Australian singer-songwriter and educator, CJ Shaw's newest single focuses on a classic Australiana story omitted from school books but not forgotten.
It's another honest folk yarn from CJ, his laconic Australian drawl the perfect vehicle to share the tale of Lennie Gwyther's extraordinary adventure.Back in 1932, Lennie (a nine-year-old boy from the bush) wanted to see the grand opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. So he took off on his horse, Ginger Mick, and began the 1,000km journey.
Along the way he faced floods and bushfires, even bandits; while Prime Minister Joseph Lyons was waiting and invited Lennie in for a cup of tea when he arrived in Canberra.
Lennie became a national hero, his voyage reported in the daily newspapers (he was even mentioned in the British press).
"In my time in the classroom, I've realised that kids listen to music that's unrelatable to their lives," CJ says. "Lil Nas X rapping about American gaols is a world away from their daily lives.
"I wrote this song for those students – celebrating a nine-year-old Aussie kid who did something remarkable and united the country.
"'Ain't Many Like Lennie' exposes my students to what is possible."
CJ has teamed with Canberra animation studio Eleanor Giovanni to create an adorable video clip for 'Ain't Many Like Lennie', which scenestr is thrilled to premiere today.
Eleanor Giovanni is comprised of animation artists Eleanor Evans and Giovanni Aguilar; they specialise in handcrafted stop-motion and 2D animated music videos. The 'Ain't Many Like Lennie' video has been accepted by the Munich Music Video Awards, which will be staged next month.
"The video clip is a joy to behold, the animators Eleanor and Giovanni not only capture the emotion behind Lennie's journey, but the video brims with life and colour," CJ shares.
