To say Lyn Bowtell is excited about her upcoming gig with close friend Felicity Urquhart at Lizotte's is an understatement.
The Greta-based singer and songwriter is not ashamed to admit she's "counting down the days" until October 25.
"Fliss and I had quite a few more dates booked in originally but luckily we have kept our Lizotte's show," she said.
"She is going to be showing off a lot of the beautiful songs from her album Frozen Rabbit, which she won a swag of Golden Guitars for, and we'll be doing duets and sharing the stage the entire time.
"We'll just be enjoying each other's company on stage, singing harmonies, and we'll get a couple of muso mates up there with us to make us sound even better. It'll be a lot of fun."
Lizotte's at New Lambton has a reduced seating capacity due to COVID and tickets are already selling well, so don't wait too long to nab yours or you might miss out.
In the meantime, Bowtell has been "plodding along", she says, teaching singing online as well as discovering a love for co-writing songs online via Zoom.
"I'm also writing at home for a new record next year, with plans to record it in March with Shayne Nicholson producing again. Hopefully all my plans work out," she said, laughing.
"I'm glad I have been able to diversify.
"I'm very sad about Tamworth [country music festival] not going ahead, though. I've gone every year since I was 14, bar one, and I'm 43 now. But we'll survive this, we're musos and we've had to live on two-minute noodles and toast many times throughout our careers."
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Making a comeback
Live gigs are slowly trickling through, thanks to the likes of Lizotte's and The Cambridge Hotel. The Voice Australia 2020 winner Chris Sebastian will be performing at Lizotte's on October 10, having just released a stripped back acoustic duo version of his single Bed For 2.
Over at The Cambridge, Ash Grunwald has just announced an October 14 show. Maddy Jane will be there on November 28 and Northeast Party House on May 27, 2021. That's in addition to a line-up of artists already confirmed, including Cooks & Bakers (September 12); Jones The Cat (September 18); Rum Jungle (September 19); Holy Holy (October 18); Norma Jean (October 22); WAAX (November 6); Helmet (November 11); and Butterfingers (November 13).
The Mary Ellen at Merewether has just announced live gigs for the first time in months, too, and live music has returned to The Corner at Charlestown Square.
New single
Newcastle singer-songwriter Max Jackson has been keeping busy by releasing "reimagined" versions of favourite tracks from her debut album, Life of the Party, released in February.
"I think one thing that we all have in common right now is that this year has not been what we expected and has needed a little 'reimagining'," she said.
"I was supposed to be all around Australia with Gina Jeffreys on her Beautiful Tangle Tour into 2021 and with shows and touring coming to a screaming halt, I couldn't just sit and let a whole year slip by. After all, for me its about the connection. While I can't be out sharing music, shaking hands and meeting people, I can still be creative, sharing music and positive vibes into people's lives (and living rooms) through these upbeat, radio-style versions of the songs.
"I wish I could be helping to find a vaccine or helping people on the front line, but I know music has helped me through the hardest times, so I hope maybe one of my songs could do the same for someone else."
Jackson released single Bad Idea on August 21 with a video clip that is recognisably Newcastle.
"The story behind the song is when my partner, Jeremy, and I got together back in school, a bunch of girls told me that it was a bad idea but I secretly think one of them liked him too," she said, laughing.
"So stubborn me went ahead and to date, 11 years later, it's the best 'bad idea' I've ever had. Our first proper date was a picnic at King Edward Park and it's forever one of our favourite places, so we shot majority of the video there, driving around the beaches, and a little bit in Carrington where we live. The clip just got added to the CMT (Country Music Television) on Foxtel/Austar. Jeremy made the video too. He has a little photography and videography venture that he's started called Eyes and Ears Creative."
Read more: Carrington country singer a rising star
Young talent
Teenage Joans, from Adelaide's Gleeson College, have won triple j's Unearthed competition.
