…which is an unusual kind of thing to say from the adopted American accent of Mitch Thompson, the 35-year-old frontman of the Australian country-pop duo Seaforth. Performing in his native Sydney, Thompson’s distinct vocal inflections — honed, or perhaps hardened, since relocating to Nashville nearly ten years ago — have changed and morphed over the years. His greatest test now comes with the need to maintain an Australian accent while playing live. He acknowledges it requires intentional practice to accomplish that.
Thompson’s experience isn’t unique, it’s part of a larger trend amongst Australian musicians. Music researcher and former record label manager Tim Kelly notes a significant decline in local acts making it onto Australia’s top charts. Tatum partially attributes this phenomenon to streaming service algorithms, particularly from platforms such as Spotify. These algorithms disproportionately favor US & UK artists.
“I have to really think about it to sing in an Australian accent,” Thompson revealed. “It’s almost like a different section of the brain when I start singing — a different muscle memory of ‘this is how words sound when I sing, this is how words sound when I talk.’”
Now, as Seaforth’s momentum grows, attracting almost 500,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, Thompson looks back on the musical journey that brought him here. He recalls a moment early in his career when a judge advised him to alter his singing style, stating, “One of the judges was like: ‘You can’t copy Miss Higgins’ voice so much. It’s a little too Aussie.’”
In contrast to Thompson’s experience, the Melbourne-based punk band Amyl and the Sniffers has embraced its distinctive sound characterized by lead singer Amy Taylor’s strong Australian accent. The band made headlines recently by performing at the coveted Glastonbury festival in the UK, showcasing how an authentic Australian identity can resonate on an international stage.
Kelly also sheds light on the fears instilled in emerging artists to toe the line with American and UK aesthetics. “There’s this gravity of conformity,” Kelly said. “If you want to succeed over here… you’ve got to sound more like us.” The music industry only adds to this pressure, with managers and record labels encouraging artists to copy proven winners.
Yet you are under increasing pressure to lead across multiple markets at once. So don’t restrict yourself to the Australian context only! Kelly added. A larger debate may be brewing. Sure, becoming a triple j favorite is great in Australia, but you might never be able to reach other markets if that’s the case.
Not withstanding these pressures, a number of Australian artists have found ways to blend their distinctly Australian identity with something more accessible. Kelly references acts such as Amyl and the Sniffers, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, and Tame Impala. These acts have maintained their Australian identity whilst achieving global success.
Thompson says he can tell a difference in his accent since the music he listens to directly affects his accent. “The accent and how I sing is just purely based off the music I was listening to,” he noted. He loves to stress that there’s no concerted effort to copy the likes of Keith Urban.
Vocal coach Ariana Rigazzi, based in Melbourne, Australia Duhr recalls Ariana saying, “Australian accents make singing almost impossible.” In one syllable you’re pronouncing two vowels… basically your tongue is moving while you’re pronouncing that one syllable,” she explained. This added layer of complexity can make it difficult for singers to have the same precision that American accents may often provide.
Thompson’s faithfulness to the American way has been slow, subtle and deliberate, but unmistakable. “You lose the rhymes in certain words that in an American accent would rhyme with the next [word]—you can make it rhyme,” he stated. This understanding reveals the poetic precision with which language both confines and liberates artistic creation.
The dichotomy between maintaining an authentic Australian sound versus adapting to international expectations continues to be a pressing issue for many local artists. As Thompson and his contemporaries continue to change these tides, they represent a broader shift toward inclusivity and authenticity of identity in music.
