No Fear, All Fun: ALBII’s Wild Ride in Alt‑Pop

August 26, 2025 423 11 5

ONLY 3 TIMES IN MY LIFE HAVE I EVER RANG SOMEONE AND SAID, “YEAH, YOU WILL CHANGE THE GAME..” – Deveski

Gold Coast alt-pop artist ALBII isn’t afraid to get a little weird – on stage or off. At 25 years old (and with a mischievous grin almost perpetually on her face), ALBII likes to say that if “dreamy pop had an affair with the grim reaper,” you’d get something close to her sound. It’s not just a cheeky tagline. Her music backs it up, blending bubblegum-sweet pop hooks with a dark, playful twist. One minute she’s serenading you with a “sticky-sweet” crush anthem, the next she’s cackling through a tongue-in-cheek banger about psycho exes. And through it all, she’s dead-set on doing things her way – no major label, no apologies, and absolutely no fear.

ALBII (real name Bianca Hinton) is a Gold Coast native and a late-blooming rockstar in the making. In 2023, just as she was gearing up to launch her music career, life threw her a massive curveball: a diagnosis of aggressive breast cancer. For a moment, everything stopped. Hinton had already made a name for herself behind the scenes – an award-winning videographer who’d worked with Aussie acts like Jaguar Jonze and Sheppard. She was even set to move to LA for industry gigs before fate intervened. But after months of grueling treatment, she emerged on the other side in remissionand more determined than ever. “It’s almost like… I’m not scared of anything,” ALBII says of how the experience changed her outlook. Every day feels like a gift now, and she’s hell-bent on making the most of it.

THE BEDROOM ANTHEM – “I GOT A CRUSH’

ALBII’s latest single “I Got A Crush” trades dark drama for bright, girly-pop fun. She didn’t stop there. ALBII quickly followed up with “Heart Attack,” leaning into a darker alt-pop drama, and then flipped the script with her newest release, “I Got A Crush.” Dropped at the tail end of this winter, I Got A Crush is an upbeat, sugar-rush track about falling head over heels… for a girl in a movie. In it, ALBII trades her earlier gothic-pop vibes for a “cheeky, high-energy”daydream anthem – complete with flirty lyrics, a shamelessly catchy hook, and just the right touch of “emotional chaos,”equal parts ridiculous and relatable. It’s the soundtrack to every delusional teenage fantasy of dating a movie star (no judgment, we’ve all been there). ALBII cites artists like Olivia Rodrigo, BENEE, and Billie Eilish among her influences, but her personality shines through in every track. Whether she’s turning trauma into a gut-punch ballad or goofing off in a pop-punk romp, the through-line is her authenticity. “All of it comes from the same place,” she explains. “It’s just expressed in different ways.” That realness – messy, dark, funny and fearless – is what draws her growing fan base into the world of ALBII.

Crucially, ALBII is doing all this as a proudly independent artist. With the help of a small local team (shout-out to Konnection Artist Assistance, her management/PR crew), she’s carving out her own space in the industry on her own terms. In fact, she ran her debut release campaign without a big label’s backing, showing that a DIY ethos can still make a splash. And the Gold Coast’s tight-knit music community has her back.

ALBII gushes about how supportive the local scene is – there’s always a gig to play, a friend to jam with, or a networking night to hit up. Unlike some music capitals, the Coast doesn’t pigeonhole its artists. Sure, indie rock might dominate the Aussie airwaves, but ALBII never felt pressured to fit someone else’s mold. “The Gold Coast just lets artists do their own thing and be themselves, and there’s a lot of support around that,” she says, crediting her hometown for inspiring her to stay true to her offbeat sound.

THE JOURNEY THAT GOT ALBII HERE..

Now, with three singles out, a “little community” of fans growing, and a head full of ideas, ALBII has her eyes firmly on the road ahead. She’s been back in her bedroom studio cooking up more music – including a raw, deeply personal track called “PTSD” slated for release later this year – and even dabbling in designing her own merch. A mini tour is on her bucket list (“someday, when the time is right,” she grins), but for now she’s content to keep honing her craft and enjoying the ride. “The joy for me comes from the process,” ALBII says, “and I’ve been loving it.”

We caught up with ALBII to talk about carving her own path, surviving the unimaginable, and why she’s racing into the future with no plans of slowing down. Buckle up – this conversation, much like ALBII’s music, is a wild and heartfelt ride.

Q&A WITH ALBII

Q: As an Australian independent musician, what have been the biggest challenges and rewards of carving out your own path in the industry?

A: Honestly being such a new artist still, I feel like one of the biggest challenges so far has been to just… exist. Trying to create my own space and work out where I fit in a sea of insane talent and different genres is HARD. I’m still figuring out how to balance building my career while prioritising my health, and it can feel pretty overwhelming at times. But it’s been SO rewarding – since February I’ve released my first three singles, played my first show, and met some cool people through my music. The joy for me comes from the process, and I’ve been loving it.

Q: You’ve been open about your battle with cancer and are now in remission. How has that journey shaped the way you approach life and music today?

A: My diagnosis re-shaped everything about me – it’s kinda crazy. I have a completely different mindset around life and what it means to ‘live’, and I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be making music if my life didn’t take that crazy turn. It sounds cringe, but after experiencing the trauma that I did and being forced to now face it every day as a survivor, it’s almost like… I’m not scared of anything, which used to be the main culprit holding me back from exploring music the way that I am now. Every day I wake up feeling thankful that I get to create, because tomorrow I might not have the same opportunity — and that’s where it all comes from.

Q: Do you feel that your experience has given you a unique perspective or voice as an artist that listeners connect to on a deeper level?

A: Oh, 100%. Truthfully I feel like I’m racing against the clock most of the time – that’s just cancer brain, I guess. But it’s given me this urgency that seeps into everything I do: the songs, the visuals and the way I grab at opportunities. I think people connect with that rawness, because it’s real and a little messy, but also kind of funny in its own way. I still laugh at how crazy my life is now, but I turn that chaos into music. Sometimes it comes out as fun, goofy tracks like Hold On (Psycho) or I Got a Crush, and other times it’s deeper stuff like Heart Attack or PTSD (my next single coming out in November, which is super personal to my health journey). All of it comes from the same place, it’s just expressed in different ways, and I think that mix is what people connect to.

Q: What advice would you give to other independent artists who may be facing personal struggles but still want to pursue their music dreams?

A: Use your pain as fuel. Health, heartbreak, stress, life chaos… whatever it is, dump it all into your music. You’ve got this weird superpower to turn your bad days into something good, and that’s pretty cool.

Q: The Gold Coast has such a vibrant local music scene. How has being based there influenced your sound and opportunities as an artist?

A: The local scene just rubs off on you – there’s always a gig or a networking event to hang out at, and being around other creatives and music-lovers really inspires me to make music that feels authentic. Like yeah, there’s a huge indie rock scene on the Gold Coast and in Australia, but I’ve never felt like I had to fit that mould. The Gold Coast just lets artists do their own thing and be themselves, and there’s a lot of support around that.

Q: Collaboration is such a big part of the indie music world. Are there any artists you’ve worked with or hope to work with in the near future?

A: I actually haven’t collaborated with anyone yet – it’s just been me in my bedroom, channelling those inner thoughts that sometimes feel like no one else would understand. I think that’s why I’ve always been a little hesitant to write with other people – there’s something very isolating about a cancer diagnosis, even in remission. But I have my first writing session with an artist next week and I’m SO excited. I feel like there’s always room for growth and working with others in a different setting is a valuable way to do that.

Q: Looking ahead, what’s your vision for the next chapter of your career — whether that’s new music, touring, or other creative projects?

A: I have a lot of new music in the works, which I’m excited about because I feel super in tune with my sound now. I’ve always had a fascination with clothing design, too, so I’ve also been investing a lot of time into designing merch – I’m not entirely convinced people will buy or wear it, but I’m loving the process.

I’d also LOVE to do some sort of mini tour when the time is right, sometime in the future – that’d be a bucket list moment for sure. But for now I’m focusing on processing a lot of weird emotions and experiences, and turning them into songs that I love (and I hope my little community will love, too).

Written by: Joel Devereux

Rate it