Music, Motherhood & Embracing Limitations
Key Takeaways
Tenielle Neda started her music career as a shy late bloomer and auditioned for Australian Idol, which led to her secular music career.
After becoming a Christian, Tenielle's music evolved to reflect her faith, and she now writes songs that incorporate her faith and offer hope and encouragement.
Tenielle finds vulnerability in her music powerful and enjoys sharing the personal stories behind her songs.
Motherhood has been challenging for Tenielle, but it has also inspired some of her songs.
Tenielle believes that in Christ, there is amazing hope and redemption, and she strives to honor God with her music. Christian art is often undervalued within the church, and many Christians do not see the importance of Christian music.
Music can be a powerful tool for evangelism, reaching people who may not be open to listening to a sermon.
Embracing limitations and trusting in God's sovereignty is important in navigating the challenges of being a Christian artist.
Writing from a personal and vulnerable place, rather than following trends, is essential in creating meaningful music.
Prioritizing prayer and dependence on God is crucial in balancing the roles of being a parent and an artist.
Episode Transcript
Caleb Gray (00:00.776)
Welcome to the upside down people podcast, Tenielle Neda. I'm so glad to be having a conversation with you here today. How are you going?
Tenielle Neda (00:09.282)
thank you. Thank you for having me.
Caleb Gray (00:11.368)
Well, thanks for carving out the time. I believe, yeah, you're quite the busy person alongside your music career and you're just sharing that you've got your hands full with a couple of kids or a few kids rather, not a couple. That's my, I've just put my daughter down for a nap before this conversation. So I'm fingers crossed that she doesn't wake up. If she does, I'm sure she'll.
She'll join midway through.
Tenielle Neda (00:43.374)
Yes, well, I've just put my baby girl down as well. So, that makes two of us. We might have two infants on the podcast.
Caleb Gray (00:46.439)
there you go.
Caleb Gray (00:50.919)
Brilliant, they can interview each other. I'm sure it will be entertaining. Well, yeah, obviously you're in the music industry, you're creative. I really have an appreciation for your songs and just the lyrics and how you sort of stitch it all together. So we'll get into a conversation around that in a moment. But before we do, maybe you can share a bit about yourself.
Tenielle Neda (00:55.278)
Yes.
Caleb Gray (01:19.943)
and even something that people may find surprising about you.
Tenielle Neda (01:25.998)
Sure. So, Taneel Netta, Netta is actually my middle name. and I have three kids, and I was living in Karratha, which is at the north of WA until recently where I've relocated to Geraldton. in Karratha, I was driving trains on the mines. So I think, feel like people are always quite surprised at that. but yeah, I've been driving trains on and off since I was
17, 18, I started at rail and then, and I was a bit of a late bloomer with music. I was always really shy and I didn't get an instrument until I was 14. And then I started writing songs like straight away, although they were woeful, but.
And yeah, and then I didn't really start to take music seriously probably until I was maybe 21. I was on a really bad reality TV show and I was Australian Idol. It was so bad. Please don't ever YouTube. I think I was just very young and I was super shy.
Caleb Gray (02:20.905)
Right.
Caleb Gray (02:25.449)
What was the reality TV show?
No way! Why was it bad?
Tenielle Neda (02:40.014)
that's partly why I was a late bloomer. So from sort of 17 to 21, you know, I would do, I would get up and sing a song at like the local pub and I would be so petrified for like days leading up to it, you know? And, but, but then I kind of got the courage up to audition for Idol mainly because my brothers were like, you should audition. And,
I think that was a bit of a catalyst for me because I was like, maybe I can do something with this music. You know, this was sort of like pre -Christian days. And then, and then, yeah, from that I ended up.
Caleb Gray (03:10.857)
Right.
Tenielle Neda (03:15.246)
going to Tamworth and I won sort of like an artist development deal through this competition that doesn't exist anymore but it was called Telstra Road to Tamworth and then through that I ended up signing with publishing and I signed to a major label and then that's that was sort of like how my secular career kind of started really. Yeah.
Caleb Gray (03:34.185)
Wow. So what like, what inspired you to get into it? So you, your late bloomers started when you were 14. What was the drive and how did that look like?
Tenielle Neda (03:46.99)
I did always love singing and I loved music. And when I was a kid, I would like sit in front of the cassette player for hours, you know, like singing Whitney Houston and Celine Dion and Bruce Springsteen, whatever my parents. Yeah. Yeah. so I did definitely have a love of music for sure. and I love singing and, yeah. And then I think just as I got older and I did really love writing and, just naturally started writing songs. So,
Caleb Gray (03:56.429)
Awesome. Belting out the hits.
Tenielle Neda (04:16.814)
I guess, yeah, once I sort of got over the stage fright part, which, you know, I think I still get nervous at gigs now, but it's definitely not like crippling the way that it was when I was younger. Yeah.
Caleb Gray (04:29.641)
Right. And how would you say, yeah, what did that look like? How did you get over or get to a place where you can sort of control those feelings of stage fright? Because I think that's something so many people face is that like fear of public speaking, I think is one of the biggest fears. And then singing is like a whole nother level. Yeah, obviously that's you putting yourself out there.
Tenielle Neda (04:54.414)
Yes.
Caleb Gray (04:59.241)
How was it just exposure over like you just keep doing it or was there something that happened?
Tenielle Neda (05:07.726)
I think that like practice of course, like I think the more I was, yeah those younger years, like I'm really grateful because I think I ended up, so after Idol I moved to Sydney and...
I just immersed myself in music really for two years. I didn't work another job. So I was really doing lots of co -writing and recording and producing and touring and traveling and all of that definitely helped. But I think really it was becoming a Christian because I think before I was a Christian,
I feel like so much of your identity is bound up in you as an artist and there's always this fear of rejection or success or failing and people are fickle and I think there's reason to be nervous sometimes. I think secular music is hard and...
But then when I sort of became a Christian and was writing Christian music and I felt like there was a purpose to the music that was beyond myself and I myself was finding my identity in God, in Jesus and not in my music, it made me feel more calm and content and...
I guess called, like it probably sounds cliche, but more called to what I was doing rather than sort of like, I always felt uncomfortable as an artist before I was a Christian, like that it's very self -focused. Like I've...
Tenielle Neda (06:38.574)
It's like, I have this album, I'm doing this tour, or me, me, me, this persona that you curate around your life. I always felt uncomfortable with it even before I was a Christian. Whereas now I feel like there's a higher purpose to my art and I'm thankful to God for that. And I...
Caleb Gray (06:42.889)
Right.
Tenielle Neda (07:02.99)
try as much as I can to honor God with that. And so I think just having that bigger purpose and valuing relationships with my fans, with the people who listen to my music, like, like I love, I love it so much when I get messages from people or, you know, and they say how the music's impacted their lives, or I love talking to people after my shows, you know, because,
Caleb Gray (07:14.665)
Yeah.
Tenielle Neda (07:28.11)
just makes it real and tangible and I don't know and then yeah it kind of I feel like it sort of takes away that barrier a little bit of like when you're playing yeah like I yeah I don't know if that makes any sense.
Caleb Gray (07:41.193)
No, it makes complete sense. I know like for myself doing this podcast, like getting feedback where people are encouraged in their walk with Christ in whatever area it is, is so, so encouraging and it makes it worthwhile for me because yeah, I get the thing of like, you don't want to just create a platform for the sake of like drawing attention to yourself, but you wanting people to
really be encouraged in their walk with Christ to know that there's hope, to know that there's joy and all these like the goodness of God to be found in life. And I get what you mean in terms of like when people give you that feedback it's really encouraging and there's like a difference from trying to create a platform for yourself to stroke your ego or whatever it may be. So with that I'm curious what
Was your faith journey like? How did you come to know Christ and make that decision to follow Him?
Tenielle Neda (08:48.686)
I guess, yeah, I was probably raised in a family that were theist. Like,
My mum would say that she became a Christian when she was pregnant with me. But my parents separated when I was eight and I went to like public schools mostly and then I went to a Catholic high school and I suppose I definitely didn't have a clear understanding of the gospel by any stretch. I think I would have been a theist. Like I would have always said I believed in God and at Christmas and Easter we may go to church or something like that.
But I also was sort of just like, you know, people should keep their religion to themselves. And I don't know, I was quite confused. And yeah, and anyway, and then sort of like around the time around 2021 when I moved to Sydney and actually started doing music, I met some Christian people and I also...
Caleb Gray (09:31.209)
Right.
Tenielle Neda (09:46.894)
started to ask my own questions and my brother actually, my younger brother who's a few years younger than me, he became a Christian when he was 18 so I would have been 21 and he had quite a radical conversion in the sense that the path he was on was not great, very destructive, had a lot of baggage and a lot of anger and a lot of pain and then became a Christian and to this day he's a pastor praise God and
Caleb Gray (10:09.001)
Wow.
Tenielle Neda (10:15.886)
and he was a massive influence on my faith as well. So I think yeah probably from like 20 to 25 over the course of five years I'd say.
just through maybe like my own reading, like I started reading me Christianity, I started reading my Bible, I got into apologetics. I sort of had these intellectual philosophical questions that I felt like I needed answered, but I was definitely curious and had some Christian people in my life who showed me the love of Jesus and I was drawn to that as well. And I think I was simultaneously feeling more and more discouraged and
Caleb Gray (10:38.889)
Mm.
Tenielle Neda (10:57.486)
despondent about music and a relationship I was in at the time. And so I, yeah, I feel like God was really bringing me to this place of utter dependence on him. And...
Caleb Gray (11:10.409)
Wow, that can be pretty difficult, I can imagine.
Tenielle Neda (11:14.958)
Yes, certainly was not comfortable, the pruning. Yeah, but I'm obviously in hindsight, super thankful to God. But and I do remember like a time.
Caleb Gray (11:18.505)
printing.
Tenielle Neda (11:31.054)
I had kind of started to move back to Perth. I went from Sydney to Melbourne to Perth and my brother was at a church and the pastor there was running like a theology class on a Friday. So I started going along and yeah, and then I started going to church and then I actually signed up for an internship at that church. But I do remember one day sitting with the pastor there and just, yeah, I was still struggling with some things in my personal life. And he just said to me, Taneel, do you really believe that God loves you?
and I just like broke down and I was like I feel so unworthy like I just don't know how he could love me and he opened the Bible and we just read all these passages like Romans like Christ died for the ungodly and just all these scriptures that talk about God's love for us in Christ and I feel like at that moment it was like
grace became real to me and I understood it for the first time because I think it's so countercultural and it's so counterintuitive even, you know, and but yeah so I feel like that was a real heart change moment for me and yeah praise be to God.
Caleb Gray (12:23.721)
Mmm.
Caleb Gray (12:36.905)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (12:40.617)
Yeah, that's awesome. And how would you say like your music's evolved since then to where it is now?
Tenielle Neda (12:51.054)
Yeah, I had a big break from music when I left the label.
and I moved back to Perth and I actually went to Bible college for a year as well, or for two years, sorry. And I kind of had this big break and got married and had my first child. But then I think when I started to write music again, I just naturally and organically was writing songs about my faith or about Jesus or life through the lens of my faith. And so now I don't really write anything that's not because there's not,
not really a divide you know like it's like whether I'm writing a song about motherhood or divorce or death or joy or like whatever the song is it's always through the lens of my faith because that's who I am now so I yeah I don't really see any yeah divide I guess in what I'm writing.
Caleb Gray (13:50.889)
Yeah, and how would you describe what your music's like now? I sort of, when I listen to it, I feel like it's very beckoning and hopeful. How would you describe your music?
Tenielle Neda (14:02.926)
That's hard. I'm glad it's hopeful. Thank you. That's lovely. I would feel slightly sad if you were like, super depressing. No, no, they haven't. Yeah.
Caleb Gray (14:13.161)
Alright. Have people told you that or why? Okay. No, it is extremely hopeful. I find there are some Christian artists that, yeah, the music is, I don't know if I'd describe it as depressing, but it is more, it's like that Ecclesiastes, the realness of life, but yours sort of has the realness of life, but there's hope to it.
Tenielle Neda (14:35.054)
Mm.
Caleb Gray (14:42.665)
And that's what I get when I listen to it. You're the artist. What are you hoping that people hear when they listen to your music?
Tenielle Neda (14:42.734)
Yeah.
Tenielle Neda (14:49.806)
No, exactly that. That's super encouraging. And I think, yeah, because that's it. Like life is still a struggle at times. But I think that in Christ we have this amazing hope. And I guess whether intentionally or not, it does sort of permeate all my songs. So...
guess even in songs that might have elements of lament or struggle or confession, I guess we do find hope and forgiveness and redemption in Christ and so I do try to incorporate that into the song. So I guess I wouldn't want to leave people with a feeling of like futility or yeah so I know that there's Psalms that do
like not many of them I know there's a few psalms that do leave like end on a what psalm is it I listened to a kella sermon recently on it I can't think of which psalm it is but it it ends on this like really despondent note but I guess this side of Jesus I'm like no I'm just I guess yeah I do yeah I think I do often I am intentional about
Caleb Gray (16:04.969)
Yeah.
Tenielle Neda (16:14.19)
into weaving that hope into my songs. So that's lovely that you picked that up.
Caleb Gray (16:16.905)
Yeah, well, it definitely is. I really do enjoy what you put into it. Would you say that your inspiration comes from your own lived experience or hearing stories of others when you're thinking of writing? Where's the place that it comes from?
Tenielle Neda (16:41.902)
Yeah, I would say a lot of it comes from like my own time in scripture, my own prayer life.
Tenielle Neda (16:52.974)
And then, yeah, and then real life experiences as well, like my own experiences and the experiences of others and just things that I observe in the world, things that might be on my heart. So, yeah, I think I draw inspiration from a lot of things. Sometimes it's from a sermon that I hear might be a catalyst for an idea.
Yeah, one of my songs, Miraculous Salvation, when I was at Bible College, there was a lecturer that always used to, whenever he would pray, he would pray, you know, thank you, Lord, for your miraculous salvation. And it always just stuck with me. And, yeah, and then I've got other songs that I've got a song off an EP that's essentially about death about and.
Caleb Gray (17:27.273)
Yeah.
Tenielle Neda (17:38.574)
It wasn't someone close to me that died, it was someone that was close to a friend that died. So yeah, I think drawing from a lot of things, I suppose.
Caleb Gray (17:49.289)
from a wide variety of experiences and thoughts, which is really cool. Would you think that, or has there been a time where something that you've wrote has been particularly difficult to sing?
Tenielle Neda (18:12.11)
Yes, I think at certain points. So I wrote a song called Person in Christ when I first became a Christian. That was on my first Christian EP. And it's definitely not difficult to sing, but it's emotive for me to sing for sure. Some songs are more emotive than others to sing. And then there is a song that I wrote about divorce, which was actually about the divorce of my parents, but written from the perspective of a child.
And again, that is a motive to sing and it does sort of like bring up memories and things like that. So I don't often sing that one live. I feel like that would be more of like, that's a sad one. But hopefully still hopeful. So I guess it ends on the note of like, you knew me and you loved me and you saw me before I even knew you. And that's how I felt. Like I remember being a teenager and really struggling.
Caleb Gray (18:58.377)
Right.
Tenielle Neda (19:11.246)
with some family things and life in general. And yet, I, and then, but in hindsight, I always had this sense that God was with me. And then I guess after becoming a Christian, I can look back and I can see how God was working through all those circumstances. And yeah, so it does end on that hopeful note.
Caleb Gray (19:34.249)
Yeah, that's that's really cool. I love it. And I can imagine like, how do you find singing those songs that are more emotive in front of people? Is that something you enjoy doing? Or is it something that you would rather steer clear of?
Tenielle Neda (19:58.574)
I think people appreciate vulnerability and I think vulnerability invites people into that space and if I think if it's sincere and it's genuine, it's important and I think that's the only way that people can feel.
I think it's a not the only way, sorry, I think it's a powerful way that people can feel connected like into that song or like that song represents something in their life. And so I think vulnerability in songwriting is really powerful and really important. And often at my gigs, I've got a gig coming up in July at Fremantle Church. And it's it would be the second time now that I've sort of done this more acoustic show where I sort of share a bit more of the personal details behind the song.
Caleb Gray (20:22.281)
Yeah.
Tenielle Neda (20:45.616)
behind the songs and I really enjoy it. And I hope too that it gives people more of an insight into who I am and yeah, so that they can feel more a part of the music and the story behind the music and yeah.
Caleb Gray (20:59.657)
Yeah.
That's awesome. I love that. I think it's so, so true that, yeah, where there's emotions, where artists use their emotions as that vulnerability. And you're right, it does invite you. It creates the freedom to invite you into that space and also be vulnerable with where you're at. And I think it connects you to what God's doing through the song as well. So I think, yeah, I think that's really cool.
Tenielle Neda (21:28.078)
Absolutely.
Caleb Gray (21:32.649)
I have to ask you the story behind call to perseverance. What I've really been enjoying that song particularly lately. What? Yeah, what is their story behind it or what is the story behind it?
Tenielle Neda (21:38.638)
yes!
Tenielle Neda (21:50.19)
So that song is inspired by motherhood. So did you, I don't know if you picked that up, but
Caleb Gray (21:55.017)
Awesome!
Caleb Gray (22:00.873)
I did pick it up, but I didn't want to assume anything.
Tenielle Neda (22:04.942)
Yeah, sure. Yeah. Yes, I feel like when I got married, I was like, yeah, marriage is really sanctifying. And then I had kids and I'm like, whoa, kids is really sanctifying. I'm like, I've had enough sanctification. No, I think, yeah, without getting too much into sort of personal details, one of my kids in particular is
Caleb Gray (22:20.233)
that's awesome.
Tenielle Neda (22:34.734)
has got a bit going on and I find it particularly challenging. And I guess, you know, you have this idea in your head of what parenting will be like or what motherhood would be like. And then when it's just so opposite to those expectations, it can be really hard and really humbling. And I guess I'm thankful that every day I have to cry out to God for His patience and grace and perseverance and...
wisdom in raising these kids and yeah, and teaching them about God and his love and how do we do that and how do we do that with a kid that might not be neurotypical or, you know, and so that's really challenging and that was sort of what inspired that song. Basically just me feeling completely inadequate and like you gave this kid to the wrong person but no, he didn't.
Caleb Gray (23:24.553)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (23:28.777)
That's awesome. Yeah.
He knew exactly what he is doing. Yeah. I find that really amazing how, yeah, even I think parenting sort of brings that out to you. Like you get given a child, which like you didn't, well, you had a part in creating obviously, but in terms of like you didn't pick what DNA, specific DNA types went into it and.
Tenielle Neda (23:36.878)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (24:02.281)
then God forms like him or her in your womb and you have this child which like is a gift and you're the best person for it and it's a weird thought to be like man I am so incapable and I'm so inadequate I don't have I mean this is the thoughts that go through my mind as well like I don't have what it takes to sort of raise this child in a way that's
like honours God and loves them the way God loves me, yet all of those are like completely untrue because in a way God's specifically chosen myself and my wife and given us like our daughter because we're the right people for her. So it's like shifting and believing and then it sort of forces you towards God to
rely on him and depend on him, right, to be able to give you your daily bread to meet your child's needs, which, yeah, is really, I think that's probably why I connected with the song, because it's just like, yeah, it is a call to persevere. It's not an easy feat by any means, but it's like an ongoing every day that choice to look to God and...
Just trust that he'll give you the grace that you need and the strength that you need. So yeah, I I think it's a really powerful song to Neil. It's great. Really? no.
Tenielle Neda (25:39.31)
Thank you, Caleb. It actually almost didn't get recorded. So yeah, because I recorded that EP with Isaac Wardell who's in the States and he tracked it in the States for me and they didn't actually get to that song. And then I ended up asking a good friend in Perth, Matt Garrett, who's playing the show with me on the 13th. I was like, Matt, can you just quickly bang out a guitar track for this song? I'm just going to do like an acoustic version. Cause I, I don't know. I just felt like it.
Caleb Gray (25:49.065)
Okay.
Tenielle Neda (26:08.27)
it needed to be on that EP. So I'm really glad that I persevered and persevered with the song. But no, that's super encouraging. Thanks, Caleb, for sharing that.
Caleb Gray (26:11.017)
Yeah.
Yeah, exactly!
Caleb Gray (26:20.297)
It's very cool and that's one song out of many many songs you've written are super encouraging. Have you found any area in becoming sort of a Christian musician challenging?
Tenielle Neda (26:43.79)
Well, I guess I had sort of like, not a massive fan base, but I suppose I had a fan base maybe like before pre -Christian and then obviously now my music's Christian, which naturally people may or may not resonate with the songs now from back then. I actually find I have more challenges with Christians because I feel like a lot of Christians don't value Christian art.
or they don't think it's important. And I kind of find that sad and not that I need that validation or anything. And I guess there's a difference between, I know you just in general in life, there's people that enjoy music more than other people and that's fine. But I even find in church circles and maybe it's, you know, different denominations have a different level of this, but,
Caleb Gray (27:19.241)
Right.
Tenielle Neda (27:41.23)
that generally art or music is seen as like superfluous and that music is subordinate to everything else that might happen in church or life. And I know I do appreciate church context is different. I would say that like a lot of my music is more devotional music. I do, I am working on some congregational worship stuff at the moment, but yeah, like,
Caleb Gray (27:56.073)
Mm.
Tenielle Neda (28:11.47)
I would say that's probably where, ironically, because I guess it makes my faith really public. And so the people, my friends, or the community that I have in my life that aren't Christians, they kind of, if they listen to my music, they're going to know that I'm Christian. So, and I actually really like that because I like it if it comes up in conversation. I like having the opportunity to share about my faith with people. So,
Caleb Gray (28:17.865)
Right.
Caleb Gray (28:26.921)
Right.
Tenielle Neda (28:41.102)
And yeah.
Caleb Gray (28:43.529)
Yeah, that's super interesting. What would you think would like help change that mindset that Christians have towards art and music like what you're describing?
Tenielle Neda (29:00.878)
I think maybe... Sorry, my baby girl's just woken up but my mum's got her. Sorry. She's probably like, where's mummy? Sorry, what would help?
Caleb Gray (29:08.489)
I see.
Yeah.
Tenielle Neda (29:20.462)
I think in the Bible, there are so many exhortations to sing. There's a whole book of Psalms which were songs. I think rightly or wrongly sometimes, and it's probably because the whole pendulum thing, sometimes churches, there's so much emotionalism and then other times there's none. But I think emotion and affections oriented to Christ, that's a good thing and we aren't just...
Caleb Gray (29:26.085)
Right.
Tenielle Neda (29:49.55)
intellectual beings like it's like heart, mind, soul, spirit, you know, like I think and a sermon doesn't engage the heart necessarily the way that a song would and I think God is a creative God and you only have to look at creation to see that and like I said the books in the Bible that are songs and all the songs like Moses's song and just how much
we are commanded to sing and that it's this expression of our faith and our joy or whatever it is. So I think that when we rightly understand the place of emotions in worship or in song and maybe looking more at God's character and what the Bible says about singing and those sorts of things, maybe that would help people to be...
I don't know, to see more value in it, more purpose in it. But I think even like from an evangelistic perspective, like it can be so powerful and so much further reaching. Like how many non -Christians would necessarily walk into a church and listen to a sermon off the street, whereas like,
Caleb Gray (30:46.409)
Right.
Tenielle Neda (31:02.382)
If I get given an EP or sent a link on Spotify, like they might listen to a Christian artist that they find really emotive and musically engaging and exciting and then hear the message of the gospel through that music. Like, I just think it's a powerful medium. that's not really necessarily always that supported. so it would be great to see more like people, you know, even, even having tickets to a show these days, like people don't want to pay 10 bucks to see a live.
Caleb Gray (31:12.905)
Yeah, very good.
Caleb Gray (31:21.097)
Yeah.
Tenielle Neda (31:31.054)
a live original artist when they're crazy.
Caleb Gray (31:32.617)
Which is crazy. Why do you think that is? I'm honestly curious about this. Why do you think that is?
Tenielle Neda (31:42.19)
I don't really know. Like maybe again, I think maybe it's that people don't have the same value on art or music maybe as there was traditionally or, you know, 50 years ago, I'm not sure. And there's, I guess there's so many more mediums now like entertainment mediums. And I think probably people's maybe they're.
capacity for what's entertaining has changed. I don't know. I think one area that we are really, or that I've found really encouraging in Christian music is that because there's like a transcendent value and purpose to the music, if Christians are more inclined to come out and watch a show or buy an EP or support your music, whereas I feel like in secular music, it's much more like cutthroat and...
Caleb Gray (32:34.857)
Right.
Tenielle Neda (32:36.302)
Yeah, but that's... yeah.
Caleb Gray (32:39.081)
That's fascinating. I'm really curious around that conversation of whether part of it's a cultural thing as well in terms of being in Australia. Have you found in terms of being a Christian artist, what's the collaboration like or the support from other creatives? Yeah.
Tenielle Neda (32:55.246)
So.
Tenielle Neda (33:03.374)
Yeah, yeah, I think you're right. I think there's definitely a culture thing and even within Australia, you know, like I would say Western Australia is quite blue collar.
Caleb Gray (33:12.297)
Right.
Tenielle Neda (33:13.134)
Generally, you know, traditionally, I don't think we've been like massive on arts, whereas like you go to Melbourne, and there's much more of a music art scene, say like in Melbourne. And I suppose, yeah, for me personally, in terms of my own collaborations, many of them, or pretty much all of them are with people in the States. So both of the producers that I work with are in the States. Actually, there's a couple of songwriters over on the East Coast that I've collaborated with that are Christian artists.
Caleb Gray (33:22.953)
Mm.
Tenielle Neda (33:43.088)
artists as well. Actually the whole Christian kind of artistic community at one level are really encouraging of each other and really supportive. And yeah, so thankfully now thanks to like Zoom and technology and like I often do, you know, Zoom co -writes or actually
Caleb Gray (33:52.617)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (34:01.737)
Right.
Tenielle Neda (34:07.246)
all of my EPs except for the first one were made overseas and I was recording vocals in my son's bedroom. So I'm very thankful for that because otherwise I think it would be quite isolating and lonely in terms of not having much of an artistic community.
Caleb Gray (34:11.369)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (34:15.753)
That is awesome. That's amazing.
Caleb Gray (34:26.601)
Right. Yeah, being so it's funny you say that Western Australia, Perth is like the most isolated city in the world. And then on top of that, like you're sort of alluding to before it's it's known for mining, you you mentioned at the start that you've been driving trains, which is that's incredible in itself. But it's not known for like the creative industry, the arts and
music and yeah why like why have you chosen to come back to Perth as opposed to going overseas like either overseas or even to Melbourne or something like that where there is more of that that collaboration or that that atmosphere.
Tenielle Neda (35:17.054)
Hmm
I think I remember once someone at a label telling me, if you stay in Australia, like you hit a ceiling with your music, like you need to move to the UK or to the US. And I found it an interesting comment. And I think that there probably is some truth in it. There's definitely some truth in it in the sense that like, obviously if you live in Nashville or you live in London, like there's way more people to collaborate with. There's way more people to connect with just network wise and things like that. But I think in this season of life,
with little kids, that season of being like ambitious, like I did that sort of pre -Christian days when I was kind of doing secular music and then obviously now like I'm married with little kids and even just carving out time for me to record feels like nearly impossible sometimes and writing happens very sporadically and...
Caleb Gray (36:08.361)
Right.
Tenielle Neda (36:12.046)
as much as I try to prioritize regular time to do it, it's often just spontaneous. But I think like being near my biological family and thinking about the context that I would like to raise my kids in, thinking about serving the local community and the local church and just all those aspects, I think. And like I said, I sort of...
I guess I write and record these songs as much as I can and I release them... like when I released my first EP I really had no idea that it would do anything and I had no real hopes or dreams or aspirations and I just prayed like God please just do with this what you will like if you want to bless people with this music then you know then great sort of thing and I guess...
I don't know whether I don't, I hope it's not a cop out and but I suppose I still have that attitude. Like I also know now like people say, you need to be posting more on social media and you know, you need to be doing this and the Spotify algorithm and blah, blah, blah. And you know, and it's like, on one hand, yeah, like, of course I would love to be successful. Of course I would love more people to hear my music. I would love to spend more hours of my day doing music.
But at the same time, I try not to get too caught up in all that stuff. And I just write and release the music and I just pray that God will use it as he wills. And if it gets on some big Spotify playlist, then thank you, Jesus. I feel like you can waste a lot of energy in getting like sort of torturing yourself over that stuff. So maybe I should be more astute, but that's...
Caleb Gray (37:49.385)
Yeah.
Tenielle Neda (38:07.15)
Yeah, that's what I'm at at the moment.
Caleb Gray (38:07.593)
Yeah, no, that makes sense. And I'm curious as well, too. So we live in a culture which is high performance. It's production success. Like you're saying, in terms of if you look at social media, it's all about like content production, always being creating this platform so people can see you. Otherwise you get left in the lurch. Where...
Tenielle Neda (38:20.11)
Hmm.
Caleb Gray (38:35.529)
The gospel is almost counter cultural in the sense of it's like this slow sanctification. And that's what what I'm hearing you say is like, you haven't, you haven't felt drawn to that, like, that fast paced hyper hyper performance for the sake of it. Has that been a journey for you? Or is it something that you you've just like,
implemented good habits and good disciplines around. Obviously, the practicalities of being a mom of three does add limitations in terms of you can't be like posting 24 seven and you your your desires and affections are for your your your kids. But yeah, what does that that slowing down journey look like?
Tenielle Neda (39:24.974)
Mm.
Tenielle Neda (39:30.318)
Yeah, I've definitely grappled with it a lot and I've found it hard at times and I've had to really resign myself to God's, like the limitations that God has put on my life right now, you know, like I really sincerely find writing and recording and playing live and leading worship, I find all that so life -giving and I feel like that I have a real sense of call and purpose in doing that and...
And so when I'm not doing it, there's a part of me that feels sad, but then at the same time, I'm called to love and serve my family and it might look less glamorous, like cleaning up 50 piles of dishes a day and folding, washing and changing nappies and all that stuff. And I'm like, I just want to record my album. But you know, like I think I've had to just embrace the limitations that God has put on my life right now. And,
Caleb Gray (40:14.153)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (40:20.201)
Wow.
Tenielle Neda (40:22.062)
and navigate that balance with my husband as well. And he's really supportive of my music and he helps me carve out time for it. But I think, yeah, it's definitely not always easy. And I was gonna say something else, but I forgot what it was.
Caleb Gray (40:39.497)
Well, if it comes back to your mind, let us know. Yeah. Yeah, I do think it's quite difficult to live intentionally for Jesus. And I love the wording you use, you said, to like learning how to embrace limitations. I had an interview with a guy named Adam Ramsey earlier this year, and he wrote a book called Faithfully Present. And in that, one of the core ideas of it was,
Tenielle Neda (40:42.702)
Yes.
Tenielle Neda (40:56.014)
Good.
Caleb Gray (41:09.289)
learning how to like embrace your limitations or see where God's placed you. So location, family, like friends and like have a heart of gratitude for that. And that's something I think is so obvious but it's so difficult to do to just see where God's placed you and not succumb to the striving or this comparison and just trust that
Tenielle Neda (41:22.478)
Mm. Yes.
Caleb Gray (41:38.217)
like he's doing a good work as you steward what he's given you. So I love that idea that you've learned how to embrace limitations which is extremely difficult.
Tenielle Neda (41:41.038)
Yeah, for sure.
Tenielle Neda (41:45.198)
Mm.
Tenielle Neda (41:53.998)
Yeah, from what you said, I remembered what I was thinking. It was just that God's sovereignty, like in, you know, how you were saying, you know, how do you not be sort of like ambitious or succumb to that like comparison? And I think God's sovereignty really helps me because I know even from my experience in secular music, you know, whether or not you get the best support to a, you know, whether Taylor Swift is coming to Sydney and you get that support, it's so much more than just,
your Spotify stats or your, you know, like all those things, perceived success or whatever. Like, even just the way that my first EP, I had a friend that was living in England. He knew the guy from the A &R place. I sent it to my friend. He sent it to him. Then they signed me. And that was like my first EP. I could not have orchestrated that for a million years. Like that was, that was God's sovereignty, you know? And I think,
rather than me always striving and kind of, you know, I guess there's that tension of sort of like working hard and stewarding your gifts well, and then just entrusting that to God and saying, well, like, God, you provide opportunities if it is your will. And yeah, and so trusting God's sovereignty and his timing in that. And sometimes that means like living with disappointment or like, you know, unfulfilled dreams.
Like I'm just waiting for, you know, someone from America to ring up and be like, Tenille, we're flying you and your family over and...
Caleb Gray (43:26.505)
That's awesome. Yeah, well, yeah, let's let's pray about that. Let's let's fly fly everyone over to Nashville. If you could go anywhere in America, where would the the dream be?
Tenielle Neda (43:36.526)
Yeah, yeah.
Tenielle Neda (43:43.31)
Caleb Gray (43:46.089)
like music wise.
Tenielle Neda (43:48.334)
been to Nashville for music, I mean, I guess for me, it would just be where the people are who I've collaborated with the most. So over the years, I've recorded a lot and written a lot with John Guerra and John Van Dusen, and they've become like friends. So John's in, John Guerra is in Texas and John Van Dusen is in Anacortes or Anacortes? I don't know how to say it, which is like Washington, I think, Washington State. So, but I'm
Caleb Gray (43:49.577)
Okay.
Caleb Gray (44:02.217)
Awesome.
Caleb Gray (44:09.353)
Okay.
Right.
Tenielle Neda (44:15.79)
I suppose like Nashville would be like the hub where there's lots of other people that I've been connected with with music over the years. So I suppose Nashville would make the most sense, but...
Caleb Gray (44:28.037)
It's a yeah, well you you've been there so you know it is like it is it's got beautiful countryside Nashville my my wife's from Indiana Which is like it's corn country corn and basketball is what they're known for But yeah, we we've done a road trip to to Nashville before and I'm I'm born and bred by the coast I serve so
Tenielle Neda (44:34.958)
Thank you.
Caleb Gray (44:56.361)
always loved being by the coast, but Nashville was really beautiful in terms of the rolling hills and Tennessee and things like that. So yeah, it is a it's a beautiful part of the world. So yeah, let's hope that that you get that phone call. That would be awesome. Yeah, but if you don't God's sovereign, I love that. So we've sort of spoken about how the culture is. Yeah, it really is.
Tenielle Neda (45:04.91)
Yeah.
Tenielle Neda (45:10.186)
We'll see, we'll see.
Tenielle Neda (45:16.814)
Yeah.
Caleb Gray (45:25.737)
is, can be distracting from the work that Jesus is doing. What other things do you think that you've done or are doing to intentionally live for Jesus and sort of write your music in a way that just glorifies him in this particular culture that we find ourselves in?
Tenielle Neda (45:53.55)
So are you sort of asking like in what ways am I being intentional with writing? Is that what you mean?
Caleb Gray (45:59.593)
Yeah, with writing and like from the distractions of ambition or from the distractions of social media or from distractions away from like that gift that God's placed in you.
Tenielle Neda (46:16.91)
Yeah, I think not trying to write or sound like a trend, not that I've ever really done that, but I think there was a pressure to do that when I was a secular artist, like on a label, they're very much sort of like, what's trending, what's gonna stick.
you know, I feel like for a while there every single female singer songwriter was like, I love you. You know, I don't know, just, you know, there's like, there are like these trends. And even, you know, from a production perspective or whatever, but so yeah, I try and remain a bit oblivious to stuff like that. I try and write from a place like we sort of spoken about, like that's personal and vulnerable and based around,
Caleb Gray (46:55.145)
Brilliant.
Tenielle Neda (47:13.23)
I guess scripture, which is timeless and, and, yeah. And then I suppose like, yeah, I don't necessarily, like, I'm not too, I just can't be too rigid or routine at the moment with like carving out time, but I do, I am sort of conscious within my limitations to still use my gifts and serve with my gifts for God and for his church and,
And I set myself the goal of like at least one EP a year. And that's like, if I've done that, then that's. Yeah. So kind of like tangible achievable goals within my limitations in this season. And that's always like tricky and it's always a bit of a balancing act. And sometimes, yeah, we have to change things up, but yeah, so far I'm. Yeah.
Caleb Gray (47:48.969)
That's huge. Yeah.
Caleb Gray (48:11.113)
Yeah, I can imagine you. Yeah. Yeah, it's a wild roller coaster ride trying to navigate all the all the different things going on. Just aware of the time and obviously know that you've got to get back to to your beautiful children shortly. I'm curious to know what you are currently learning about God or about yourself through the season that you're in.
Tenielle Neda (48:40.622)
I always feel like there's so much to learn. Yeah, I guess navigating those ups and downs of parenting still very much so. And every day, yeah, praying for his wisdom and patience and grace and strength. And I think sometimes when things can get hard or challenging, I...
can become a little bit maybe futile or despondent in my own prayer life. And so I think praying more, like praying more and depending on God more, which is, yeah, it's constant, right, as a parent. And I think just really intentionally seeking him in prayer and...
Caleb Gray (49:26.921)
Yes.
Tenielle Neda (49:35.726)
that's probably an area of growth for me at the moment that I'm feeling like, yeah, I'm experiencing. So that's sort of a personal thing, I suppose. Yeah.
Caleb Gray (49:46.749)
Awesome. Yeah, well, thanks. Yeah, thanks so much for sharing that and I have I'm yet to buy tickets to your event, but straight after this conversation, that's exactly what I'm going to do for my wife and I and we haven't organized a sitar or anything like that yet, but we don't don't have to worry about that. We'll drop my parents live like an hour and a half away. So.
Worst case scenario, we'll drop our daughter off there. But yeah, I honestly encourage people to grab tickets to your show. If people are wanting to find out more about you, Tenille, or grab tickets to your show coming up, where would you direct them to?
Tenielle Neda (50:35.79)
Sure. So I've got, you know, Facebook, Instagram, a website, which is just tineelnetta .com .au. Otherwise you can even email me. It's hello at tineelnetta .com .au and the tickets are on try booking. So if you type in tineelnetta on try booking, it should come up. Otherwise I can send the link if you email me or I don't know if you can post links on the podcast footnotes. Yeah.
Caleb Gray (51:02.285)
Yeah, I can put a link up in the description of this so people can click on it easy and grab some tickets and yeah, come say hi to yourself and yeah, it sounds like it's gonna be an awesome evening. To encourage you as well, I've had a couple of friends of mine, they haven't known that I'm doing this interview with yourself, but they've messaged me over the past week being like, hey,
Are you free on this evening? We're going to we've just grabbed tickets to to the show. So, yeah, which is it's yeah, it's really cool and encouraging to to see that. So, yeah, we'd looking definitely looking forward to it. So, yeah, thanks so much for carving out the time to Neil and having this conversation. And yeah, just for your authenticity and your.
Tenielle Neda (51:39.758)
Listen, that's so nice.
Tenielle Neda (51:47.214)
Yeah. that's very nice.
Caleb Gray (52:01.385)
yeah, vulnerability and honesty in sharing where you're at and what the music journey and creativity and how that's influenced and been shaped by various challenges that you faced. So thanks so much for sharing that, I hope. And I do know that this will be an encouragement to our listeners. So yeah, thank you.
Tenielle Neda (52:23.854)
Thanks Caleb, thanks for having me.
