HEART-TO-HEART: Tomorrow's Forecast
“I feel our emotional storytelling, passionate energy and harmonies really package our identity and songs as Tomorrow’s Forecast.”
Emerging from the Gold Coast, Bonnie and Olive from Tomorrow’s Forecast share a love for honesty, raw feelings and the carefree pop from the 2010s.
Published: 11/10/2024
FHR (Flaming Heart Records): Olive & Bonnie – the leading ladies from Tomorrow’s Forecast! Thank you for taking the time for this interview. It is really important for me (as a female-owned label) to showcase the incredible young women in the music industry. What have you two been up to lately?
Bonnie (Kruger): Of course! Super important to highlight female voices, especially in this industry – appreciate you reaching out! Lately we have just been playing live heaps; Olive and I have just moved to Brisbane, so we are settling into the scene here, which is fun.
Olive (McCagh): Thank you so much, we couldn’t agree more. Yes, just enjoying the change of living in Brisbane, there’s so much to do here. Been lucky enough to be playing a lot of shows as well, while balancing work and studies!
FHR: So you started songwriting and composing from quite a young age, around 14. How do your songwriting processes compare to when you first started out? Have you changed anything or maybe there is something you have always stuck to?
Olive: Yes, it’s been a long time since we started this band, which is crazy! I feel like I am a bit more strategic in songwriting now, we’ve both grown as musicians and songwriters since then. We’ve also got two new band members this year, so it’s different having new contributions in the songwriting, which I really love. We’ve definitely kept it the same though, in the way we start each song writing in our room about something we love or hate.
FHR: And describe what it’s like being a young, up-and-coming band! The music industry can be such a whirlwind, I’d love to know how it has been for you so far. Any highlights or lows that you have experienced?
Bonnie: I think it’s just been really comforting to have had the band act as a kind of constant in our lives for so many years. In a way, we grew up in the music scene, so we have a super special appreciation for it and how it has shaped us as a band and as individuals. This industry is such a tight-knit community full of crazy talented creatives and we have always felt so supported by everyone since the beginning.
FHR: Your music has been described as a kind of “nostalgic indie pop-rock”. Are there any key elements that truly make a Tomorrow’s Forecast track?
Olive: I think we’ve really been shaped by the music from our young age, that fun 2010 era of indie was so iconic and definitely made an impression on how we sound. I feel our emotional storytelling, passionate energy and harmonies really package our identity and songs as Tomorrow’s Forecast.
Bonnie: I feel like lately, our music has really transformed from what it has been in the past. A lot of our songs harness some intense emotion, and we are kind of leaning into a really raw sound that expresses that. I think we have basically just embraced the honesty and vulnerability in our songwriting and that’s kind of translated into our overall sound.
FHR: You perform quite a lot around the Gold Coast/Brisbane areas. What excites you the most about live shows? It must be so cool to perform the songs that you have created to a crowd of people, as well as meet other musicians!
Olive: Oh my god, yes, performing live is my absolute favourite part of being in this band. It’s so awesome to play alongside the amazing talent that’s harboured out of our local and national scenes. I find performing live extremely therapeutic, the emotions in our songs are very real and raw, I get completely lost in it on stage and relive those powerful feelings. I love nothing more than jumping around on stage with my best friends, who are either up there with me, or in the crowd. The support we get from our family and friends is next level, and despite how ambitious I am with the band, I know I have already achieved everything I need to by playing these shows.
Bonnie: I just love the sense of connection we feel when we are up on stage altogether. It’s terrifying sometimes, but I honestly don’t think there’s any better feeling. I get to just spill my guts and yell about all my heartache, while playing music with my best friends. It’s probably the most cathartic thing ever.
FHR: And what connected you both in high school? Did you know of each other before meeting there? Tell us the story about how you formed your band.
Olive: Bonnie and I actually met in Year 7, in a digital technology class. We became best friends in Year 8, relating over super nerdy stuff and we both realised our love for Australian music, singing and songwriting. Inspired by the bands we heard on the radio, we both decided to try out for the school’s music program, having improved our guitar skills (slightly) and we wanted to start a band. What started as a two-piece, then became a fully formed band we called ‘Tomorrow’s Forecast’ by Year 9 through our ‘Working Musicians Program’. Although our band has changed over the past year, we connected with Isaac and Rohan, our bassist and drummer, through the music program. We’ve all been best friends since high school and realised it made sense to relive our times jamming in music class by putting them in the band.
FHR: Your lyrics often reflect on relatable topics young people deal with, like growing up and heartache. Can it be difficult to be vulnerable in your songwriting, or do you find the process cathartic in a way? I feel like we have so much to say as young people, but sometimes it can be hard finding the right words.
Olive: I think there’s nothing more beautiful in a song than real emotion, they are my favourites to listen to, write and play. I feel I show my own vulnerabilities in most aspects of my life, I like to be open and I have a lot of emotions haha. But playing these songs is like an emotional release, funnily enough I have fun getting angry and sad on stage. If I feel it strongly, then I’m going to sing about it. I agree it can be so hard finding the right words, but I feel the real battle is getting people to listen when you do have the right words. I feel very privileged to have a platform that allows me to be vulnerable and gives me space to express these emotions.
Bonnie: I think self-confrontation in my songwriting has become super important to me over time. Most of the time when I pick up my guitar and write a song, I don’t even know that’s how I’m feeling until I’ve written it. Songwriting has weirdly become a healthy way for me to pick apart my feelings and process a lot of things that I would have otherwise had a hard time coming to terms with.
FHR: So… what are the plans for Tomorrow’s Forecast over the next 12 months? New music? Upcoming gigs? Festivals? Get us hyped up with some exciting news!
Bonnie: Definitely some cool gigs on the horizon! We are playing at Undertone Festival next month at Miami Marketta with some incredible female and non-binary acts, like Jack River and Montaigne, which we are so insanely keen for. And in terms of new music, we may or may not have some plans for after the new year, so 2025 might be seeing the release of some new stuff! Possibly even a tour…? Who knows?!
