Zara’s Final Issue

Interviews
Written By The Note
 

After 31 Issues with The Note, editor and all-around great gal Zara Richards is moving on to new ventures. We reminisce with Zara about some of the highlights (and lowlights) after the last couple of years.

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What’s been your personal highlight?

The excitement you get seeing people actually reading the mag in the wild never fades – I’ve geeked out about this way too many times. Top of the list for me, however, is leading the editorial for Teen Spirit, the youth mag we produced in collaboration with Carclew that was distributed to high schools across SA. It was meaningful content that would’ve had 15-year-old me in raptures.

Favourite gig in your time here?

I get such terrible amnesia with this! Recency bias, but Ethanol Blend’s Can’t Help But Wonder LP launch at Port Noarlunga Arts Centre was beautiful. Insane line-up, community-centric, full house – basically everything you dream a gig of being. Anything Daybed Records touch turns into gold. Space Jams was also incredibly special – what Josh Morphett has built is pure magic.

What’s been your favourite piece to write for The Note?

A quick tally of the pieces I’ve written for The Note comes in at 75 (at least!) – I’ve been so fortunate that I’ve been able to grow as a writer alongside this magazine since day dot. I have to give a quick shout-out to the interviews that would have my teenage self squealing: The Jungle Giants, Gang of Youths, The Wombats and Spacey Jane. All four outfits totally surpassed my already high expectations, making the privilege of writing even more enjoyable. But for me, the articles that have stayed with me the longest are the ones where the crux of the conversation was especially illuminating: Felix Riebl from The Cat Empire on how grief influenced his music following the passing of his brother; Hannah Joy from Middle Kids on how motherhood cracked her craft open; Digable Planets on the intersection of socio-politics and jazz-informed rap music; Groove Armada on the birth of the UK’s rave scene. Plus, speaking with Jive’s Tam Boakes on the fight to save grassroots music venues – first as part of the Independent Live Venues Alliance and then in her co-founding of the Australian Music Venue Foundation. Powerful stuff.

A lowlight…

Every morning after the SA Music Awards. I’m never without a shocking hangover and needing to lock in for a solid eight-hour day under fluorescent light bulbs. Never regret the fun the night before though…

Something that didn’t quite land…

Our Notestock Second Rodeo video, in which Olly and I tried to pull off several funny (at the time/just to ourselves) skits while running a festival. Mad decision. Only one landed (curiously, the one I wasn’t involved in…). Please never air that video!

A funny memory…

Doing our own version of Hot Ones at Beer & BBQ Festival in 2024. The premise: the slowest to answer a trivia question (or anyone who answered incorrectly) had to eat a vegan nugget with Russian Roulette-style hot sauce slathered on it. A few cried; a few were sick. Definitely an OH&S concern. Everybody was a very good sport though!

One takeaway…

Always lean into the chaos. Embracing the beast that is this magazine will only do you wonders.

From all the team at HWR Media, we would like to thank Zara for her hard work, dedication and commitment to her time at The Note! We'll miss ya!

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