Local singer/songwriter Ric Trent's first single So Pretty is getting heaps of airplay on JOY. He snuggles up on the casting couch with KAYE SERA

Congratulations on So Pretty. How did the song come about?
I was inspired by a personal experience where I became infatuated with a person I had just met.  I spent quite a lot of time thinking about how someone you hardly know can make such a big impact on you. I realised that often it comes back to what you've been dreaming of for a long time and then, when you think you have it in front of you it can so easily become an obsession.

You performed at Midsumma Festival this year. Why did you pick that festival to debut your EP?
I've been performing in various different mediums for sometime but it was always someone else's music - whether it was opera, doing a dance show or on a podium. I decide to perform the tracks as part of 'Dutch courage' at Midsumma because I wanted a safe place to express my tracks for the first time.

Tell us about your producers, Gerard Sidhu and Lionel Towers.
Gerard and Lionel work with Paul Wiltshire, a well-known Australian producer who works from Melbourne. I went to see Paul and walked into his office and his walls were coated with all these gold and platinum albums so I pretty much figured that he knew what he was talking about. Like Madonna and Gwen Stefani, I write melody and lyrics, which is two-thirds of the creative process. The guys then added their musical talent around my tracks.

What are your influences - what music did you listen to growing up?
I use to stay up as late as possible on a Friday and Saturday nights as a kid and watch Rage just so I could record all my favourite tracks. The early nineties was huge for me with Snap, 2 Unlimited, Technotronic and Deee-Lite. After that I really got into Groove Armada, Chemical Brothers, Moloko and Garbage.

You have obvious appeal to the gay market. How do you feel about that?
I love it. No group of people lead new trends like the gay and lesbian community and having received so much support makes me feel very lucky.

What's your take on the pop at the moment?
I'm really enjoying the playful electronic melodies, the retro sounds and the heavy, dirty beats that are being made at the moment. I love the current mixing of the different genres of folk, pop, dance and R&B. But most of all I think it's a great time for new artists to get out there and get discovered, because there are a lot of people searching for something new to listen to.

Ric Trent's music available through itunes