Freya Magee Releases “Duplicity” and Connects With Us to Share the Raw, Cinematic Vision Behind the Song
- STAFF
- Jul 4
- 6 min read
By: Staff
Freya Magee delivers a stunningly intimate debut — bold, magnetic, and emotionally unforgettable.
Every so often, a new voice emerges that doesn’t just sing but says something, quietly, boldly, and with a kind of weight that settles in your chest long after the song ends.
One such voice has just arrived.
With a debut track that plays like a late-night confession and a presence that feels both intimate and cinematic, this rising artist invites us into a world of emotional contrast and quiet revelations. The single explores inner duality with haunting clarity and lyrical honesty, wrapping vulnerability in beauty without ever asking for permission.
Rather than say too much, we’ll let her words speak for themselves.
We caught up with the artist behind the track to talk about the story behind her debut, the meaning behind a striking lyric that’s already catching attention, and what comes next.
Here’s our full interview with Freya Magee on her debut single, “Duplicity.”
Begin Interview:
Hello Freya Magee, we’re thrilled to have you here for this interview! We've had an amazing time exploring your music and diving into your creative journey. Now, we’re even more intrigued to get a deeper look into both your brand and your personal and professional inspirations.
Q. For fans meeting you for the first time, is Freya Magee your given name or a stage name? What inspired you to choose that for your artist persona?
A. Freya Magee is my real name. (You can read my Substack piece about how attached to it I am.) I thought about using a stage name, but I like that all my different creative projects can live under one umbrella. That’s part of what my song “Duplicity” is about - being multi-faceted. I have been confused with the comedian Freya McGhee though, and there’s a musical artist called Freya Mckee. Maybe we should all just put on a show together.
Q. “Duplicity” hits with so much emotional weight. At what point did you realize this personal story needed to become a song, and how did it feel putting those emotions into music?
A. This song was somewhat unconsciously written, but having it in front of me now it feels like a tome of my contradictions and a guidepost for who I’m supposed to be. There’s a perspective shift in the middle eight that is really fun and self-affirming to sing live.
Q. What was the creative process like for “Duplicity”? Did it come to you in a sudden burst of inspiration, or was it something that evolved over time?
A. The first line came to me in the lobby of my corporate job, the other side of my double life. “I’ve got a tear in my dress but I left it to remind me that I can’t have nice things,” describes how I try to look sharp but am always donning a secret rip or scuff or candle burn. When I put it to guitar, more lyrical snapshots came to me which felt disjointed at first, but were from the same emotional place. Once I stood back I realised the song was about the tension between my different selves.
Q. We love the lyrics “my hair is dark on the left, but I’m blonde on the right cause I can never decide / I’ll tell everyone it’s to represent the fact that I embrace both sides.” And we do want to say that your lyrical display and emphasis on the wording made it very unique and beautiful. But we wanted to ask, is this a true depiction of how you feel, in that you see things from both sides? And did you actually do your hair to represent that in a way to make yourself feel more attached to this emotion?
A. The split hair started as a style but quickly became a metaphor. Moving from Melbourne to London, being introverted and extroverted, embracing my feminine and masculine energy, working corporate and creative, I even studied a double degree in Business and Design. I’ve always felt pulled in different directions, so the hair became this outward symbol of the permission I’ve given myself to live in contradiction, and not be limited to just one version of myself.
Q. What part of the music-making process is the most stressful for you, such as the writing, recording, or the anticipation of release day?
A. The whole process has been the most fun I’ve ever had creatively. But recording vocals probably makes me the most apprehensive as I want to make sure I capture the right expression, as well as nail the technical delivery.
Q. We know your musical journey started during the Melbourne lockdown. What do you remember about the first song you ever wrote, and would you ever consider sharing it with fans someday?
A. I was about to move to London and a fleeting summer romance was winding down. As a kind of goodbye, we escaped to this hundred-acre property in the country with its own lake, firepit, and an old piano. Then lockdown hit, he moved away and I was stuck in Melbourne for another year. That’s when I started teaching myself guitar and I wrote a song called “The Farmhouse.” It’s still floating around on my Instagram somewhere. The funny thing is, “Duplicity” has a lyric about the same man coming back years later, so I guess that story didn’t end when I thought it did.
Q. You’ve lived in Melbourne and London and have Northern Irish heritage. How have those different places influenced your sound or songwriting style?
A. My grandad was from Northern Ireland and I’ve always loved folk music - I used to do Irish dancing and attend the Celtic Festivals in Melbourne. And there’s a haunting, poetic quality I associate with Irish storytelling that I think seeps into my lyrics. Melbourne’s shaping of me as an artist is probably more from growing up an only child in the country with the space to be imaginative and the time to be introspective. London has a more vibrant community and pushes me to be bold, but as I say in “Duplicity,” it’s also “a fight just for time to even write this line.”
Q. Do you have a favorite song from your early years of listening to music that you'd love to cover, something that still resonates with you today as an artist?
A. A formative artist for me since I was 17 has been English artist Laura Marling. I used to drive long, winding roads in my little blue car, singing along to her album “I Speak Because I Can” on CD. There’s something about her soft romanticism paired with this biting, almost ancient darkness in her voice that I always loved. I think I’ve seen her live 7 times across Melbourne and London. “Goodbye England (Covered in Snow)” still melts me in all the same moments, 15 years later.
Q. We feel like we’ve learned so much about you from this one song. But what’s one surprising fact about you that fans might not know yet?
A. I’m also a playwright and have produced my show “Nevernatal” at Melbourne Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival and at two theatres in London. I’m writing my next play at the moment so between the sticky-notes of scenes on my wall and my new Martin guitar constantly calling me over, I’m not getting a lot done otherwise.
Q. Where do you start the production of your music, do you work from a home setup or go straight into studio sessions? And do you handle mixing or mastering yourself, or leave that to someone else?
A. I record demos at home on my phone to send to my producer, Phil Taylor, and we build songs together either at Laurel Sound Studios or remotely before he mixes and masters. Collaborating with someone as talented and experienced as him has been so fun - even just curating reference playlists and trading favourite artists. It’s incredible to go from having just my voice and some strumming to exploring a wide world of possibilities to uncover my unique sound.
Q. What was the most challenging part of bringing “Duplicity” to life, from that first idea to the final mastered version?
A. My typical indecisiveness. We had a big discovery phase and it’s tempting to throw everything into your first song, but we had to let “Duplicity” be what it needs to be and save some road for later.
Q. Do you have any plans for live performances in the near future? If so, what kind of space or setting would feel most ‘you’ for your first live show?
A. Yes, I’m playing a set on Thursday, 7th August at The Amersham Arms. Tickets available soon on Eventbrite. For my own show in the future, my dream space would be intimate and atmospheric, like an old church with nice acoustics.
Q. Finally, for the fans already connecting to “Duplicity,” what’s something they can hold onto while waiting for your next release? A message, a mood, or even a lyric?
A. My next two songs “Forget Yourself Not” and “Over there” are both more energetic and self-assured, erring on defiant, The same lyrical storytelling and honesty, but with a little more bite.
Freya Magee, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
End Interview
We’re happy to have shared Freya Magee’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
Now, click the links below to experience their incredible work firsthand!
