Amy Shark on the surprising freedom of no longer caring what people think

Detailed summary

A decade after Adore made her a star, Amy Shark has stopped fighting for her place in the spotlight. Now, with nothing left to prove, she’s discovering the freedom of doing things her way.

As the sun dips into the Indian Ocean, golden light dancing on the surface of the waves and reflecting a gilded radiance onto Whitfords Nodes Park in Hillarys, diminutive indie pop powerhouse Amy Shark will be preparing to take to the stage at Castaway Festival next weekend.

She will be sharing the line-up with an eclectic group of fellow Aussie musicians, hip-hop veterans Hilltop Hoods, rock outfit Violent Soho, rapper Trials, singer-songwriter Lyric, local teenage triplets Birdland and genre-bending Keith hit-makers Playlunch.

“It’s quite a wild line-up,” Shark admits with a laugh, reflecting on the unique convergence of artists. “I love the boys. I’ve met the Hoods once or twice and they’re just lovely, and I know the Soho guys pretty well. So it’ll be cool just to have a forced hangout — which sometimes you need as artists. Otherwise, we’re all just too busy doing our thing, and festivals are like the only time you can sort of see each other.”

“Busy” could be Shark’s middle name. In 2026 — which marks a decade since her breakout hit Adore catapulted her to fame — she released her fourth studio album, made her feature film debut opposite Russell Crowe and Daniel MacPherson and continued her run as a judge on Seven’s Australian Idol.

But the casual, unpretentious warmth that has made her such a beloved figure in the notoriously cutthroat Australian music industry, and a defining feature of her decade-long success, remains remarkably uncorrupted by neither fame nor exhaustion.

Speaking to STM over the phone from her Gold Coast base, in a brief moment of reprieve from the unrelenting schedule, Shark is reflective of the past 10 years built on that relentless work ethic and an enduring sense of wonder.

When asked whether the version of Amy Shark that sent Adore out into the world 10 years ago could even comprehend the artist standing here today, her answer is swift. “No, I don’t think so,” she says softly. “She was pretty certain it wasn’t going to happen.

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Opening of the article, excerpted from The West Australian. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.