CHAT SESSION 98 with Lou otherwise known as Sunset Salore
Topic- Lou’s cathartic experience of sharing her story through music helped her process and reflect on her journey, providing a sense of growth and renewal.
Monday 10th March 2025 1pm https://rppfm.com.au
SUNSET SALORE - the journey to now
Lou Acheson, currently better known as Sunset Salore (pronounced ‘sai-lor’), is a Melbourne based, UK born singer-songwriter who currently calls the Mornington Peninsula home.
With a recent debut EP release, called ‘Love Kills the Monsters’ which landed on 4th October 2024, and a full band launch gig that was held on the 1st of February 2025, in the Bergy Bandroom, Brunswick, she reflects on her journey to get to this point.
Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in a landscape on the verge of change yet still surrounded by the skeleton of a previously tumultuous time, she discovered her love for music early on. “One of my first cassettes was Kylie Minogue and I listened to it until it wore out and became stretched” she laughs, recalling all the musical influences she may or may not admit to. Amidst her collection at the time was Michael Jackson, Miles Davis, Nirvana, Coolio, “and you know those ‘Hot Hits, Fresh Hits, Best of ‘91’ type records? I listened to a lot of music and loved the variety.” she muses. Early concerts included Bon Jovi, Take That, Jamie Cullum, 50 Cent, some instrumental jazz acts, and many local unsigned bands. If you can find the common thread, you may be a musical genius. “I have always had a really eclectic taste, and I guess it natively informs the sound of my own music”.
Her past is rich in riveting tales. Originally a sculptor and artist by trade, Sunset Salore has found diverse creative ways to tell her own story. “I’ve always been curious about creativity itself in lots of forms” she says, detailing the many mediums and disciplines she has used to express herself, “Creativity is such an important outlet to being your authentic self. If you already have creativity at your core, how do you cultivate it, and if you don’t feel it strongly, can you develop it? Everyone should be able to share what makes them who they are somehow.” Identity, sense of place, reflection, hindsight, perpetual change, and authentic self-expression are all themes in her work.
Her great grandfather was also a musician on the Belfast music hall stages back in the 1920’s. He played piano, and his brother sang. Her grandfather bought her a Casio keyboard back in the ‘80s, which started her love for instruments. Over the years she played many instruments from keys, to violin, to drums, to clarinet to name a few. It started a long running collection of instruments which she still adds to today. The collection in Melbourne has expanded to 3 pianos (2 digital, one antique piano from somewhere between 1890-1910’s which she started restoring during the COVID lockdowns), banjo (she’s learning), mandolin, violin, clarinet, lap harp, drum kit, penny whistle, saxophone, and a few guitars (not to mention her husband’s 10 guitars – guitar being his main instrument). The house is filled with music! More recently she has expanded into digital elements of instruments with a Boss RC600 looping station, a Boss VE8, NUX DP2000 pad, and an Ableton Push.
She became surrounded by gig and band culture in the UK in her early twenties. Instead, later finding her fit with keys and vocals. With a keen interest in live music, Sunset Salore made the musical haunts of Belfast, and then Melbourne her home, later having played local Melbourne band shows over the years. She now finds herself more at home listening to the sounds of Florence and The Machine, Meg Mac, and Baker Boy to name only a few.
While her core instrument is undoubtedly vocals, interestingly enough, she didn’t sing beyond school choirs back in the UK, only starting to get into vocal work after winning a drink at a karaoke contest in the Melbourne CBD singing an Alicia Keys number. The feedback was such that she looked into singing lessons, and it grew from there.
“I was always singing as a kid, mum reflects on me singing along to Wham in my pram back in the 80’s, but I never thought I’d be up front and centre as a lead singer, let alone writing my own music, recording it, and for it to be this successful. It’s quite humbling.”
She joined Clare Thomas’s tutelage at Rowville’s Freedom Music Studios and began singing solo, backing vocals for other students in live band performances, and as part of a 3 piece acapella girl group, further developing her love for harmonies. After being selected for their artist development program, she started writing her own material and performing this with a live band, as well as some local acoustic residencies across Melbourne.
Due to a tree-change relocation to the Mornington Peninsula, and the subsequent COVID lockdowns, she took a hiatus from formal music training while becoming more reflective on the last decade. Becoming more self-aware, and struggling with long COVID aftereffects on health, she needed to change trajectory. Realising she deeply missed music and feeling like she was ready for a new challenge, she began working with R&B/Pop artist Kylie Chirunga (musical name KYE) via Coach Music Academy in Frankston. The goal was to write an EP, and if it was good enough, “maybe record some things”.
Writing the EP would prove to be a catharsis in itself.
She partnered with Mornington Peninsula’s Spud Thompson from Elusive Creative to deliver the 7-track solo debut to the world as a local independent artist.
“Love Kills the Monsters” is a formidable debut EP. An eclectic collection of stories, glued together by funky bass lines and sultry grooves with an alternative pop feel. The EP moves through moments in life echoing the lessons learned over time. The debut single, ‘Call It’ charted in the World Indie Music Charts (topping at #23 at time of writing – Sept 4th, 2024, and has charted in the European Indie Music Network Chart – Formula Indie for 6 weeks. The sophomore single ‘Mystery and Magic’ too is receiving top press reviews from around the globe. It charted for 19 weeks, reaching #1 in the World Indie Music Charts, #1 in the European Indie Music Charts, #1 in the Topsound Chart, #2 in the BWRN Chart (Central USA), and achieved an overall position of #8 for the song of the year on the European Indie Music Charts for 2024. Overall in 2024, the EP has achieved 270k streams on Spotify alone in 138 countries, and extensive radio play globally.
“This EP was the first time I felt ready to tell a story, and it was cathartic and quite reflective for me. The challenges of the past few years had taken their toll, making the creation of the EP a therapeutic escape and a means of processing my difficult experiences. I forced myself to embrace a brighter outlook, to work hard, to enjoy that work, and through it to ultimately love and accept myself right now, as is. That’s where the name comes from, the thought that maybe we can love our demons away – that love can kill the monsters”, says Sunset Salore.
A music video was released in October directed and filmed by Luma Chroma staring Madison Sewell for ‘Call It’. This has won an award at the Season 16 Europe Music Video Awards, has been screened at the British Film Festival, Folkestone Film Festival, Big Fridge Film Festival in London, Munich Music Video Awards, and most recently the Third Culture Film Festival in New Zealand. It has also had almost 70k streams on YouTube since release.
Sunset Salore has also been nominated for
9 nominations at the 2025 ISSA Awards in Atlanta, USA in the International Female category, including vocalist of the year, songwriter of the year, emerging artist of the year to name a few
2 nominations at the World Entertainment Awards, in Los Angeles USA in 2025 for best alternative song and best newcomer
3 nominations at the Elite Music Awards for best newcomer, best album, and songwriter of the year.
It has been a big year.
Read on to get an insight into ‘Mystery and Magic’ and ‘Call It’
CALL IT
“The first single, ‘Call It’ is about addressing all the little micro-moments in a relationship that don’t stack up anymore, and in that moment, deciding to call time on everything. Essentially, it’s saying, I’ve had enough with the status quo – this isn’t good enough, I deserve better. I wanted this track to convey the assertiveness that comes with that acknowledgement, and to feel powerful in that moment. This song was written midway through my journey of writing the upcoming EP. I was neck-deep exploring the moments that change you, or change your situation, and how it feels to be back there. Often, we don’t look too closely as we are experiencing everything the first time around. It’s too real, too raw, too visceral. We can be too close to see clearly.
This song allowed me to reflect on these critical moments which changed my trajectory in life and explore more deeply the feelings we don’t sit comfortably with at the time. It’s not a song about one person, it borrows from many relationships over the years, but it does draw deeply on personal experiences. As a society we use labels a lot, but sometimes in relationships we can be scared to label things at all. ‘Call It’ also seeks to throw out the notion that labels materially change the accountability each party brings to the table in a relationship. It really matters how we treat each other, regardless of what we do or don’t want to call that interaction.”
– Sunset Salore
MYSTERY AND MAGIC
“The second single, Mystery and Magic, was written to explore the euphoria of learning about someone new and uncovering the unique things that draw you to that person. Instead of an overly sentimental love song, I wanted to focus on the spark in that moment. Lyrically I was exploring the small things in a new situation which stand out as they are, or in metaphor. Hopefully it’s an uplifting experience.
The differences we see in each other add significantly in learning new things to expand your horizons, not narrow them down. It’s about finding someone who compliments or enhances you, and you compliment or enhance them as individuals, not be cookie cutters of each other, or tear apart each other’s differences. Difference can be enriching, and we can grow from that significantly.
“It’s also about trusting your gut in the moment, not to hesitate when there are no reasons to, even if you’ve had challenging experiences in the past and have been burned by that. The song celebrates that both parties are celebrating each other just as they are with no requirement to change or fit a mould through the learning journey of the relationship. They’re essentially present and enjoying the moments as they arrive. Essentially, it’s a track about chemistry, energy and fun.”
-Sunset Salore
Lou (Sunset Salore) also volunteers for Kenyan children’s charity Rafiki Mwema, headquartered in NSW but run entirely by Kenyans in a town called Nakuru, and serves on the board of directors in a volunteer fundraising capacity having had prior international not for profit / humanitarian work experience under her belt.
This worthy charity supports children who have been abused to navigate the justice system via wellbeing, health and medical interventions, education and trauma support. Children here are at risk of harm from their perpetrators and their connections while waiting for a court date due to their requirement to testify in open court against their abusers, and the charity provides a safe haven on their 14-acre farm in Nakuru during this time. At the appropriate time, providing it is safe to do so, the children are reintegrated back into their families and communities. Currently the charity provides care for up to 70 children on the farm and provides outreach support to other street children in need, including meal support and refuge.
A launch event that was held on 1 Feb 2025 in the Bergy Bandroom for ‘Love Kills the Monsters’ raised money for this charity. A portion of all ticket sales will be donated to the charity. In addition, a fundraiser was held on the night with all proceeds going directly to this worthy cause. Founder of Rafiki Mwema Sarah Rosborg was in Melbourne and attended the launch event. She also spoke to the audience about this work in more detail.
Founder, Sarah Rosborg, in Kenya with some of the girls on the farm.
rafiki mwema holding the hand of the future
Our vision A safe childhood and bright future for every Kenyan
Our mission To support Kenyan children through trauma by providing safety, nurture, education and hope
Find out more and support https://rafikimwema.com/
Sunset Salore's combination of a unique voice and impactful lyrics sets her apart as a rising star in the music industry. Her promising start hints at a career filled with creativity and inspiration, making her an artist to watch closely in the coming years.
You can follow Sunset Salore on various streaming platforms and social media to stay updated on her latest releases and performances!
My hope is that when you’re looking at yourself in the
‘The Daily Mirror’
YOU SMILE
EMBRACE BEING YOU
AND FIND 10 MINUTES IN YOUR DAY TO NOURISH YOUR SOUL!
To get in touch with Cathy email smileinthedailymirror@gmail.com
'The Daily Mirror' acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present.
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