Dynamic duo ready to record

THE next step for a Ballarat familial music duo is on the horizon with the pair awarded for their recent performance at Newstead Live Music Festival.

Taking part in the event with four sets, father-daughter act Freya and Tom McGowan were acknowledged with the Encouragement Award for Best Young Talent.

“I was really happy to receive it,” said Freya.

“I thought it was special to be recognised as a kid at a music festival in particular because when dad and I play, often people think my mum is me or they don’t consider us for certain gigs because I’m a kid.”

A highlight for the pair was their 15-minute set at The Troubadour.

“It was on Australia Day so one of the songs we played was Solid Rock,” Tom said.

“We also played a folk version of Xanadu, also Moon River. It was a good eclectic mix of songs that worked well on that day.

“It was the biggest venue we played.”

With prize money through the Troubadour Foundation to accompany their award, the cash will be used to record Freya and Tom’s first studio effort.

Tom anticipated recording will take place from September with the view to release in late 2024 or early 2025.

“We predominantly play live and other people’s songs whereas with recording we can flip that around with mostly our songs,” he said.

“It’s great to do song writing with Freya. Because of her age, she brings completely different ideas to what I’m used to.”

The release will be Freya’s first major studio effort apart from a recording with the Ballarat Centre of Music and the Arts.

She said she’s excited to channel her ideas through the studio experience.

“We’ve been working on a song Airmail which is about a pen pal I had in Finland,” she said. “A lot of the songs will be about relationships, and I want to explore other aspects you wouldn’t think to write songs about.

“I’m excited about adding harmonies and exploring different layers, and just the idea of releasing an album. It’s a next step.”

Freya and Tom will be performing at CresFest on 6 and 7 April followed by a gig at Castlemaine Fringe’s Fantastico Variety Show, and market appearances at Clunes and Creswick that same month.