Episode #10
Tiny Vinyl Sessions #10 | Erin Reus | Kelly Clarkson, Cascada & Reinvention
Recorded live at Lola's Bar in Airlie Beach, this episode of Tiny Vinyl Sessions features Erin Reus — a singer-songwriter whose musical journey has taken her from festival stages and touring bands to carving out a new identity as a solo artist in the Whitsundays. Following three live performances, Erin joins host Nick Di Gregorio for an honest conversation about burnout, stage presence, authenticity, the expectations placed on women within the music industry, and the challenge of rebuilding yourself after leaving a successful band behind. ⸻ Conversation Highlights • Erin's journey from touring musician to solo artist • The emotional reality of rebuilding your identity after life in a band • Why Erin describes her voice as a "playground" • Burnout, resilience and learning when to step away • Performing for intimate audiences after playing major festivals • The hidden challenges of being a woman in the live music industry • Authenticity, confidence and stage presence • Growing as an artist in a regional music community • Why reinvention sometimes means leaving your comfort zone ⸻ ⏱ Timestamps 00:00 Intro — the voice as a playground 00:23 What Tiny Vinyl Sessions is + welcome to Erin Reus 01:22 Catching up: three postponements and it's almost baby time 02:38 Burnout, island life and the resilience bar 05:40 Rest cycles, six-week stints and looking after your voice 08:19 The playground metaphor and reinvention in a new town 11:32 Status games in music and not bragging about the past 13:14 The band years: Good Things Festival and touring 14:23 Singing Jetlag with Simple Plan to 20,000+ people 16:53 "Sting" — Erin Reus (original) 19:43 A quick thank you — supporting the series 21:21 The band ending at the same time as COVID 22:23 Identity after the band + the Hannah Montana feeling 25:56 "Where's the Erin we see on film?" — authenticity on stage 28:24 Big crowds vs tiny rooms and reading the intimacy 29:32 The drain of three-hour gigs 31:32 "Breakaway" — Kelly Clarkson (acoustic cover) 35:44 The Magnums story — being told to "give me more" 37:19 Background gigs, energy and playing to the room 39:35 Reading the crowd and the toilet-break dilemma 40:31 Being a woman in a male-dominated scene 43:39 "Every Time We Touch" — Cascada (acoustic cover) 47:29 Thank you — the Flying Arts grant 48:44 Presence, tips and dressing for the gig 50:03 Why audiences treat women performers differently 51:59 Reinventing yourself in a city vs a small town 54:33 Wrap up and goodbyes ⸻ Tracklist "Sting" — Erin Reus (original) "Breakaway" — Kelly Clarkson (acoustic cover) "Every Time We Touch" — Cascada (acoustic cover) (All tracks recorded live during the session.) ⸻ ️ Credits Host: Nick Di Gregorio Guest: Erin Reus Recorded live at: Lola's Bar, Airlie Beach, Queensland, Australia Produced, filmed, edited & mixed by: Nick Di Gregorio Roaming camera: Mica O'Brien Label: Tiny Vinyl Collective ⸻ Listen & Follow Erin Reus Instagram: @erinreus TikTok: @erinreus Facebook: @erinreusmusic YouTube: @erinreus Tiny Vinyl Collective Website: https://www.tinyvinylcollective.com YouTube: @tinyvinylcollective Instagram: @tinyvinylcollective Nick Di Gregorio Website: https://www.nickdigregorio.com Instagram: @nickdigregorio.music Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1f5RB Lola's Bar Instagram: @lolasairlie ⸻ About Tiny Vinyl Sessions Tiny Vinyl Sessions is a live music podcast and video series documenting working musicians through stripped-back performances and candid conversations. Each episode is recorded on location at an independent venue, pairing three live songs with an honest discussion about the realities of building a life in music ⸻ Acknowledgement This project was made possible by the Australian Government's Regional Arts Fund, provided through Regional Arts Australia, administered in Queensland by Flying Arts Alliance. ⸻ Location: Airlie Beach, Queensland, Australia A Tiny Vinyl Session — celebrating musicians through live performance and conversation. #TinyVinylSessions #ErinReus #AirlieBeach #WhitsundaysMusic #LiveMusic #AustralianMusic #KellyClarkson #Cascada
