep writing songs—songs that feel more authentic—but I don’t know if I’ve got the strength to do everything it takes to release them.
Q: Or maybe you just do it?
A: Maybe. It’d be nice to have that attitude.