Some artists arrive fully formed. Others take the scenic route, collecting bruises and stories along the way. total tommy – the musical alias of Sydney's Jess Holt – firmly belongs in the latter camp, and aren't we all the better for it?

"It's almost summer here in Australia, which means it's afternoon beer garden weather again. The actual best," Holt reflects, basking in the sunshine that feels like the perfect backdrop for discussing 'bruises', a debut album that treats vulnerability less like a confessional and more like a celebration. As the antipodean summer beckons, she's probably raising a glass to the whirlwind year that's transformed her from a bedroom artist with a drawer full of unreleased tracks to one of indie rock's most compelling new voices.