PART 1 // What Did You Start in Me
I met Claire in October 2023. We started casually dating in January 2024, neither of us wanted anything serious. I was meant to be moving to London on May 12th, and Claire had just come out of a serious relationship, so keeping it casual suited us both. And these things always go to plan, right?
But things moved quickly. We were both falling for each other. I met her friends, she met mine. I met her family, she met mine. And all the while, that looming London date kept getting closer. We were smitten, having the best time, so we just leaned into it, knowing the hammer was eventually going to fall.
Then May 12th came around. We said our goodbyes, not knowing what the future held. Neither of us wanted to do long distance, it didn’t make sense. We both had parts of our own journeys to experience separately. So that’s what we did. I left. No contact. That was it, for now.
A few weeks into London, I got a voice message from Claire. It broke me. She apologised for breaking our agreement, but she said something that’s always stuck with me: “I don’t want you to be over there thinking I haven’t been thinking about you.” She could’ve just said she missed me, but this felt different. Selfless, somehow. We ended up having a call, both crying at the sound of each other’s voice again, and decided to stay in sporadic contact. It felt good. We were both stoked just to be connected again.
Not long after, I realised London wasn’t where I wanted to be for this chapter of my life. I wanted to be in Melbourne, with my friends, my family… and Claire. A few months later, I came home.
We didn’t rush it. We weren’t sure what was going to happen. But seeing her again for the first time, that’s a moment I’ll never forget.
We’re still together now! April 2026. Things have a way of working out, I wasn’t sure how we were going to land the plane, and there were definitely bumps along the way, but I’m really proud of how we handled it.
These are the songs that represent that story. I love telling it at gigs, I hope you enjoyed the digital version.
🎥 + 🎙️: HUGE thanks to
@evokesounds
#melbourneartist #folk #singersongwriter #folkpop #lounge