Songwriters Showcase 2019

South West Sounds Presents our Second Annual Songwriters Showcase in 2019 !
Its so important to appreciate and support your local singer/songwriters for many reasons. The inspiration they bring, as well as the enjoyment and community connection you feel is underestimated. The hard work behind the scenes they have put into writing, recording, practising their craft, is years of investment into their hobby or career. To listen to another sing a song they have written shows so much respect and is worth more than gold to the Artist. You may just be the songwriter on the stage the following year and be appreciated in the same way. The Songwriters Showcase brings people together, to enjoy new music, by the people from their own community and region, it is a place to support one another, be inspired, grow and appreciate artistic expression through music and songs.

To be held upstairs at Seanchai Irish Bar in Warrnambool on Liebig Street, on Saturday afternoon,
Doors open at 1.30pm and tickets are $10 with children free and free packets of chips.
Concert 2.pm till 6.30pm.

Our Songwriters are … !

Ben Witham and The Betty Band folk-rock combo offers a soulful contemporary blend of folk, rock, blues, and country with compelling all-original songs exploring the usual suspects of love, loss, life, and, more. Fluid band membership offers a rich and varying mix of vocal harmonies, guitars, violin, keyboards, bass andpercussion. 

Previously Melbourne-based, and now resident in Warrnambool, Ben Witham formed the band in 2005. In various incarnations the band has appeared at festivals including Maldon Folk Festival, regulars at Darebin Music Fest and played cafes and hotels around Melbourne’s northern suburbs as well as the occasional house concerts in Melbourne and interstate. More recently the band has performed at house concerts in Warrnambool and made numerous appearances at Crossley’s 15 Minutes of Fame. The band is now recording a new album in Warrnambool with all original songs by Witham, due for release in early 2020. 

Witham is a singer-songwriter, guitarist and keyboard player performing for over 36 years in groups and solo acts around Melbourne and country Victoria.  Born in Warrnambool, he has returned to deepen strong links with people and places around this expansive country coastline, drawing inspiration for life, songwriting and music.   

Band line-up for the Songwriters Showcase is: Ben Witham (vocals, guitar and keyboards); Peter Arnold (keyboards), Keith Prest (violin, mandolin), Des Bunyon(backing vocals, percussion), Carli Reeve (backing vocals, keyboard). 

Ben Witham and The Betty Band’s six track EP ‘A Few Songs’ with all original songs by Witham is available at https://benwithamandthebettyband.bandcamp.com/releases

Emmanuel College Student Ruby Mckenna, will showcase her original songs for the first Songwriters Showcase she has performed at. Ruby was at last years First Concert held at The Loft, where Lynny Mast presented her with an Acoustic Maton Guitar, for being the winner of 'Your chance to shine in the Spotlight' competitions that was held at The Loft. Ruby also sings and plays ukulele, and has a beautiful voice and style. We welcome her to our 2019 concert at The Shan !

 Fifteen year old Warrnambool-based Japanese metal/punk/emo multi instrumentalist and vocalist, Minami Deguchi, started learning classical piano when he was 3 and 11 months old, participated in his first eisteddfod at age 4 and is in the middle of completing his certificate in music 12 years later. He started guitar at age 11, singing at age 12 and drumming at age 13. Minami played in a couple of bands including "The Vitals" (2016-17) and "Boston Drive" (2017-2019). Minami is currently a proud tribe of Rock Academy Australia and has performed at The Central Club Hotel in Richmond twice, and is possibly heading to Sydney in January 2020 for a short tour. At the moment Minami describes his playing as "unstable , could be teary or admirable, humorous and pissed off the next".
Minami is currently taking time off playing as a band as he is trying to figure out who he is as a singer and guitarist. An album worth of his demos have been recorded over the last 15 months but he is unsure of what to do with them at this point in time. Minami is glad to be at this years Songwriters Showcase to help develop his act as a Singer/Songwriter/Musician.

Fiona Kershaw and Shakyra Kershaw (Shar) have been performing together as a Duo, and with other backing Musicians, Fiona's Original songs since 2017. Together they have performed at festivals - Arockalypse (The Loft - Warrnambool VIC) St Brigid's Blues and Roots Festival (Crossley VIC) for Earth Songs Concert, (The Loft) at The Dart n Marlin, Warrnambool, at Guitar Bar Sessions- The Barking Dog (Geelong) at The Commercial Hotel (Hamilton) supporting Neil Murray in Concert (The Loft) at Fiona's Freedom album 20th Anniversary (The Loft and Blarney Books and Art in Port Fairy) for Fifteen Minutes of Fame (St Brigid's Hall/ Crossley)and for the Songwriters Showcase 2018 in its first year. This Showcase, Fiona and Shar will perform new songs from Fiona's latest album released in October 2019 'Rise Above'.

 Introducing singer/songwriter/musician Krystal Orion, for his first songwriters showcase, he is happy to be able to sing songs he has written and never before expressed on stage, with an Artist name away from his personal life. A deep thinking Artist, with an interest in many genres, it will be a surprise what he decides to sing for us. We look forward to his songs and welcome him on board the songwriters wagon ! This black sheep son of a preacher man uses sonic artistry and
pithy lyrical sharpness to express lucid experiences of brutal reality.
Krystal Orion was born speaking music as his first language and has been
mumbling towards a crescendo ever since.
His style is honest,raw and emotive, self described as
"Mild Nirvana fused with Gothic Crowded House,
with a hint of Kenny Rogers and sprinkled with Ween".
The only true way to understand this sentence is to experience Krystal Orion for yourself.

Krystalorion.com

If you like mix some roots, rock , folk and blues with some thoughtful lyrics, you get the tasty tunes of Owen Ellemor.
Owen has released an album of his songs under the name Stony Rises titles 'Bicycles in the Moonlight'. Owen's musical highlights include performing his songs as a four piece band, being a support act for Didirri and Rebecca Barnard, and performing with the All Abilities Choir at the Queenscliff and Port Fairy Festivals, and at the Palais and Lighthouse Theatres to  packed audiences.

  Bruce Campbell Collective (BCC) is a musical ensemble from Warrnambool, Victoria.  Based around Bruce's intelligent, moving and quirky songs, the group has a contemporary folk feel with side trips into pop, blues and rock.  The group features great vocals (Bruce and Des Bunyon), acoustic and electric guitars (Bruce and Barney Hurrell), mandolin (Barney) and double bass (Gypsy Spelling).

The songs are the stories are the critical centre of BCC's musical identity.  Bruce has several strong song lines travelling through his catalogue including environmental sustainability, a yearning to 'get back to nature', social justice and zombies!  Okay, there's only one song about zombies - Zombie Heart - but it has grabbed attention globally in connection with annual northern hemisphere Zombie Walk events!

Bruce has released four EPs in the past two years:  Our Beach, HUSH, Another World Ends and Anthropocene.  Tracks from all of these have received radio airplay and streams around Australia and thirty-five other countries.  Forbes magazine's Ralph Benko said of the powerful message in Another World Ends:  "Enjoy, Don't destroy.  Wise counsel, Mr Campbell. Thank you for your music."  Recently the song Progress from Anthropocene was picked up for airplay by 3CR's influential Music Matters program, as well as many other community radio programs.

BCC plays in the south west region, including annual tours to several centres:  Songs of the Land and Sea (2017), Songs From the Heart (2018) and Earth Songs (2019).  The band is committed to playing original local music but sometimes sells its soul and does a few covers as well.  Solo or in other line ups, Bruce plays throughout Victoria at wineries, breweries, markets, festivals and special events.  Bruce's environmental sustainability songs featured in a show on the Sun Stage at the National Sustainable Living Festival earlier this year.

Bruce's music is available online everywhere and via his website homepage:

www.brucecampbellmusic.net

Bruce's latest music video, Progress:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjdlDzhUxMM

Performing a captivating blend of genres from modern hits to the old
classics, Gabby Steel is sure to get you tapping your feet. At just
nineteen years old, Gabby has released her all original, debut EP
utilising a unique style created by her soulful vocals and a range of
percussive instruments.
 Gabby has won many awards in South West Victoria over the past few years for her music, including - Port Fairy Folk Festival Buskers competition first prize in 2017, Aus Music Festival Australian songs competition for the cover 'True Blue' in 2018, 2nd for Port Fairy Folk Festival Talent Quest 2018, First Place at Koroit Irish Festival for 'Danny Boy' competition in 2018, and First place in the Warrnambool Eisteddfod for her original composition in 2018.

Sleuth is Melissa Francis, a female singer-songwriter and pianist from southwest Victoria. She pairs soaring soulful vocals over cool minimalist funk, electronic beats, and quirky alt-pop tunes. Lyrics from Umbra Anima are dark and bitter sweet, with sharp edges, my personal expression of travelling through dark and light times.

Sleuth released debut ten track original album 'Umbra Anima' in January 2019. Forte music magazine (Australia) recently described the album as 'incredible', giving it a 5 star rating, and describing Sleuth's sound as 'cinematic', with vocal work that would 'make Beth Gibbons(Portishead) proud'.

Sleuth was the February winner in RadioEasternFM's 'New Music' competition (Victoria), with track Empty Room, and also coming 3rd with track Make A Meal.

Fly By Design is Sleuth’s second album, and well suited to most stations’ programming. It is a deliberately upbeat, jazz/funk fusion album with lyrics that encourage good vibes, and inner strength, and personal growth.

Sleuth enjoy regular airplay on a number of community radio stations in Australia and the UK, and more recently the USA. In March 2019, Umbra Anima was featured as album of the week in Otway Coast FM’s ‘Australian Bacchanalia’ program. She currently has one song in rotation on Indie Star Radio as part of a top 21 Pop Countdown.

In additional to ‘Umbra Anima’, which was released in January 2019, Sleuth continue to write and perform new music, with music video ‘High Stakes’ released  July 12th, and most recently a 7-track funk album, ‘Fly By Design’ released Sep 15.

Most of Sleuth’s released music can be found here:

https://sleuthartist.bandcamp.com

MUSIC VIDEO: (High Stakes)
https://youtu.be/TEb7BtKdZ4g

We are very delighted that Russ Goodear can give his afternoon free to our Songwriters Showcase as our very own MC ! Russ is very busy in the area, he organises the Fifteen Minutes of Fame every first Friday of the Month with Carol McDonald, for the concert night at St Brigid's Hall in Crossley, welcoming new acts and established acts to the stage, making sure everyone listens and only talks in the interval ! He is very encouraging to all musicians and songwriters and is also the Director for Aus Music Festival, which held its first festival in Warrnambool in 2015, featuring many local talented musicians and songwriters, and Australian well established Artists such as Tex Perkins and Archie Roach came to Warrnambool to perform for us. Venues were all over the town including The Lighthouse Theatre for Tarerer Showcase, Lady Bay was opened again, The Cally Pub, and many more. Russ puts on many other concerts throughout the year too, in the summer time, at Simons Restaurant, Lake Pertobe and others. He is a positive community person, often involved in other volunteer projects, such as the ICE awareness campaign, and St Brigid's Men's Shed fundraising projects. You will see Russ at The Port Fairy Folk Festival at the Fiddlers Green stage as MC, you will see him on his push bike sweating it out riding along the road somewhere in Warrnambool or along country roads ! Russ may even have a surprise up his sleeve for us at the Showcase !

We Look Forward To Seeing You All There !!