Gabriella teamed up with some boys from another school in the Melbourne neighbourhood and practised in the drummer's garage. They played Jet covers, Led Zepplin and Kings Of Leon songs, but it was when she got up to sing at a local festival that things started to happen. "I sang Jumping Jack Flash at this Italian festa!"

Someone from Mushroom happened to be at the Italian bash and was very impressed indeed. Pretty soon she was signed to Island and landed herself with peerless eccentric pop collaborator Brian Higgins. At his idyllic studio in Kent, in a house where Alice Liddell- the real life Alice In Wonderland - lived, Gabriella wrote the songs for Lessons To Be Learned. Days were spent in the studio, as final touches were layered onto the single Sweet About Me –“from the start I was saying this track needs harmonica – and it’s there”.

So she doesn't regret the move? Doesn't think she should have stayed home and written that book her Nonno tried to convince her to write about his winemaking? "Err, no. My Nonno’s always forcing me to  drink his wine! 'It's good for you' he says. He won't drink anything else. But you know what? It tastes like nail polish remover." Nonno's loss is our gain. She's a star. You'll be gobsmacked.