ANYONE familiar with Teleah Riordan's involvement in the Newcastle music scene would be surprised by the angelic voice the 20-year-old possesses.
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For the past three years Riordan has been a familiar face playing saxophone with the now-defunct jazz-psych collective Shrimp and for rising Sydney hip-hop artist Imbi, formerly Imbi The Girl.
She's also played bass for Raave Tapes frontman's Joab Eastley's solo project Skivvy Season.
However, the time has come for Riordan to put down the saxophone and bass and take centre stage. This week she released her first single, Call Me, under the alias Teddie.
"I've been touring and playing with friends, and I really love it, and I just really wanted to do something," Riordan said. "Playing saxophone is very different to writing lyrics, and being up front and having the responsibility of everything.
"It kind of just happened this year when I said, 'yeah I'm going to do it'."
The COVID-19 lockdown gave Riordan the excuse to make Teddie a reality. She worked on Call Me with Vacations frontman Campbell Burns in his bedroom and then collaborated further with Newcastle hip-hop duo Craterface.
The result was a blend of dreamy bedroom indie-pop, electronica and rap. Riordan plans to release Teddie's debut EP later this year.
"Because Call Me is a collaboration with Craterface it definitely has a mix between both our sounds," she said. "I think the EP will be a bit less electronic, a bit more lo-fi and a bit more guitar, bass and synth happening."
