Shiralee’s Night Like This
Photo Credit Zuela Photography
Shiralee Coleman has released her latest single in preparation for World Pride and Mardi Gras, a cover of the classic disco house record ‘On A Night Like This’ by Kylie Minogue, with the new evolution of the song titled ‘Night Like This’. Teaming up again with her ‘Desire’ partner Daniel Tonik ‘Night Like This’ debuted at number 2 on the iTunes Dance Chart. We caught up with the always delightful Shiralee to ask her about the new song, what she has planned for the launch event at Noir and her long-standing connection to Honey Birdette.
Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for Music Festivals Australia/Music Kingdom Australia
Thank you for having me! It’s always my pleasure to speak to you, Michelle. I love MFA
Firstly congratulations on the release of 'Night Like This', debuting at Number 2 on iTunes Dance and Number 4 on the Overall Chart. You must be so excited about the support the track has already received.
Thank you so much! We are so happy with this result and that everyone is loving this record. Every single day since it dropped I have been getting messages telling me that they love Night Like This, and I see people playing it, sharing it, tagging me, and using the sound on their reels and stories. It’s unreal!! I am incredibly excited about how it’s been received. I knew it was going to be good, but to be this good? I’m buzzing.
These are positions some songs can only dream of reaching, what was it like to wake up on release day to these stats?
It was quite extraordinary to wake up at 5am and see all the notifications on my phone and see that we got such a high placement upon release. NUMBER 2! It really felt like a dream, I had to make sure I was truly awake. I was up for the official release online at midnight, slept (kind of) until 5, and then there was no stopping the day after that point!
“I wanted to release a track that was about love and celebration. A big song that I could play in my sets, especially during Mardi Gras and World Pride coming up”
Tell us about your new song. What inspired you to recreate this 20-year-old Kylie Minogue classic?
When you see me in the company of George Petridis (Pumping Records) and Daniel Tonik, you know we are cooking up something good.
I wanted to release a track that was about love and celebration. A big song that I could play in my sets, especially during Mardi Gras and World Pride coming up, and in fact during EVERY set. I play the Honey Birdette shows every year and a remake of ‘On A Night Like This’ by the Queen Kylie Minogue was a perfect fit. We wanted to give it a new club feel and bring this classic a new twist into 2022 and beyond.
Has there been any reaction to the song from Ms Minogue?
There hasn’t been (yet?) but I do hope she likes our version! Especially since it has now been announced she is headlining at World Pride and doing the opening party.
Was it difficult to find ways to put your own original spin on such a well known classic?
When you are working with the creative team that I have, with talent such as Daniel Tonik, DJ Fuel, STEFF and Daniel March… it was not difficult. Daniel Tonik and I vibed straight away and knew what we wanted to do from the start. We put down the synths and sounds from the moment we stepped in the studio with Pumping Records. Once we had our instrumental, STEFF really took on the vocal as her own and blew us away. I got goosebumps hearing her sing. Then Daniel March added the cherry on top with his guitar, and I knew we had put together a great track. It all felt so right.
Did you have a special connection with the original? was it one of those songs you danced around your room singing into a hairbrush?
I grew up listening to Kylie Minogue, she is iconic! Being an Australian female artist I feel a connection to her, I have always looked up to her and think she is incredible. I have definitely danced to her music in my loungeroom and too many dance floors to count..
“Daniel Tonik and I have a special bond - he just gets me creatively as an artist, and as a performer too”
You worked with your good friend and all-round music legend Daniel Tonik 'for Night Like This' how did you pitch the idea to him originally?
Daniel Tonik and I have a special bond - he just gets me creatively as an artist, and as a performer too. We first discussed the project when he travelled to Newcastle at the start of the year, to decide what we wanted to do next. The week started off with a dinner with George Petridis from Pumping Records. During our dinner at Light Years I said to him let’s bring back something that’s a classic, but give it our own spin. We had some ideas that went back and forth but as soon as ‘Night Like This’ was on the table there was no turning back.
It wasn’t until the next day we soon realised that the original track ‘On A Night Like This’ was from Kylie’s album “Light Years” which was a crazy coincidence – as it was the same name as the restaurant we were in the night before. We took that as a sign from the universe that we were on the right path, which was the first of many.
You previously worked together on your house/dance track 'Desire'. Do you find that you two are in sync when it comes to the making of music or do you have differing ideas allowing you to bounce off each other to come up with things you may not necessarily thought of?
I really wanted that part of the set when I play our song that it’s the height of the night, THE big track, and has that feel-good energy. The confetti cannons go off, the crowd is having the best time, where you have THAT MOMENT! Once we knew what feeling we wanted to give to our audience, we worked towards that. That’s why we chose this song, and created the build-up and drop the way we did - plus when the vocal takes off it’s just magic. Daniel Tonik really understood my vision with achieving this goal, and I have to say we were completely in sync when we produced ‘Night Like This’.
Steff provided the vocals on 'Night Like This' was this your first time working together? What made you decide you needed her for this track?
Yes this is the first time I have worked with STEFF. The first time I ever heard Daniel Tonik’s music was on the radio listening to The Party Life with DJ Fuel. It was his song ‘Retrospect’ and it featured STEFF’s vocal, it got my attention and started this whole adventure. I had always wanted to work with her as I LOVE her voice in ‘Retrospect’ - and that track was why and how this all began!
Getting STEFF to do the vocals for ‘Night Like This’ was the perfect fit. I love how she just takes it next level in that second drop, it gives me goosebumps time and time again.
“Due to high demand I will be ‘bringing back the ponytail’”
You’re doing a special release launch at 'Noir' nightclub in Sydney on the 8th of October, Noir is almost a second home to you so are you pumped to see what the "family" thinks?
I cannot wait - I am so excited to do this at Noir! We have a huge launch party in store for the family! I also have DJ Fuel and Baz joining me so there are some big tunes incoming.
Due to high demand I will be ‘bringing back the ponytail’ and I have Drew from Sydney Hair and Make Co doing something special for this, and I have the confetti cannons READY!
'Night Like This' will be the anthem for the Honey Birdette parties and Mardi Gras events coming. Did you have this in mind when you created the track or was this something that came about after the song was finished?
This was definitely in mind when we started working on ‘Night Like This’. I wanted a record that I could specifically play for Mardi Gras and the Honey Birdette parties. They are my favourite events of the year so we wanted our own Anthem! To add that Kylie will now be performing at Australia World Pride, it’s just another sign that this was meant to be.
“I am always ready haha - I was born for this! ”
Credit : Drew Portraits / Sydney Hair and Make Up Co / Sydney Lash Co
Mardi Gras is such an important celebration, it must be such an honour to have your song used in such a high profile event. Are you prepared for the extra exposure this will give not only to your song but also to yourself as an artist?
I am always ready haha - I was born for this!
In all seriousness I am just happy ‘Night Like This’ has been so welcomed, and when people appreciate your art like this, it really means so much. You never know how it will perform and how people will react. I am grateful for every moment that music has brought into my life. It’s been life-changing. I feel like I have grown so much as an artist from the beginning, to this point now
It’s actually an honour I can play it at such an event as Mardi Gras, where it’s all about love and celebration - and truly captures the meaning in a ‘Night Like This’. I love how music connects everyone and brings us all together.
You have been an ambassador for the Honey Birdette brand for a couple of years now, how did the collaboration come about?
Joshua Heath – is one of my dearest and closest friends, we have known each other for 12 years now. He created the iconic Honey Birdette Mardi Gras events, and when he asked me to play and I was so excited to work with him. He is so talented and has this creative vision which I really admire. I remember our first year we held 6 parties over 6 nights during the week of Mardi Gras - it was wild. They are truly the sexiest events and I love playing for Honey Birdette. The lingerie, the music, the entertainment, the people. It’s a whole experience. An announcement for this is coming soon so watch this space!
Do you get to be involved in the creation of any of the Honey Birdette lines? Will we see a Shiralee Coleman line one day soon?
You will see some SC merch coming out soon, its not with HB but I am working on something exciting for my followers and fans. That’s all I’ll say for now…
What's next for you? What can we expect with 2023 approaching?
There is never a quiet moment with me. So… What is next?
A lot of international travel, more shows, and another release (which is already in the works! I’m just so glad we can now do international shows – as I say this time and time again my dream is ‘to travel and play music’
…and now this is finally coming to life!
Photo Credit Ben Scott