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Wrapping up 2024 ...

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Hi All ...  It's 2025 tomorrow and I thought a catch-up would be nice. 2024 has been so busy with so many things.  I'm still working full time. Thank goodness.  I've been playing live consistently right through the year. I've done a couple of full shows and an online show.  I've written more songs - probably about 20, and I've released a few songs through 2024. There's been radio play, standard streaming and social media stuff.  I'm still focussed on the songs rather than the promotional aspects. Looking back I can see how much I have grown as an artist and a songwriter. My production skills have stagnated but I have a producer in the US, Taylor, who has been helping me out in this regard.  Looking forward into 2025, I am encouraged. I have a song release on 2 January and another in the pipeline. Both have been produced by Taylor and will be released on the Music for World Peace Label under contract.  I have another dozen or more songs I want to relea...
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Surprise!

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I was road-tripping all of September and most of October.  11,561 kilometres in 56 days.  Eight weeks of awesome!   There were many, many highlights but when I checked my emails at Mount Surprise, I'd received three from the Australian Songwriting Association - and each of those indicated I had been shortlisted in a category of the current Songwriting Competition!  The categories were specified but not the songs.  However, I know my songs as I only entered three:- Got No Place To Go (Folk) She Calls Me Back (Ballad) You Draw Blood (Rock/Indie) The next stage of judging is to choose the Top 30 Finalists, and these will be published on the ASA website before the end of October. The Top 10 Finalists are to be announced at the National Songwriting Awards, which will be held in Sydney on Thursday 28 November.
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Places to go!

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July has been very busy. I released two songs.  One was a rewrite of "She Calls Me Back" (previously titled "The Mountain"). The other was one that needed serious remix/mastering, which is now titled "Got No Place To Go".  (It was previously "No Place to Go").  I am very happy with both results. It's so liberating when you see clearly that you don’t need to follow the industry conventions. As an independent artist I'm not bound by any recording company regulations. Along with those two releases, I continued participating in the "I heart Songwriting Club" and I'm writing furiously again. On top of that I've had a week of birthday celebration with various trips to enhance those celebrations.  I’m still following on with my live performances. Still focussing on my local Banshees and I also did some songs at The Junk Bar.  I'm looking forward to an extended holiday through September and October so August preparations wi...
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Showing up!

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My latest release, "The Greater Prize - An Australian Olympic Story", came out on 19 June.  It's up on Spotify and all the usual platforms.   I've already played it live a few times.  Twice at Banshee's this month - at the Open Mic on the eve of it's release and then again on 22 June, when I stepped up to fill a spot after another artist was unable to perform.  I got the last slot and played 13 songs to an appreciative audience.  Made some new friends.  Great night! Mudgeeraba Show goers also heard the new song and some other favourites, cos I played a short session there over the weekend.  Have a listen to "The Greater Prize ..."  
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Up and running ...

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I started the month with an Open Mic performance at Banshee's - and did another one around the 15th.  It was fun playing with Logan, the local drummer.  I'm sure there'll be other collaborations. After a three-year break, I re-enrolled in the online "I Heart Songwriting Club" and I’ve already written a few songs.   My previous enrolment yielded so many songs and I'm looking forward to crafting more this time around.   I've released two songs already this year and am preparing to release a third in June.  It's about Peter Norman, so fits well with the upcoming Olympics.  I'll post a link when it's up and running.  Hah!
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Making connections ...

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Lots of good stuff happening behind the scenes.  Banshees hosted two Music Industry Development sessions, facilitated by our local Council in conjunction with QMusic.  I was on night-shift for both of those but Rebecca went along in March and again in April.  She enjoyed all the presentations, took notes to share with me - and chatted to a few local artists.  (I've since joined QMusic, though was already on their mailing list as I attended one of their songwriting events last year). Quite a lot went on in April!  We both went to the APRA/AMCOS "Made by Music" event, held at The Triffid on a Saturday morning (with beautiful brunch catering).  I've been to a few of these but it was a first for Rebecca.  There was some excellent info presented, so we had lots to talk about afterwards - and some things to follow up on.   Our local library put on a Rhyme, Rhythm and Reason session, "a celebration of spoken word, songwriting and lyricism".  Th...
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Money Talks ...

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February was busy!  "Money Talks" released on the 4th -  though had already played on 4ZZZ as a pre-release in late January.   "How Much You Mean to Me" (a 2021 release) was again included on Valentines playlists.  That song has been included on more playlists than any other of my others. It's also had the most exposure world-wide, particularly through the USA.  I entered two songs into the 2023 Needle in the Hay vinyl competition.  It was hard to choose but I went with "Breathe, Miss Sunshine" (which was a Top 30 finalist in the 2020 Australian Songwriting Competition) and one that I play regularly.   "You Draw Blood" was my other entry.  It's a very recent release, which I've performed regularly in open mics around Brisbane.  Every performance has created strong positive reactions from all sorts of crowds - and it's been getting some airplay, too.   Let's see what happens!
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