ORANGE ARTS NOW: INDIE-FOLK HANNAH’S RETURN TO CANOWINDRA

Hannah Sutherland -- prodigy's return

Indie-folk artist Hannah Sutherland will be returning to her music writing alma mater next week to highlight the end of season gathering of folk@canowindra

Hannah lived in Canowindra for three years, during which she “began writing songs in earnest,” says folk@canowindra’s brainchild, Nerida Cuddy, another noted singer-songwriter who’s been running the folk, poetry and acoustic music club at Taste Canowindra for the past two years.

Nerida, who also teaches music at the local primary school, describes the sessions, held on the first Sunday of every month, as “family friendly and open to anyone who likes or plays acoustic music.

“We get a lot of teenagers coming in who like to play their acoustic works for us.

“And we’re getting regionally popular, with people coming from Cowra, Orange, Forbes, Portland and Bathurst to enjoy our shows.”

Hannah Sutherland’s return to Canowindra – she now lives in Newcastle – coincides with the final work on her first studio EP, with the help and guidance of Mike McCarthy. She’s hoping to release the album early next year.

Says Nerida: “Her acoustic songs are a melodic meandering of introspection and the search for greater meaning and truth, with influences ranging from Sufjan Stevens to Bjork.” Some of the tracks from the EP can be enjoyed on her website, www.myspace.com/hanwenafen.

Nerida Cuddy -- "diverse and gutsy" themes

Nerida has three albums of her own, and you can view her profile and hear some of her songs at www.nerida.info.

“Her lyrics weave the fabric of human experience with the imagery of the earth, particularly the Australian bush,” a review says of her. “From the rich harvest of a country op-shop to protests against rampant materialism to the gut-wrenching starkness of grief, Nerida’s themes are diverse and gutsy.”

Folk@canowindra’s last hurrah for the year will be held at Taste Canowindra, Ferguson Street, at 4pm-6pm on Sunday November 27. Entry is free, with a optional donation for the feature act. For  enquiries ring Nerida on 0429 048 603.