Award-winning singer, songwriter, and Yamatji and Gumbaynggir woman Emma Donovan is one of the biggest voices in Australian music. She began her career at age seven performing church songs with legendary family band, The Donovans. Connection to family remains at the forefront of her music and she regularly sings in Gumbaynggirr and Noongar traditional languages sharing stories about Country and community.
Donovan was a founding member of vocal group Stiff Gins and has toured and recorded with artists and ensembles including Paul Kelly, Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, Paul Grabowsky, The Teskey Brothers, Black Arm Band and Spinifex Gum. In 2014, she began a successful collaboration with Melbourne soul and funk-inspired rhythm section, The Putbacks. As Emma Donovan & The Putbacks they have released three award-winning studio albums, Dawn (2014), Crossover (2020) and Under These Streets (2021) showcasing Donovan’s powerful song-writing and vocal abilities and The Putbacks raw musicality. Her solo children’s album, Follow The Sun was released in 2022.
In this interview Donovan reminisces about her experiences performing with her family at the Tamworth Music Festival, joining Black Arm Band, working with The Putbacks, and making music with the late Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter.
5 дек 2022
