With Ruth O’Brien

Hey loves, nice to be back here with you once again for another injection of hot local events, music and arts news from around the capital. Let’s jump into it!

If you’re keen for some catchy new tunes by some of Canberra’s best music artists, there’s a whole lot of tracks you need to wrap your ears around.

Lucy Sugerman has just released a new single, golden boy, delivering sassy truth-bombs such as “an asshole’s still an asshole when it’s bleached”. I mean, quite right! This is the third single of Lucy’s that she’s put out in as many months ahead of the release of her upcoming debut EP. 

Bec Taylor has also put out a new track called Off The Edge with her band The Lyre Birds. Bec describes the track as being about, “jumping into something you’re terrified of. It’s got a cute Kate Nash-style verse mixed with an ’80s maximalist chorus reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen. Why have one harmony when you can have five? Exactly.”

You can find both Lucy’s and Bec’s songs on both Spotify and Apple Music.

While we’re on the theme of women in music, APRA AMCOS has recently announced this year’s Women in Music Mentorships. For 2021, the scope of mentoring opportunities has expanded and invites music creators from a range of genres, backgrounds and career stages to apply. Applications close 7 May. For more info, head to apraamcos.com.au

Still in the world of music, the ACT Government recently announced the Amp It Up! Fund. This initiative has been developed to assist small to medium live music venues to recover after the impacts of COVID-19 by offsetting the costs associated with programming and promotion and to provide opportunities for musicians and other performance artists to pursue performance outcomes in the ACT.

Applications for the Amp It Up! Fund open at 9am on Monday, 3 May 2021 and close on Monday 17 May 2021. To find out more, head to act.gov.au/business/business-support

An interesting collaboration that’s been happening of late between Belconnen Arts Centre and the Canberra Symphony Orchestra is Visualising Harmony. Facilitated by world-class violinist Bindi McFarlane, players of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra will mentor five artists with disability, and together create and perform original music inspired by colourful artworks. The performance of the work will happen on Friday, 21 May. To book and to find out more, head to cso.org.au/event/visualising-harmony/

If you’re keen to get along to an art exhibition, Strathnairn Arts is hosting Luminosity from 6-30 May. Presented by the Belconnen Artists Network (BeAN) – a diverse, enthusiastic and skilled group of 10 artists based in the Belconnen region – Luminosity, the interplay of light and shadow, is an analogy of what life is about. This exhibition will express ‘luminosity’ through a myriad of interpretations revealing how we are inspired by nature and the human experience. For more got to strathnairn.com.au

As many of you are well aware, Smith’s Alternative hosts a smorgasbord of gigs and events each week. One of these I’d like to draw some attention to is the next Physics in The Pub event happening on Tuesday, 18 May. Local physicists will share their research, from info about the smallest quantum particle up to the biggest questions about the universe. So ease into your Tuesday with a refreshing bev and nice side of science to go with it, coz why not? For more info for this and other events at Smith’s, go to smithsalternative.com

On Saturday, 29 May, Live at the Polo will be celebrating 10 years of local gigs! Starting at 1:30pm, the afternoon/evening will feature a whole host of popular local (or previously local) acts including Sesame Girl, Kim Yang, Endrey, Signs & Symbols, Betty Alto, Julia Johnson, Slagatha Christie + many more! The all-day early bird ticket is $35 which is a total steal for such a variety of quality live music! For more info and to book head to facebook.com/thepololive

Finally, if you wanna come meet some locals working in music in Canberra, come along to the 1-Year Anniversary of UPBEAT on Thursday, 20 May! Details are still being finalised but the night will go from 7-9pm and will feature live music, the opportunity to chat and network with other music professionals, and also to hear from some of Canberra’s most prominent movers and shakers in the music scene. Tickets are FREE but limited! Head to events.humanitix.com/upbeat-1-year-anniversary to reserve yours.

And don’t forget to subscribe to UPBEAT, Canberra’s music industry newsletter, full of grants, opportunities and jobs, sent out every second Wednesday. Head to upbeatcbr.com for more info!

That’s it from me! Have a great month, chat soon, byeeeeeee!

Ruth O’Brien

Singer | Songwriter | Writer | Lover of all things artsy and creative

email: ruth@bmamag.com