FANNY LUMSDEN’S COUNTRY HALL TOUR

BY JESS LEHMANN, Rural Room Regional Community Development Manager

Here at Rural Room we are huge fans of the award-winning musician Fanny Lumsden. Not only is Fanny an extraordinary talent but the born and bred country girl remains grounded and closely connected to her fans despite her success. Annually, she takes her Country Halls Tour on the road to celebrate live original music throughout regional Australia. To mark the launch of Fanny’s highly anticipated new album Fallow available today here, we are throwing back to an interview Jess Lehmann, Rural Room Regional Community Development Manager, coordinated backstage with Fanny during the Country Halls Tour in 2019.

Fanny recently staged a performance at the Ainslie Art Centre in Canberra during the 2019 Country Halls Tour and I was thrilled to have the pleasure of going backstage with Edwina Margaret Lumsden professionally known as Fanny Lumsden, an Australian country music singer and songwriter.

Fanny is an absolute gem and ‘breath of fresh country air’ bringing hope and lifting spirits to small country towns across Australia. I’ve always been a big fan so needless to say I was slightly nervous to go backstage amid the pre-show excitement. However, Fanny warmly welcomed me straight away and her contagious personality quickly sent my nerves packing, “welcome to the Country Halls Tour…city edition,” she laughs as we enter the makeup room. 

Born and bred in the tiny town of Tallimba in the Central West of New South Wales, 600 kilometres from the nearest city, Fanny grew up lending a hand on the family farm and still enjoys the country lifestyle. When talking about her music Fanny mused that she’s not sure why her music resonates with people, she pondered that it could be because her songs are about everyday things that people can relate to and that her music is not overly orientated in one specific genre; some songs are more ‘folky’, some more country.

Fanny explained that seven years ago she talked her city-dwelling band into jumping in a borrowed van and heading out bush to put on three free shows in halls to raise funds for BLAIZEAID, who were rebuilding fences for farmers after a particularly bad bout of floods. Little did they know that this would be an annual pilgrimage to halls near and far. Fast forward six years and Fanny and her husband Dan have clocked up over 250,000 kilometres across regional Australia on their self-produced Country Halls Tour selling out halls and celebrating live original music. The tour is now in its seventh year and Fanny explained that they’ve worked their way down from Queensland. “It’s my favourite way of touring because we get to rock up to the country hall, set up, meet the locals and go find the queen” she says in relation to the many different portraits of the queen that adorn the many country halls they descend upon.

Fanny explains that travelling with the crew across Australia is just like being with family as everyone lends a hand to help with day to day chores including looking after her baby, Walter. She took me out back to see their caravan and it’s incredible! Fully decked out to accommodate the band and the vast distances travelled Fanny explained it has was provided by a family business based outside Dubbo, Kookaburra Caravan Hire, who’ve helped them out for the past three years.

The Country Halls Tour is an application-based tour; where Town Halls around Australia have to the opportunity to apply to host a performance. Fanny said they do their best to get as many as they possibly can and encouraged people to keep a look out for the 2021 applications on her website.

The backstage area was abuzz with people and colour, the kind of adrenalin you’d expect ahead of a live performance, but in a much more laid-back Fanny-style fashion. She introduced me to up and coming singer Jess Ferris, a 14-year-old talented singer/song writer based in Canberra. Jess was the starting act for the show and she’s been mentored by Fanny through the Academy Of Country Music, Australia’s premier music programme for emerging, talented singer/song writers/performers and instrumentalists. Fanny’s passion for the industry goes deep and it was inspiring to witness the connection between the two women and witness Fanny’s support for the talent coming through. I shimmied out of the backstage area to settle into the audience, grabbing a refreshing beverage as the anticipation of the audience grew around me.  

Jess came on stage and blew us away with a song she’d written and three other familiar country songs. She shared that she hopes to become a successful singer song writer like Fanny and believes her participation in the mentor program has really boosted her confidence. Jess absolutely smashed it and if her performance is anything to go by, I’m sure she’ll have a long and fruitful career in the industry.

The balmy Summer night created the ideal mood and with the crowd warmed up the stage was set for a fantastic night ahead. I couldn’t help but smile at the portrait of the Queen, who, like us, seemed to peer down at the stage eager for the feature show to start. Fanny launched onto the stage with her guitar in hand and we cheered for the queen of Australian country as she burst into song. It was an unforgettable evening that brought smiles to faces and put movement in our feet, Fanny’s music echoed through the hall bringing us all together. The Country Halls Tour brightens communities across Australia and in times of hardship the opportunity to lose yourself momentarily in the touching tunes and come together with your neighbours and friends can’t be underestimated. The tour is designed to celebrate our local communities and bring an experience that we’ll never forget. I know I’ll never forget the fun that was had during my first experience of the Country Halls Tour.

Fanny’s album Fallow is out today! Be sure to check it out and follow all Fanny’s adventures and tour dates here.