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Now approaching its fifth year, the annual Australian Music Week will return to the sunny shores of Cronulla this November (6th-10th), with 150+ acts and a horde of industry heavyweights poised to celebrate and dissect the Aussie music industry.
Boasting a five-day programme of live showcases, panels and masterclass workshops, Australian Music Week comes armed as a non-genre specific music event for music lovers and tastemakers alike, with this year's event also featuring a keynote from American music industry legend, podcast and author Bob Lefsetz who boasts followers including Steven Tyler, Drake and Deadmau5 as well as a passionate take on the music industry's state of play and current issues.
With over 150 acts from every corner of the musical realm lined up to take over Cronulla's local venues, there's something for everyone at this year's event. And in the lead-up to AMW kicking off, The Soundcheck will be featuring a little "getting to know you" feature with some of the incredible bands ready to rock and/or roll for the 2019 edition. First up, we're chatting with frontwoman Georgia Delves from Melbourne country act Georgia State Line talking Aussie music, goals and a secret or two...
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO APPLY TO SHOWCASE AT AUSTRALIAN MUSIC WEEK? AND HOW KEEN ARE YOU TO JUMP ONSTAGE FOR THE SHOWCASES?
GEORGIA DELVES: The band and I are keen as beans to jump on stage. I think Aus Music Week captivates all genres of emerging Australian music, so seemed like a great thing to be a part of. As we are mainly a country band, often there doesn’t seem to be too many Australian based events like this.
TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT YOU/YOUR BAND – WHAT’S THE “TOO LONG, DIDN’T READ” VERSION OF HOW YOU STARTED PLAYING MUSIC?
GEORGIA: I moved to Melbourne about 5 years ago from Bendigo in regional Vic. Met my wonderful band members, Patrick Wilson, Tom Brooks and Laura Baxter and play country music under the guise of Georgia State Line.
FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHY ARE EVENTS LIKE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC WEEK SO IMPORTANT TO THE AUSSIE MUSIC INDUSTRY?
GEORGIA: I think it’s a great opportunity for industry to get to know who and what is emerging right now. There are so many great Australian artists making music at the moment and Aus Music Week is just one of the places you know you can find them.
AND WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL FOR YOUR BAND/YOURSELF IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY? AND DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERE ARE ENOUGH OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT DREAM?
GEORGIA: My ultimate goal is to be able to write and play more music alongside my beautiful band to more people that seek to connect to it. Yes, and no. I think Aus Music Week is just the start of something that should be more readily available to artists. Events like this does make us feel plugged into a wider community, and I think that can be so powerful on the days that you feel like you aren’t getting anywhere. But I think there should be more paid opportunities for artists at industry events, which in turn will encourage more diversity and a better working environment for all musicians to be a part of.
WILL YOU BE HITTING UP SOME OF THE CONFERENCES THIS YEAR AT AMW? WHICH ONE/ONES ARE YOU MOST KEEN FOR?
GEORGIA: Unfortunately won’t be making it along to the conference this year as our showcase falls in the midst of a tour for us. But last time I attended I had a great time soaking up the knowledge of festival bookers. This was one of the highlights, and it’s invaluable to be a fly on the wall and take it all in.
WHO IS YOUR CURRENT FAVOURITE AUSTRALIAN BAND/ARTIST?
GEORGIA: I am loving Sampa The Great at the moment. They just released an amazing album and I am dying to get along to a show.
AND FINALLY – WHAT’S ONE LITTLE KNOWN FACT ABOUT YOU OR YOUR BAND THAT YOU’RE WILLING TO SHARE WITH US TODAY?
GEORGIA: Hmmm… I have a way of oversharing. However, some may not know I come from a classical background- voice and violin!
GEORGIA STATE LINE WILL BE SHOWCASING AT THIS YEAR'S AUSTRALIAN MUSIC WEEK, MORE INFO BELOW:
GEORGIA STATE LINE - AUSTRALIAN MUSIC WEEK SHOWCASE
FRIDAY NOV 8 at Croydon Lane w/ Sam Shinazzi, Katie Brianna, Peta Caswell & The Lost Cause, Ben Leece & Left of the Dial, Lachlan Bryan & The Wildes and JD and The Hunger Men
FROM DOWN HERE (GEORGIA STATE LINE)
FOR MORE GEORGIA STATE LINE INFO HEAD HERE,
AND FOR ALL THINGS AUSTRALIAN MUSIC WEEK, HEAD HERE.
BY TIANA SPETER
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