The Voices Inside Your Head: An Interview with Aussie Trio, Telenova

Photographer: Kid Circus

Stylist: Jermaine Robison

Glam: Ciara Derosite

This Australian trio, featuring Angeline Armstrong (Ange) on vocals, Joshua Moriarty as a versatile musician and producer, and Edward Quinn also contributing as a versatile musician and producer, has a knack for blending electronic beats with soulful, reflective lyrics. Their sound doesn’t just play in the background—it pulls you into the universe.

Ange shared the story behind their upcoming album, Time is a Flower. The title came to them almost by accident, a perfect summary of the themes that emerged naturally from their writing sessions. “We didn’t set out with a specific concept,” she tells MERDE, “but as we pieced the album together, certain ideas kept popping up—like being stuck in the everyday grind but yearning for something more. The imagery of flowers and reflections on the passage of time were everywhere.” It was the song Time Is A Flower that captured these themes so well—even though it wasn’t meant to be the centerpiece. It became the album's namesake, embodying the blend of introspection and artistry that defines their music.

The album dives deep into the nature of time—not just as a ticking clock, but as an emotional landscape. Ange muses, “We often think of time in a straight line, but life isn’t like that. The past, with all its memories and pains, often influences the present more than we realize.” Beyond the idea of time itself, this album delves into the ways in which we encounter, respond to, and eventually triumph over the events that shape our lives.

Creating Time is a Flower was as much a journey as the themes it explores. Ed explains that they started with around 30 demos, which they whittled down to 12 tracks. “Each song had its own story,” he says. “For instance, Bird Of Paradise and Tremors felt like they were missing something until we added a string section. But then Preamble came together almost instantly—it was just a beat and a voice memo from Ange, and it felt complete.” The band doesn’t stick to one formula; they let each track evolve naturally, allowing the music to find its own path.

Their influences are as eclectic as their sound. Ed is into artists like Danger Mouse, Massive Attack, and Portishead, known for their atmospheric, textured production. “We love those dusty drum sounds and grooves,” he says. “We’ll take a sample, mess around with it, and see where it takes us. It’s all about creating something that feels both familiar and new.”

With an international tour on the horizon, Ange is candid about the mix of excitement and nerves. “It’s a bit daunting to play an hour-long set six nights in a row,” she admits. However, the chance to interact with followers all across the globe makes the effort worthwhile. Amid the mayhem of traveling, she creates a little haven for herself by bringing home comforts like her own pillow and family photographs.

As our conversation unfolds, Ange and Ed reflect on the making of Time is a Flower, their creative process, and where they're headed next.

MERDE: What inspired the title Time is a Flower for your new album?
Angeline Armstrong: The name of the album came right at the end of the writing process. We hadn’t set out to write about particular themes, but when we pulled the songs together, it was fascinating to see all these recurring ideas—being stuck in the mundane but longing for something transcendent, imagery of flowers, ruminations on the passage of time. There’s a small track on the album called Time Is A Flower—not a major single—but that lyric perfectly encapsulated everything we’d been circling around.

MERDE: Can you share some of the central themes explored in the album?
AA: The mysterious nature of time—how we perceive it as linear, but life doesn’t feel that way. The past seeps into the present all the time. There’s this human longing for permanence, for something eternal beyond the beginning-middle-end framework we think we’re in. A lot of the songs explore that tension.

MERDE: What was the creative process like for this album?
Edward Quinn: It was two years of demos—about 30—that we cut down to 12. Each song had its own journey. Bird Of Paradise and Tremors needed a string section to feel complete. Preamble was a beat and voice memo and just… worked. We don’t really follow a rigid process. If something strikes us in the moment, that’s usually the best sign we’re onto something.

MERDE: Were there any particular artists or experiences that shaped the album’s sound?
EQ: Definitely Danger Mouse, Massive Attack, and Portishead. I’m obsessed with dusty drums and sampling—breaking things down and messing them up a bit. That texture is huge for us.

MERDE: Do you have a favorite track on the album?
AA: Probably Bird of Paradise. It’s our “cinema for your ears” moment—emotional, tragic, sweeping, with a full string section.
EQ: It changes for me. Tremors hit me recently when I heard it unexpectedly. But I think people might really connect with January.

MERDE: Any memorable moments from recording?
EQ: Josh pulling out his Rickenbacker bass for Preamble at Headgap Studios. That tone completely changed the track in the best way.

MERDE: How are you feeling about the upcoming tour?
AA: Excited and terrified. I’ve never done hour-long sets six nights in a row. It’s physically and emotionally intense, but I’m so excited to meet fans and share the music globally. That connection is what keeps me going.

MERDE: How do you prepare for the road?
AA: I’m big on creating a sense of home. I bring my own pillow, Blu-Tack, and photos. I call someone I love every morning. Being on the road with just your bandmates can be jarring if you’re used to a big support network. Those small rituals help me stay grounded.

MERDE: The Discotheque Inside My Head video has such a bold aesthetic. What inspired it?
AA: We imagined the voices in your head as a chaotic nightclub. The dancers are like doppelgängers of self-doubt and insecurity—but rather than fearing them, the video is about learning to dance with those voices instead of letting them control you.

MERDE: Who directed the video?
AA: I directed it, like I usually do with our visuals. This time I had a co-director, Hamish Macgregor, who’s also an actor. He helped bring out the performance in me while I was in front of the camera.

MERDE: What was the process like for developing the concept?
AA: It started in a dance studio with my friend Zoee. We were playing around and started doing these jazz hands around our heads, mimicking the panic of intrusive thoughts in a fun, exaggerated way. That blend of chaos and musical-theatre silliness set the tone for the whole concept.

MERDE: Any surprises during filming?
AA: We added bloopers in the end credits! When I saw the rough cut, I realized how much joy and silliness didn’t make it into the final video. Including those behind-the-scenes moments felt right.

MERDE: How did Telenova come together?
EQ: I started on guitar at 12, joined bands out of high school, eventually formed Slum Sociable. After that fell apart in 2019, I met Josh and Ange at a Songhubs Writing Camp. We’ve been working together since.

MERDE: How do your backgrounds influence your sound?
EQ: Ange has the voice. Josh has the musicality. I bring the dirt. Sounds funny, but that contrast works. Nothing sounds like Telenova until Ange lays vocals on it—that’s when everything clicks.

MERDE: Any favorite albums or artists you always return to?
AA: Always Radiohead and Lana Del Rey. Right now, A Moon Shaped Pool, In Rainbows, King of Limbs, and Lana’s Norman Fucking Rockwell and Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. Her storytelling is unmatched.
EQ: Producing for new artists really inspires me—especially those still figuring it out. Also: swim and sauna. Best creativity hack.

MERDE: How do you think your music has evolved?
EQ: We’re still finding our sound, but we’re learning each other’s strengths and when to challenge one another. It’s amazing when fans connect with the deep cuts—they’re often our favorites too.

MERDE: Is there a core feeling you hope to communicate with this record?
AA: We want to create a full sonic world for people to get lost in. There’s something transcendent in cinematic music that’s unafraid to be emotional. We hope this album transports listeners somewhere else—like the best music always has for us.

MERDE: What’s next after this release?
AA: We’re already writing and recording the second album, and hoping to expand our touring footprint—Asia and the US are top of the list.
EQ: More shows in Greece, please. We played Release Athens recently and the energy was unmatched.

As I step off the train and onto the platform, the world snaps back into focus—but Telenova's Discotheque Inside My Head lingers, casting a dramatic light over the ordinary. It's a guilt-free escape—just what we need in a year like this. Letting myself drift into their world, I had a wild time with the voices in my head.

Time is a Flower drops August 16. Preorder at telenovamusic.co.
Follow their journey on Instagram at @telenovaofficial.