On Oct. 7 Australian pop singer/songwriter Betty Who will release her debut album, Take Me When You Go. Ahead of the album's release, Who visited The Recording Academy's headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., to participate in an exclusive GRAMMY.com interview, discussing her earliest musical memories of listening to Wynonna Judd, her passion for music education and why her single "Somebody Loves You" has resonated with fans.
"I think people love 'Somebody Loves You' because it's a bunch of different stories all in one song," said Who. "It is ambiguous enough that people have really been able to find themselves within it, which I love."
Born Jessica Anne Newham in Sydney, Who learned to play cello, piano and guitar as a child. As a teenager Who relocated to the United States with her parents where she attended Michigan's Interlochen Center for the Arts before enrolling in Berklee College of Music in Boston where she met producer Peter Thomas. Drawing on inspiration from the likes of Joni Mitchell and Carole King, as well as M83 and MGMT, the pair began writing songs and co-penned "Somebody Loves You," which appeared on Who's 2013 self-released debut EP, The Movement, which peaked at No. 22 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart. The following year she cracked the Billboard 200 with the five-song EP Slow Dancing, which featured the single "Heartbreak Dream."
Co-produced by Thomas and GRAMMY nominee Claude Kelly, among others, Take Me When You Go features 13 tracks co-written by Who, including "All Of You," "Runaways" and "Somebody Loves You," the latter of which topped the Hot Dance Club Songs chart.
Who is currently in the midst of an international tour through November, including select dates in Australia opening for Katy Perry.