NEWCASTLE'S Chain Daisy hope winning the Paul Woseen Memorial Music Grant will propel them towards releasing their debut EP by the end of the year.
On Wednesday the acoustic duo of Poppi Kent (vocals) and Josi Veneziano (guitar, vocals) were announced as the inaugural winners of the local music grant, created in honour of the late bassist and co-founder of The Screaming Jets.
Woseen died suddenly in Melbourne on September 15 last year aged 56.
Given Woseen's vital role in fostering the Newcastle music scene, in February the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) Newcastle Hunter collaborated with the City Of Newcastle to establish the Paul Woseen Memorial Music Grant.
The annual grant of $5000 also includes an opportunity to record an original single at Hunter TAFE's $2 million studio, promotional assistance, guaranteed airplay on Triple M and a spot on the line-up of the New Annual festival in September 27.
Chain Daisy only performed their first gig together at last October's West Best Bloc Fest, after the two third-year University of Newcastle music students met in 2022.
Kent hails from Sydney and Veneziano grew up in Coffs Harbour, but they said their acoustic brand of folk-pop has found a home in Newcastle's music scene.
"We just got along as friends and hung out before we started singing together and when we did, she had things I struggled with songwriting-wise and the other way around," Veneziano said.
"It fell into place quite easily. I've always found songwriting difficult on my own, but it was so quick and it flowed when we did it together."
Chain Daisy are yet to record and release a debut single, but they already have enough original material to record an EP.
"Being uni students, trying to work and gig, we're pretty strapped for money," Kent said. "This grant is going to really kick start everything and allow us to record and release and have this mentorship to figure out the right way to guide us.
"We're definitely ready, and this has given us that opportunity to take the step."
The surviving members of The Screaming Jets - Dave Gleeson, Jimi Hocking, Scott Kingman, Cam McGlinchey and new bassist Paul Elliott were part of the judging panel who sorted through 40 entries from Hunter-based acts.
Elliott said Chain Daisy's songwriting separated them from other entries.
"For me personally it came down to who I thought Paul [Woseen] would be drawn to work with and if their songwriting was similar to what Paulie would have created," Elliott said.
"Everyone came in from a different perspective, but for me it was all about the songwriting."
