Brisbane singer-songwriter Georgia Potter has taken out the inaugural Carol Lloyd Award, securing a $15,000 grant to produce and tour her next EP.
Presented as part of the official launch for the Queensland Music Festival, the newly-minted award pays homage to Carol Lloyd who is considered Australia's first frontwoman of rock for her work with 1970s band Railroad Gin.
“I'm absolutely thrilled,” Georgia says of her win, “and I'm a big Carol Lloyd fan so I feel very privileged to be the inaugural recipient of the award. Also my hopes were really high, so just when it comes to good news when you've got high hopes is the sweetest feeling.”
Georgia starting making musical waves as a solo artist with her single 'Reckless', which was released back in 2013 and attracted international attention via airplay on LA radio station KCRW. More recently, she's teamed up with a drummer and bassist to form the alt-pop trio Moreton.
“What I'm doing at the moment is a three-piece band called Moreton,” she explains. “It's named after Moreton Bay which is where I spent a bunch of time when I was a kid and I also really like the mood of those strange, kind-of-creepy, kind-of-beautiful sand islands in that whole region... we've got our first EP out, which came out at the end of last year.
“It's the first band I've fronted playing electric guitar, and I'm having a ball and trying to hone in on what it means to be the frontwoman of a band. It's very dark, moody music that highlights the meloncholia, but I hope it also highlights the beauty in that.”
With the prize money, Georgia says she intends to complete the EP Moreton are currently working on, with a view to take their music on the road for a tour.
Georgia was one of five artists shortlisted out of over 70 applications for the award. Queensland Music Festival Artistic Director and judge for the Carol Lloyd Award Katie Noonan spoke on behalf of the judging panel, citing Georgia's selection as a unanimous decision.
“Moreton's unique artistic vision and fresh voice made her an absolute stand-out application,” Katie says. “We feel she is on the cusp of a significant career and that this grant will help her realise her grand vision and contribute significantly to the Australian contemporary music vernacular.”
Entries for the Carol Lloyd Award re-open in 2018. Moreton's debut EP 'Specimen' is available now.
