HIT
I was travelling to LA for studio sessions and performances around the USA and it was my first time overseas by myself. I was so nervous but really excited to see a city in a new light as an adult. I remember this was just after the 2016 elections, so I was intrigued as to what the atmosphere would be like and how the music industry differed from New Zealand. I arrived in LA and went straight to the studio, it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I worked with some great writers in the exact same studio that Michael Jackson recorded Thriller and Justin Bieber uses regularly. I stayed in Korea Town at The Line Hotel, which meant the food was outstanding. I will never forget that trip, as my mum showed up a day before my performance at The Belasco Theatre to support me, and I played in front of 1400 people. It was definitely the best trip I've had so far.
MISS
When I was 15, my mum took me and my sister on a one-month tour around Europe. We went to Italy, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Spain, North Africa and a few others. The trip was amazing, but I ended up in a wheelchair the day we were heading into Africa, so for the whole day we were there my mum had to push me around and look after me. I felt really bad for being a burden when we could have explored a lot more that day, and quite sorry for myself that I couldn't enjoy it as much. To make matters worse, when we jumped on a train in Italy, we were waiting on the platform and I realised I didn't have my iPod on me, it had been pickpocketed from right under my nose. It had all the music I'd been collecting since I was a kid and it was really special to me. Luckily, I made a quick recovery with no need for hospital bills overseas, and the iPod was replaceable. Thank God.
Villette performs in Silo Theatre's Here Lies Love from November 22-December 8 at Q Theatre. Her new single and video Not in Love is out now.
