Dream State is not only a Sunday morning sonic blanket, it’s a dedicated search, elevating the voices of emerging queer, female and non-binary musicians from across this city and beyond. Jasmin Williams‘ carefully curated musical selections are an essential listen and the program is a spotlight on a vital musical community, regularly featuring deep dive interviews, live-in-studio performances, gig guides and much more. Beyond the airwaves, Dream State has recently hosted bespoke music events at the Metro Social and the Petersham Bowling Club. Before she takes a well-earned month off presenting, we caught up with Jasmin to ask some quick-fire questions.

Jasmin, can you tell us a bit about Dream State and what the show is all about, musically and aesthetically?

Dream State is a specialist music show that airs every Sunday from 8-10am, and plays exclusively queer, female and gender diverse artists. Since the show is so early in the morning, I like to start it slow, and as of recently with a longer instrumental/ambient track. It is generally a folk/indie adjacent show, but is definitely not restricted to genre. Across the two hours, the show’s pace picks up and becomes more energetic and upbeat across the two hours, before ending on a ‘closing dance track’. It’s a laid back and calm space where I share some of my favourite music for this week, a look at some upcoming gigs, and my genuine gushing about these incredible artists. It’s one of my favourite things in the world, and the opportunity to interact and learn more about the Australian music scene is something I don’t take for granted in the slightest.

Dream State has been on-air on 2SER since August 2023, and you regularly invite artists on for conversation about their music and craft. Do you have any highlights that really stand out for you so far?

I’ve had such a beautiful privilege of interviewing plenty of artists since my show first began in 2023. From up-and-coming Sydneysiders, to internationally renowned artists, I genuinely couldn’t pick a favourite. I leave each of these conversations knowing more about the music I love, and the gorgeous people behind it.

A recent highlight for me has been the implementation of the ’Live at 2SER’ recordings I’ve been doing when bands are live in the studio. It’s been a new challenge sonically. I’ve really enjoyed learning how to pull off, and it’s ranged from just an acoustic guitar, a double bass, several singers, a saxaphone and even a melodica. This stripped back format has become a fast favourite of mine, and is often such a lovely and grounding way to end a conversation with someone.

You can find all of the previous ‘Live at 2SER’ recordings via my Soundcloud , or on the 2SER website.

Who are the bands and solo artists locally that you see as really moving the needle with their music?

I have said it once and I’ll say it AGAIN, there is so much incredible music right here in Sydney I cannot get enough of. There’s artists I’ve followed for years, and some I’ve only just recently gotten across. These are just a FEW of my favourites at the moment, even though this list could go ON and ON and ON.

Any buckletlist artists you’d like to interview (who you haven’t already)?

There’s a few artists that really helped spawn my deep and genuine love for women in music, and remind me over and over just how special music can be. I’ve already had my fair share of bucket list chats throughout my career, with a variety of artists that I adore — Similarly to above, this isn’t an exhaustive list, this is just who came to mind today.

First up, literally any of the boygenius members — something in my brain shifted when I heard boygenius for the first time. A deep resonance you don’t find often. I think talking to Phoebe Bridgers, Julian Baker & Lucy Dacus would be an incredible experience. Although I am well aware they’re not the first people to ever do it, when I was sixteen or seventeen they were one of the first openly queer groups I truly resonated with and was aware of, both through their work as a group but also in their individual solo work. Fun fact: the show is actually named after a track called ‘Dream State…’ from Lucy Dacus’ 2016 album, No Burden. So that would be a particularly special chat.

One of my first ever (and still currently) favourite bands is Paramore. So Hayley Williams particularly is a huge bucket list artist for me. Additionally Adrianne Lenker and Big Thief were a huge part of my life when I first started in radio, and have been a band that I have cherished for years. They have a creative process I really admire, and a brain I’d love to pick for a while. Amy Taylor is also someone I adore, and would love to chat to about ANYTHING she’d be willing to discuss with me.

You’ve recently curated some great live events under the Dream State name (at Petersham Bowling Club and The Metro) with various Eora/Sydney artists, what’s the magic combination to make a great night of music?

When curating events, I’m always mindful of the vibe (for lack of a better word) that I’m attempting to curate. I ensure that I always feature artists I am truly obsessed with and excited about, and that it’d be a gig I’d be excited to go to.

When curating the Dream State Party, I wanted more of that ‘party’ energy. So I decided to structure the show similarly to that of a typical Dream State episode. I started off on the softer side before amping up into a DJ/Hyperpop set by the end of the night. But for the Metro A.I.R takeover, I attempted to keep the energy pretty consistent with some incredible Sydney artists in the indie folk scene. I think they were both very different gigs, but so fun and enjoyable in their own respects.

What do you listen for in the music you play, and guests you invite onto the show?

When listening to new music, I like to look for things that excite me. These are unique things like the way a song is composed, interesting lyrics and an identifiable sound. I listen to a LOT of music, so whenever I hear something just that little bit different to everyone else, it’s always a super exciting experience. I can’t even put my finger on it to be honest, but all of my favourite artists all have things they’re doing in their own exciting way.

Dream State airs on 2SER 107.3 every Sunday morning at 8am.