Father-daughter pair share musical bond

FOR the past few years, a local father and daughter have been putting their familial bond and mutual love of music on display throughout town.

Playing shows as Freya and Tom McGowan, the duo’s drive to perform together came about following the pandemic, but 13-year-old vocalist Freya said a passion for music has long been a shared passion around the household.

“We’d always have music playing or dad would be playing guitar around the house so we’d talk about playing music while driving to school,” she said.

The duo first performed live together in 2017, and Freya added playing alongside her dad has given her much-appreciated experience.

“It’s been great to have the opportunity to busk and play at markets,” she said. “Our festival shows have been especially good because they’ve opened up so many opportunities.”

A lifelong singer, Freya has been taking vocal lessons since she was six and has been performing with the Ballarat Centre for Music and the Arts for around the same time.

Beginning with gigs at the Creswick Market, the pair have since performed in everything from busking to festivals like CresFest and Maldon Folk Festival.

For her guitarist father Tom, who’s been playing in bands since the mid-1990s, performing alongside his daughter has offered a unique and cherished experience to what he’s been used to.

“I would play at a lot of venues at night of course, the typical gig setting, but with Freya it’s been a different route with lots of community events and markets,” he said.

“It’s such a beautiful thing as a parent. I know Freya’s not going to stay the same age forever so to have the opportunity to do this feels like a real gift.

“It’s just a wonderful, fun, upbeat thing. Because of that family connection, it makes everything that much easier.”

As well as a handful of original songs written together, the duo primarily performs folk and acoustic covers of songs from acts like David Bowie, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, and Joni Mitchell.

Having seen out last year with nearly 50 shows, including their 100th live performance held last month at Kilderkin Distillery, the pair are looking to push their act further for 2024.

“We’d love to do some recording this year and get some things on some streaming platforms and do some more writing together,” Tom said.

“Maybe we can even do an interstate show or a small tour. So far, we’ve just been playing in Victoria.”

Freya and Tom McGowan will next perform at the Newstead Live Music Festival, playing four shows on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 January.