Converse has today released a new vodcast series which joins emerging Australian artists and Converse All Stars on their creative journey, to explore their past, present and future creative pursuits en-route to their next big thing. Splittin’ Fares, the rideshare-turned-video-series commissioned by Converse, is hosted by emerging Australian creator and editor Aysha Nanai-Leifi, also known as @mrs_fallback. Through the series, Converse is giving homegrown talent a platform to have their stories heard. With a new episode dropping each week, the candid series sees Aysha interview emerging artists about the roots of their artistry, their creative milestones and their influences, as they’re transported between destinations that inspire them in their home city of Melbourne.
Headlining episode one of the series is ARIA-nominated R&B singer PANIA, who was recently hailed by Rolling Stone Australia for “leading the genre’s massive movement”. In the episode, PANIA digs into her West Melbournian upbringing and how it has influenced her music, before discussing the significance of meeting and taking inspiration from Tyler, The Creator, her long standing admiration of Justin Bieber, and the experience of shooting her new music video in London. PANIA also spills all the details on her upcoming “We Still Young” tour.
In the episode, Aysha and PANIA discuss the importance of being recognised by Converse on a local level, and what the All Star community means for homegrown talent in Australia. Aysha says: “Hopefully our artists won’t keep flying away and making it big outside of Australia, then having to go back and get the flowers. ‘Cause that’s happened way too many times, more times than I can count.”
The Splittin’ Fares series also features LGBTQIA+ rapper JULAI, entrepreneur/MC Lydia Tesema, reggaeton artist Jalmar and singer-songwriter PRICIE, who are all part of the Converse All Star Program, a global platform that supports a community of emerging young creatives around the world. The trailblazers also open up about their own life-changing experiences as part of the Converse All Star Program, from PRICIE detailing how she soaked up knowledge from famous faces such as Issa Rae at a
music business course at Harvard University, to Lydia Tesema revealing her plans to MC the red carpet at Melbourne Fashion Week this year for TikTok.
The Converse All Star Community has been propelling the creative careers of global talent since 2017. Launching right here in Australia, the program now spans 34 cities and engages over 1,700 All Stars, bringing together creatives from a wide range of disciplines and fields. To learn more about the All Star Community and when to apply, head HERE. The first season of Splittin’ Fares will release five episodes, dropping Wednesdays from November 1 on Converse Australia’s official YouTube channel:
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