Ricki-Lee on why ’Not Too Late’ is the starting-over anthem everyone needs right now

Ricki-Lee Coulter’s new single ‘Not Too Late’ features a raw vocal that recalls her days as the teenage powerhouse on the first season of Australian Idol; nearly a decade and a half after her first steps on the national stage, she tells TMN how music means more to her than ever.

Why was this right song to jump into this new cycle with?

It just felt like the right song. And I think, with the way that music is right now, you can kind of go with whatever feels right, when the time is right. I’ve been away for so long, and my goal, while I was away, was to come back with a big song, with a song that really touched people, and really made people feel something, and really said something. I think that that song really achieved this.

This was the last song, actually, that I wrote. And it kind of jumped the queue. I’d come back to Australia, and EMI were ready to roll with some other songs, that they were really, really excited about. And I did a songwriting camp here in Sydney, and we happened to write ‘Not Too Late’. And everybody’s just sort of, “This is the one.”

Everyone, from my publisher, to the record label, and my management – everybody that heard this song said, “This is the one. This is so special, and this could be a real game changer for you.”

The idea that it’s not too late to start over – did that sentiment come from where you are in your life and career right now?

I mean, it’s really a song that’s for everyone. It’s not just for me. That’s the beauty of music, I guess. It’s a song that’s – gosh, it can mean so much to so many people, for so many different reasons. With music, they can kind of take on a life of their own. I mean, this song is about life, and these little moments in life, where we have to face some ugly truths, and make some difficult decisions.

We’ve all been there, at a point in our life. And I think the chorus of this song is so unifying – it means no matter where you’re from, no matter who you are, no matter where you grew up, we’re all the same. And we all go through ups and downs. And we’re all just trying to get through life the best we can, and sometimes, the best things in our life come from the worst ones.

And, yeah, everybody seems to kind of be drawn to this song in their own way, which is amazing. And hearing people’s stories about what this song means to them is just awesome.

What’s the best one you’ve heard?

A friend of mine is in an interesting situation in his relationship. He got married, and his partner had developed quite the addiction. And that really destroyed their relationship. When he heard this song, it kind of spoke to him on a level that I hadn’t even thought about. So he’d been holding onto this relationship, trying to make it work … [but] you can only try for so long, and try and help somebody. If they don’t wanna be helped, what more can you do?

And this has been years of going around, and around, and around. And he’s at the point now where’s he ready to move on, and start over, because there’s nothing that he can do. And I think this song really spoke to him. I remember when I played it to him, he just bawled. I think that what’s so powerful about music is that it can give you hope in times where you feel like, it’s hopeless, and it can give you strength, when you feel weakened.

And no matter if we are happy, or sad, or frustrated or angry … for me, anyway, I turn to music. If I’m happy, I put on my happy playlist. And if I’m a bit down, I put on something that kind of speaks to where, what I’m feeling, and what my head’s at. And I love that I can write songs that can be that friend to people, when they need it.

Do you feel like there’s a broader political resonance to it as well?

Absolutely. I mean, that’s another thing that somebody brought up to me, and stopped me in the street, and said, “The chorus of this song, this speaks so much to what’s going on in the world right now,” and especially with the debate about marriage equality. And when I thought about it like that, I thought, “Wow, I mean, I didn’t write the song about that. But it absolutely makes sense.”

And when [the song says], “We are, we are all the same,” and, “it’s not too late to start over again,” I think especially with this postal survey going on, it’s not too late to start over again. It’s not too late for us to do what we can, and all band together, to make this a reality. And with all of us working together, we can make our voices heard. And make a huge change. And make a difference.

It’s such a powerful vocal – what was it like in the studio?

The thing is, I love recording. I love a demo vocal that gets recorded on the day, when you write the song, because there’s something about when you’ve been kind of living in the world of the song all day, and you’ve been talking about it, and you’ve already dived into those emotions. And those nerves are already kind of exposed. And you’re really feeling everything at the time.

And so, when you go to it, when you step up to the mic, and you sing it, all of that feeling is so fresh in your mind … I think the performance is always the best when you record it on the day, because you’re so in the moment. You can never really recreate that magic, and really capture the essence of the lyric and the song, after the fact.

I did wanna re-record it, because I thought, “Oh, I can really do it better,” but there was so much heart in that, and you can really hear it. I’m really glad that we stuck with that vocal from the day.

The guys that I wrote it with were just, like, “No, that’s it, we’ve got it.” And I was like, “Really? No. I think I should do it again, and let’s try it.” And they’re all like, “No, we’ve got it. You fucking nailed it.”

That must be nerve-wracking.

Yeah. I mean, it’s always nerve-wracking putting music out. Because you never know.

You can have all the faith in a world in a song, and you can think a song’s amazing, but it’s really up to the rest of Australia, and the world, to make that decision. Not you.

Do you feel that radio at the moment is supportive enough of Australian-made pop?

I mean… there’s always room to be more supportive of local music, of course. But there’s gotta be balance, I think. In France, I think there’s a law … there’s a really high percentage that they have to play [of] local music. And I think that’s really cool.

But I’ve been so lucky. I’ve been doing this for a really long time. And I’ve always had such amazing support from radio, and TV media, and everybody.

I feel lucky every day that I’m able to do this. I certainly don’t take it for granted. Thirteen years after releasing my first single, I still get giddy and excited when I hear my song played on the radio.

That’s nearly half your life.

Yeah. It’s been a really long time. And Australians can really take a lot of pride in their artists. And we like to take ownership of people, and say, “our” Nicole Kidman, and “our” Kylie Minogue, and I think that’s awesome when your country can get behind you, and really champion you, and really support you.

People were watching Australian Idol in their homes, in their lounge rooms, and they felt a connection with you, and that’s why they vote for you. And that’s kind of continued … I think there is a little bit of that connection that’s still there, and that little ownership that’s like, “We helped you get here, where you are.” And it’s true. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing. I would be trying, but maybe I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing.