AN overnight success years in the making, Amy Shark is beyond grounded.
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Based in the US for eight months of the year and the rest in her beloved Gold Coast hometown, the indie pop singer is not taking off any time soon.
"I still call the Gold Coast my home," she said.
"That's where my washing machine is! But I'm based between the Gold Coast and New York."
Shark has come a long way since her breakthrough single Adore.
Her debut album Love Monster shot straight to number one on the ARIA charts, and last year she bagged four ARIA awards.
Both Adore and the powerhouse lead single from Love Monster, I Said Hi, have hit Platinum status four times over, with killer singles Weekends, All Loved Up and Mess Her Up all hitting the Platinum milestone.
Shark's hit I Said Hi, which was a statement for those who told her she'd never make it in the music industry, gained high rotation across commercial and alternative stations.
Shark said she never thought about how it would resonate when she was writing it.
"I can see now why people relate to it; everyone is always fighting so many battles," Shark said.
"Music has always been very competitive.
"When I was trying to break through there was a lot of music that wasn't speaking to me; I wanted to write from my experiences and straight from the heart.
"Everyone is starved for real stories."
Born on the Gold Coast, Shark worked for Gold Coast Titans as a video editor until late 2016.
She changed her married name Amy Louise Billings five years ago to stage name Amy Shark, which reflected her love of the movie Jaws.
"I was a big fan of Jaws and Peter Benchley (screenplay) and sharks in general," she said.
"For some reason I took to Jaws; I would watch it over and over and then wake up in the night, terrified. But it was scary good!
"I love sharks and I could watch them for hours."
Having got home for the first Gold Coast Titans match of the NRL season, Shark said she checked in as often as possible.
"Some of my best girlfriends work with the Gold Coast Titans; I want to try to give back to the club."
Shark will kick off an Australian regional tour in Newcastle on October 3. She will hit Canberra, Coffs Harbour, Lake Kawana, Darwin, Wodonga, Geelong and Hobart. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday at 9am.
THE LOWDOWN
WHAT: Amy Shark Tour, The Cube Wodonga
WHEN: Friday, November 1
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