Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster Montaigne
11 snips
May 6, 2026 Montaigne (Jessica Alyssa Cerro), ARIA-winning Australian musician and former Eurovision performer. They chat touring Australia for Glorious Heights' 10th anniversary and promoting the album It's Hard to Be a Fish. Conversation touches on Australian horror films, cultural isolation, museum reactions, and vivid album themes of ocean imagery, grief and queer metaphors.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Songwriting Began In A Coastal Breakup
- Montaigne described starting the album while living in Coogee by the sea and using seagull and water samples in production.
- After a breakup they moved out, leading to a lyrical reckoning about shipwrecks, drifting and choosing new shores.
Fish Metaphor Frames Queerness And Fluidity
- Montaigne uses the fish metaphor to discuss queerness and fluid gender/biology.
- They point to ocean life (e.g., seahorses where males bear young) to show identity isn't binary.
Order Sparkling Water For The Fine Dining Ritual
- Choose sparkling water at fine dining to get the full experience even if you don't prefer it.
- Montaigne treats sparkling as part of the ritual of higher-end meals, imagining an unmarked premium bottle.