The Weekaway took over our studio for a night

he Weekaway arrived with a week in the bush, a grand piano, and three writer-producers who trusted the work enough to keep it simple.

Last month, Cyrus Villanueva, Ned Houston and Jim Alexander brought that project into our studio for a stripped-back, close-room performance of the album.

The backstory

The Weekaway started exactly how it sounds. They booked a remote Airbnb with a grand piano (which you'd be surprised how few their are in Australia), and gave themselves one rule: spend the week writing.

That’s what made the night feel special. The set played like a document of the week away.

So who is The Weekaway?

Cyrus Villanueva has been building a profile as a writer and producer as much as an artist. triple j Unearthed describes him directly as a songwriter-producer who has crafted songs for artists including Guy Sebastian, Sam Fischer and NCT DREAM, among others. 

Ned Houston brings a similar modern pop professionalism, with a reputation that’s travelled. He’s described as an Australian songwriter, producer and artist, with writing trips spanning Korea, Nashville, Los Angeles, New Zealand and Japan. 

Jim Alexander (often credited publicly as Jimmy Alexander) brings a different edge into the room. URM describes him as an Australian producer, songwriter and vocalist from the Gold Coast, and links him to Awaken I Am, alongside a writing-first approach to production.