MADI COLVILLE-WALKER SHARES NEW SINGLE YINYARR MULANA WINYARR AS PART OF SINGING OUR FUTURES PROGRAM
Marking the third sublime single released in conjunction with the Singing Our Futures program, aka The Archie Roach Foundation’s mentoring experience helping emerging First Nations artists on their songwriting and recording journeys, the glistening new track Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr from Yorta Yorta artist Madi Colville-Walker is a warm and calming ode to home and country, and it comes off the back of Colville-Walker picking up the coveted Archie Roach Foundation Award at the NIMAs, alongside a performance of the single at the awards, accompanied by Allara Briggs-Pattison on double bass.
A gentle yet passionate outing, Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr, which translates as ‘Free Spirited Woman’, is coated with lush textures draped in bright acoustic guitar and Colville-Walker’s ethereal vocals. Mentored by Emily Wurramara, also one of the key initial inspirations behind the single, Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr also nods to fellow Blak artists, including Tiddas and Kutcha Edwards guiding the bright and visceral end result, as Colville-Walker explains, “When I sit and listen, I feel there is this strong wave of warmth and calmness that resonates back to me, it reminds me of the feeling I get when I spend time out on my country. At the time I was in the process of writing Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr, I was listening to lots of Blak artists, and many of these artists sing and tell stories in language. As a young artist and storyteller myself, hearing and recognising how powerful and sacred these songlines are gave me a huge influence in growing my knowledge for my language (Yorta Yorta). I wrote Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr about my connection to my Woka (Country), and how I feel when I come back home. Being in the music industry has allowed me to travel throughout Australia, I’m honoured I get to see so many beautiful places; but I can get homesick every now and again. When I arrive back on country, I feel as if a weight gets lifted off my shoulders, I don’t have to worry about anything, I can just be calm. It’s almost like my Ancestors are welcoming me home. The title of the song translates into ‘Free Spirit Woman’, this also is a name that many of my family and community have given me.”
Under Wurramara’s mentorship and produced by Colville-Walker and Candy Suite, Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr may be Colville-Walker’s first official single under the Singing Our Futures program; but it isn’t the first time she and Wurramara have crossed musical paths, with the pair meeting back in 2020. And it was a moment that would go on to spark Colville-Walker’s eventual involvement in the Singing Our Futures program, as Colville-Walker elaborates, “It was at the end of 2020, myself and a few other artists were approached by Uncle Archie’s Foundation along with Culture Is Life, it was the anniversary of Uncle’s Charcoal Lane Album. We had been asked to curate a song in response to Took The Children Away, and this was such a beautiful moment to be a part of. I was then approached by Candice Lorrae, and I was put in contact with my mentor Emily Wurramara, I was so excited to work with Em, I have always admired how she presents her songs. I have made so many amazing memories and gained so much knowledge during this journey with Singing Our Futures. It has allowed me to grow and become more confident as an artist and performer.”
Armed with a lifelong passion for music, Colville-Walker hails from an extremely musical family; although her own musical journey would not fully ignite with gusto until the age of 16. A shy and quiet teen, it would take Colville-Walker learning a handful of guitar chords from her mother to jubilantly open the floodgates, with the talented artist swiftly going on to play a festival in her hometown of Moama alongside the headline act, and one of Colville-Walker’s own pivotal musical inspirations, Archie Roach. Armed with her guitar and effortless stunning vocal prowess, Colville-Walker has only gone from strength to strength, attending the CMAA Junior Academy of Country Music in Tamworth, and named in 2018 as one of 15 emerging young artists at the inaugural MAV Songwriters’ Camp. And from her first ever official live performance to recently performing with her fellow Singing Our Futures peers, Colville-Walker’s passion and intrinsic ability for music continues to shine ever brightly, as she concludes, “When I was around sixteen years old, I asked my mum to show me a few guitar chords; since then, I haven’t stopped playing. This led me to a gig called Three Rivers Festival in my hometown. The headline act for this show was Uncle Archie Roach and all of my family was sitting front row. I can still remember how nervous I was before I stepped on the stage. In 2022, the Singing Our Futures Mob had the opportunity to perform at Port Fairy Folk Festival, and I had the privilege to be a part of Uncle’s Kitchen Table Yarns; a memory I will cherish forever. I remember we spoke about family and how music came so naturally to me, it must flow through my bloodstream. I am beyond excited to share my song Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr with the world. To have this opportunity to be a part of the inaugural Singing Our Futures Program, is an experience I will hold very close to my heart forever. I couldn’t be more grateful.”
A meaningful and culturally safe songwriting program that supports young First Nations artists to tell their story through songwriting, Singing Our Futures was devised pre-COVID and was one of the leading programs of the Archie Roach Foundation. Led by Candice Lorrae (The Merindas), an established singer-songwriter and music producer with Jawoyn and Torres Strait Islander roots, Singing Our Futures has evolved into an impactful and ever-growing initiative for emerging artists and storytelling that spans genres and generations.
Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr is out today, Wednesday August 23.
The Singing Our Futures EP will be released later this year.
GRETTA ZILLER SHARES NEW SINGLE ST LOUIS NEW ALBUM ALL THESE WALLS DUE OUT FRIDAY AUGUST 25 – PRESAVE NOW
Draped in sunny melodics and buoyant brassy hues, the brand new single St Louis from the Golden Guitar-nominated Melbourne powerhouse Gretta Ziller is a grooving, moving wonderland of rock, pop, Americana and blues. Marking a sparkling peek into Ziller’s upcoming third album, All These Walls due out Friday August 25, St Louis will also be witnessed live in action imminently, with Ziller hitting the road extensively throughout August, September and November.
An exuberant celebration of soul-tinged goodness complete with glowing production and affable melodics, St Louis also showcases a formidable array of guest musicians lending Hammond organ and keys, saxophones, trumpet, pedal steel guitars and backing vocals alongside Ziller’s commanding yet sumptuous vocal delivery throughout. A song many years in the making, St Louis also embraces and pays homage to Ziller’s own creative history, as she explains, “St. Louis the song had been on my mind and in my heart to write for a number of years. I had written a few versions of this song before a song club prompt gave me the excuse to finally finish the version we recorded. The song expresses my gratitude to all the songs, and the writers of those songs, that shaped my musical influences. In particular, the first song I performed for an audience; St. Louis Blues written by W.C Handy.”
A passionate storyteller and songwriter, Gretta Ziller not only teamed up with an army of fellow musicians on St Louis; she also amassed multiple talents alongside her own to bring All These Walls to life, while also working alongside producers Paul Ruske, who has worked with the likes of Kyle Lionheart and Skyscraper Stan, and Rob Muinõs, whose previous work spans Didirri, Little May, Dorsal Fins and more. Stylistically inspired by a potent array of influences, including Bishop Briggs, Rag n Bone Man, Tom Petty, Foy Vance, Alabama Shakes and HAIM, All These Walls follows in the footsteps of Ziller’s earlier works, including 2021’s Judas Tree and 2017’s Queen of Boomtown, while firmly showcasing joyful creative evolution alongside a significantly thriving core message summed up by Ziller herself: “The main themes on All These Walls are love, self believe and self-worth …with a hint of self-doubt cause we can’t be too cheery!”
Case in point, All These Walls opens in silken fashion via Cross My Fingers, morphing into a sharp ode to facing one’s demons complete with modern gloss and hints of twanging charm, before sliding into maudlin beauty on the wistful and winsome Dear Damascus. Effortlessly flitting between gossamer restraint and powerful glee, Ziller’s mesmerising vocals thrive throughout the album’s journey, from jaunty, bold tracks coated in brass (Ain’t Even Your Lover), to heart-rending country ballads (Whole) and anthemic stompers brimming with positivity (Bones). In between moments of mellowed beauty (Golden Days, Who Knows) and lush modern production, witnessed in spades on the album’s very title track, Ziller’s capacity to concoct authentic narratives alongside glistening guitars, warm melodics and an unmistakable alt-country flavour shines loudly and proudly, effortlessly baring her soul with self-awareness and captivating compositions – and, ultimately, an unmistakable love for her craft.
A critically acclaimed, classically trained artist, Ziller’s career to date has seen her accrue two Golden Guitar nominations, with her single 5,4,3,2,1also currently sitting just shy of 500K individual streams on Spotify alone. Destined for a life in the creative arts, Ziller was able to whistle before she could talk, hailing as the token musician in a family of farmers and going on to take up the violin when she was just 2 years old. Picking up other instruments along the way, including the bagpipes, Ziller went on to complete a Bachelor of Music at Melbourne University, majoring in voice and starting her musical career as an opera singer and teaching the notoriously complex art that is the bagpipes.
Over the years, Ziller’s potent talents have garnered resounding praise with each new release, including two full length albums, an acoustic album and her debut EP which released back in 2014. Armed with a sharp self-awareness alongside her irresistible blend of modern Americana, blues and beyond, 2020 saw Ziller support Australian legends Ian Moss and Troy Cassar-Daley for their 2020 Together Alone tour, a tour which remains one of her career highlights to date. But the talented Melbourne artist also continues to burgeon her own individual fanbase alongside her trademark sound, with the release of All These Walls set to stun both on and off the stage, as Ziller concludes, “Most of my upcoming live shows are acoustic solo, so in those shows you’ll get to know me and the stories around my songs. In these shows I want to let people in, I want them to get to know me and walk away with joy in their hearts. If you’re seeing a band show of mine, which I rarely get to do, we like to make them big and rocking and full on …we want you to feel the joy and love for what we do oozing off the stage & infecting you!”
St Louis is out today, Wednesday July 19.
All These Walls is due out Friday August 25 via ABC Music and is available to pre-save now.
GRETTA ZILLER – UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
Tickets available from www.grettaziller.com
FRI 4 AUG | THE OLD PRESBYTERIAN CHRUCH, SPRINGWOOD NSW
SAT 5 AUG | HUMPH HALL, ALLAMBIE HEIGHTS NSW
SAT 12 AUG | STAR HOTEL, YACKANDANDAH VIC
SUN 13 AUG | HYDRANT FOOD HALL, BALLARAT VIC
SAT 19 AUG | SMITHS ALTERNATIVE, CANBERRA ACT
SUN 20 AUG | THE CURIOUS RABBIT, WAGGA WAGGA NSW
FRI 25 AUG | THE NOOJEE HOTEL, NOOJEE VIC
SAT 26 AUG | GEORGE LANE, ST KILDA VIC
SUN 27 AUG | BAYVIEW COUNTRY ARTS CLUB, BITTERN VIC
TUES 19 SEPT – SAT 23 SEPT | AMERICANA FEST, NASHVILLE TN
FRI 29 SEPT | DENI UTE MUSTER, DENELIQUIN NSW
THU 16 NOV | QIRKS, KURRI KURRI NSW
FRI 17 NOV | WINGHAM HOUSE, WINGHAM NSW
SUN 19 NOV | CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET, BRISBANE QLD
FRI 1 DEC | THE PALAIS, HEPBURN SPRINGS VIC
THE ELSEWHERES ANNOUNCE DEBUT EP ‘RUN AWAY WITH ME’ – OUT AUGUST 3 + SHARE ANIMATED VIDEO FOR NEW SINGLE, ‘TAKE MY HAND’
Melbourne technicolour folk-rock collective The Elsewheres are on the verge of greatness, with feelings of catharsis, pride, and joy accompanying the release of their newest single Take My Hand. The second taste of their debut EP, Run Away With Me (set for release on August 3), Take My Hand is the raw, twangy sound of the Victorian octet reckoning with elements of anxiety, depression, and defeat, and the importance of the titular helping hand that can set one upon the right path.
With musical nods to icons such as Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel, recording and mixing assistance from Lee and Michael Bradshaw(Bradshaw Productions) respectively, and mastering by Jeremy Chua, lead singer and songwriter Oliver Northam explains that Take My Hand is the story of a saving, nurturing love during a deep depression.
As Oliver explains, “Amidst an interminable depression during lockdown, there was a morning when every little thing went wrong and my mind collapsed inward with doubt, fear and complete hopelessness. In a bid to snap me out of it, my beautiful partner at the time suggested we take the greyhound for a walk. I recall kicking a stone along the footpath utterly despondent. As we came up to the crossing, she lent down trying to teach the dog to sit. I saw a white bus approaching around the bend and kept moving forward. As I put one foot onto the road, she took my hand and pulled me back. I don’t think she ever knew. Take My Hand is my thank you to her. The bridge says everything; ‘I might not be here now, if it weren’t for you’. I sincerely hope it might be some semblance of hope for the lost soul who finds themself defeated by anxiety and depression. It is for that reason that I feel so much pride and joy at releasing it. However, there are so many friends and family who have no idea how these lyrics could have come through me because I’ve never let on just how far I fell, so I fear what they might say.”
Alongside the release of Take My Hand, The Elsewheres also share the official video for the track, which utilises the animation talents of Jasper Turpie and Yee Hui to contextualise the lyrics. Through a visceral animation style, a stark use of colour, and the appearance of The Elsewheres as a swampy bar band, the creation is one which adds another element of honesty and power to a song that already hits close to the heart.
As Oliver explains, “It was during Ned’s (electric guitar) recording session that a vision for the video struck me. Lee and I had been using ‘swampy’ as the predominant adjective to elicit the feel we wanted out of the band and I began to see myself floating down a swampy river on an air boat singing the song. I saw myself coming to an old tavern with caricatures of The Elsewheres playing inside (much like the animated videos from Gorillaz). I knew we’d never be able to film it, so I reached out to my dear friend Jasper Turpie who is an incredible animator. We fleshed out the storyboard over a few pints and after some months slaving away he produced my vision wonderfully. It was quite a miraculous moment. Unfortunately, Jasper was suddenly unable to continue working on it and luckily Yee Hui Wong came to the rescue, bringing her own flavour to Jasper’s style. What they created is a masterpiece!”
Take My Hand will join The Elsewheres’ recent single, the EP title track, Run Away With Me, on their forthcoming EP Run Away With Me when it arrives on August 3. A five-track collection of songs that address love and romance in different forms, it’s a tender yet forceful, reflective yet progressive release which encapsulates the heartfelt sound that The Elsewheres display, albeit with their own unique flavour of cheekiness throughout. While songs such as Long Long Way, If Your Love Was Still Mine, and Take My Hand ruminate on deeper, more serious forms of romance and love, the likes of Hurricane speak to joviality and wholesomeness, while Run Away With Me is a head-on, all-in celebration of reckless love.
Though Run Away With Me will serve as The Elsewheres’ debut EP, it’s been a long time coming for the group and its founder, Oliver Northam. Penning the initial version of Run Away With Me while at high school in 2010, recording of the EP began in earnest during the heady days of lockdown. With Run Away With Me being finalised at university alongside the formation of The Elsewheres (and winning the approval of Oh Mercy’s Alex Gow), the Push Songwriting Competition gave Oliver the chance to work with Alice Skye to refine Long Long Way and If Your Love Was Still Mine, and the Box Hill Music Industry Mentoring Edge program provided Oliver with guidance from Liz Stringer. The result is a collection of work far more accomplished than most debut EPs, and one that tugs on the heartstrings more than expected due to a masterful command of songwriting.
As Oliver explains, “My songwriting has shifted a lot over the years and the EP marks that change well. I moved from songs with really morose stories of regret, to songs that begin bleakly and culminate in a happy ending. Now I really want to write uplifting tracks, partly for my own mental health and partly because I think writing a truly happy song that is uplifting without being tacky is one of the greatest challenges. I love a challenge.”
In addition to the release of their new single and forthcoming EP, The Elsewheres will celebrate their myriad accomplishments with a special launch show at Melbourne’s John Curtin Hotel on August 10. A special opportunity to witness what makes The Elsewheres one of the most compelling groups in Australia, it will be a celebration of music, life, love, and – one of their most important elements – fun. Urges Oliver, “Come for a boogie, a laugh, and perhaps a tear or two. There will be a display of local visual art exhibited around the venue as well as special guests Fairtrade Narcoticsopening up the night!”
Take My Hand is out today, Friday July 7. Run Away With Me is out, Thursday August 3.
Tickets to the single launch show are on sale now from Oztix
THUR 10 AUGUST | JOHN CURTIN HOTEL, MELBOURNE VIC | 18+
Tickets available from https://tickets.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/fd1e847a-ec5d-4833-8798-f60f0bed0c58
STREAM: TAKE MY HAND
STREAM: RUN AWAY WITH ME EP