The past couple of years have been slow for so many musicians, but beloved Australian singer-songwriter Sara Storer has been quietly productive behind the scenes.
The multiple Golden Guitar-winner has been spending the time putting together a wealth of new material before her appearance at Groundwater Country Music Festival (Gold Coast)."I released my new album ['Raindance'] the year before COVID hit and managed to get a lot of my touring out of the way and get the album out there," Sara says.
"Then we moved to Darwin early in 2020 and that was the start of COVID, and of all places to have moved to, the Territory is pretty damn good when it comes to lockdowns and everything else.
"While the music industry shut down and there wasn't much work at all in 2020; but for me, it was just good timing for me. So, I've been writing, and I've got enough for a new album.
"My focus will be on that for next year; to get in and record somewhere and get the new album out."
The story of the 48-year-old Victorian's 7 albums follows the former teacher's eventful life, and her next release is progressing steadily. "Every album is a diary of where I am, how I'm feeling, and what's going on in my life," she says.
"For this [upcoming] album, I moved back to the Territory, and we leased a little place out at Adelaide River, about an hour away from Darwin.
"We had a beautiful little cabin there and I did some songwriting out there. So, there are songs about being back in Darwin and what that brings to me personally.
"Also, just little stories I've heard along the way over the past couple of years. If I hear a story I'll write it down, and that gives me a number of songs.
"I can write them, sing them, and record them and then not go back to them for a while. So, what I need to do now is look at what I've got and look at what works best as a collective, rather than just having bits and pieces here and there."
Storer does what feels natural to her; following a long line of Australian singer-songwriters telling real-life stories of real-life people and places. "I grew up on a farm, so I have a bit of a soft spot for our people and our country," she says.
"Country music originated from people writing about people out working on the land and their stories, and I do like writing about our characters in the bush and this great country.
"As an Australian, I grew up listening to John Williamson and what I love about his work was that he sung about Australia with a lot of pride and used everyday Aussie slang from his world and put it into a song.
"Aussies can be pretty 'ocker', but it still sits beautifully to me, as that's how we talk, that's how we greet each other, and that's our characters.
"So I like to try to be as descriptive as that in my music, about our beautiful place and, of course, singing with an Aussie accent is important, as it would be pretty silly if I was singing about, say Dubbo for example, in an American accent.
"Listening back to my earlier stuff, I sound very Australian. I do love the Aussie voice in a song and you have to be authentic; it works well with my songs, themes and subjects, and it's how I've always sung."
Storer will play the upcoming Groundwater Country Music Festival, which returns to the Gold Coast this month. The 2019 event saw 73,000 people descend on Broadbeach for the free three-day extravaganza of all things country.
This year's festival features 44 acts, including Adam Brand, Casey Barnes, Natalie Pearson, Troy Cassar-Daley, The Wolfe Brothers, Caitlyn Shadbolt and many more. "I'm so looking forward to it," Storer says.
"I got to play at a big event about a month ago, using a full band. It had been a long time since I’d done that, and I was nervous and excited, but gee, it was good to do that.
"It was so good to be back on stage with a full band, big, beautiful crowd, and everyone is just there to finally hear some music and do the festival thing again.
"I can only imagine Groundwater will be bigger and better than ever. I've got a really good feeling that it's going to be a big success. I love music and country music and catching up with friends too."
Groundwater Country Music Festival (Gold Coast) runs 12-14 November and is a free event to attend.
