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PROUD Gamilaraay woman and 2023 Toyota Star Maker Loren Ryan on life, music and the power of winanga-li – girr nhama dhirrabuu*.
“I’d sit outside The Tudor, listening to the bands through the open window. The music poured out as the sunshine poured in. Growing up in Tamworth, some of my fondest memories are of the country music festival.
Every year, mum and dad would take us down the street to watch the buskers and listen to the bands. I grew up watching my uncles and grandfather play guitar, they lived out at Walgett. We’d travel there a few times a year – grandfather would sit on the steps and play songs, my uncles would join in and my cousins were on bass and drums. It was kind of a male thing… girls never really touched the guitar.
But after one visit, I begged mum and dad to buy me one.
I saved up for ages. Any change I had from my school lunch money, I saved. I finally reached $100 and went to the music shop with dad – that day I walked out with a $200 guitar in my arms and didn’t put it down for two weeks straight. I learnt everything on my own, with a little help from YouTube, and before long could play a few of my favourite songs.
I didn’t know at the time, but Roger Knox was in the crowd.
He was hanging out with his grandsons and had listened to me play. At the end of the comp, he invited me to do a gig with him. Obviously I said yes! So I learnt a couple of his songs and got up on stage with him at Wests Diggers. I was so green. I’d never really sung with a band before and had to borrow some of my sister’s clothes for the gig… but I was there, singing with Poppy Roger and Buddy Knox was in his band too. Uncle Buddy was like, “show me how you’d go singing this song…” so I showed him three or four songs that I knew. He said, “you go alright, if you want some help building your ear, your pitch and your repertoire, I’ll help ya.”
Uncle Buddy mentors a bunch of kids now, but I was the first.
He didn’t get any money for it, he just wanted to help. He’d come over every Sunday, mum and dad would put a feed on for him. Then we’d sit in the lounge room and play music for hours. Sometimes I’d go over to his place too, we’d watch performers on YouTube and study their stagecraft. I went from this kid who had crucially bad pitch, to become the performer I am today. Uncle Buddy saw I had potential, I had good vocal control, I just needed to develop my ear. With his help, my confidence grew and by highschool, I’d started combining my music with our traditional language, Gamilaraay.
They sat a group of us down in year seven and told us that our language needs us.
They said that it’s our responsibility to learn it, carry it, teach it and share it. I really, really took that to heart, and took that on as my responsibility to be a custodian of the language. My love for music meant that I learned the language quickly through song, and by year nine I was assisting in teaching other kids too. I’d go around to Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School, the William Cowper Campus and a bunch of daycare centres, teaching kids through song. I’d share songs I’d learned, but also started developing resources of my own. I love performing original songs and covers in our language, but it also makes me really proud to know they’re being used as learning tools too. Because I want everyone to feel like they have ownership of the language, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
Our language is for everyone and the foundation of the language comes from the land, spirituality, law and all things interconnected.
And so for anyone living out here in country, anyone who goes and sits by the river, stands in a paddock or lies under the shade of a tree – language is all interconnected through these experiences. I want everyone to feel like the language is theirs and to use it. That’s what I love about performing in our language too, the way it brings us all together. I love the feeling of being on stage, it’s super addictive. It can sort of make your life feel like a rolling musical – it puts a soundtrack behind your life, each moment connected to a song. I’m able to relive these moments every time I perform, and connect with someone in the crowd who might be feeling the same – it’s the human connection I love most. Now, since Star Maker, I’m on the up and up – I want bigger things.
For the first time, I feel like I have the permission to be myself, so I’m really leaning into that.
From now and into the future, you’re going to see a tonne of authenticity, rule breaking, really outside the box stuff. I’m recording a new album too, set for release in 2023. I’m going to call it My boring, sexy, thrilling life – I heard someone say that in a movie once, and I knew that was it. It’s going to be really fun, deep, kind of wild and outspoken. There will be no fear, because I’m doing this on my own – I’m an independent artist and a solo mum, so I’m going to do it my way.”
Album love
Loren’s first album, Songs for Charlie, is a tribute to her daughter – featuring her favourite songs Somewhere Over the Rainbow and the Hokey Pokey, as well as four original tracks. The album incorporates words and verses in the Gamilaraay language and the musical backing of the didgeridoo and clapsticks.
Loren’s second album, My boring, sexy, thrilling life is due for release in 2023. Until then, lap up her stunning vocals in compositions like Little Darlin’ and Flame Trees.
*Winanga-li – to know, to love, to acknowledge, to see, to understand.
Girr nhama dhirrabuu – gee that’s deadly!
Steph Wanless
Editorial Director. Grammar-obsessed, Kate Bush impressionist, fuelled by black coffee, British comedy and the fine art of the messy bun.
