Folk Redlands will host a workshop and performance by three emerging female singer-songwriters sharing their inspirations and insights into the craft of songwriting at Indigiscapes on Sunday, August 7.
Kim Banffy, Ann Leung and Jodi Murtha came together during a group collaboration exercise at Mount Tamborine’s Winterbreak Music Retreat in June. The pooling of their skills revealed a beautiful vocal blend and delicate guitar and bass combinations. Spurred by the synergy, Banffy, Leung and Murtha have joined forces to explore where they can take their music in a trio format.
Kim Banffy from Northern New South Wales, has a lifelong background in the creative arts as a visual artist, writer, and according to her mother, has been singing “before she could talk”.
“There was a period of about 20 years (the Dark Age) after I left school, where I didn’t sing. I tried to be what everyone else expected of me, and became quite miserable,” Banffy said.
After a career in teaching, Banffy has returned to her first love, collaborating with ARIA nominated producer/engineer, Anthony Lycenko to release her debut album, State Of Bliss in 2014. Banffy has toured New South Wales and southern Queensland, garnering airplay on community and ABC local radio.
Malaysian born Chinese, Ann Leung landed in Brisbane in the late 60’s. Overwhelmed and bewildered by a new country full of “strange, fair skinned kids”, Leung stopped speaking except to family members. She recalls developing a deep aversion to singing at kindergarten,
“I felt stupid being the only kid who didn’t know Three Blind Mice,” she said.
Since accidentally writing her first song in 2010, the necessary progression of learning to sing has led her on a rollercoaster of experiences including performing live on ABC’s Exhumed TV series with Diddly Squat band, and working with award winning musician Michael Fix to release her debut album, dreams of a wildgoose.
Jodi Murtha has been making music from an early age. Since dabbling on the family Hammond organ when she was two, she has explored many instruments including violin, keyboard, bass and guitar. Raised in northern Queensland, Murtha joined her first band as an Arts student in the 90’s and followed her band mates to Brisbane.
After more than 20 years performing regularly in pubs, clubs and festivals as a multi-instrumentalist and singer, and with a Master’s Degree in Digital Design under her belt, Murtha has returned to her songwriting roots to release her debut EP Contents Unknown.
Folk Redlands presents the trio in a free songwriting workshop and concert at Indigiscapes, 17 Runnymede Road, Capalaba from 1pm to 4pm. Entry is free. More on www.folkredlands.org
