Kerrianne Cox breaks from summer in Broome after a globetrotting year.
Many of us know and love the music of Kerrianne Cox. Her songs are a blend of country, folk and blues, with inspiring lyrics drawn from her own life experiences. Singing about love, family life and her strong connection to the land, Kerrianne’s distinctive voice moves audiences everywhere.
And what a year it’s been for Kerrianne, with performances at the Woodford Festival, Brunswick Music Festival, Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras, D.A.R. Festival and Corroboree 2000! Kerrianne joined Tiddas on their last-ever tour in May, performed in New Caledonia in June, and embarked on an American tour through Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Atlanta, New Orleans, Seattle and San Francisco.
With a European tour on the cards in 2001 and an invitation to showcase at the annual North American Folk Convention in Vancouver, Kerrianne is taking time out for a well-earned summer break. Her destination? Broome, of course. You would too if you had the choice.
“Spending time with family and friends, enjoying the sunshine, bushwalking, fishing and going to the beach,” is what Kerrianne says she’ll be doing in her beloved Broome. And what with the hot and humid conditions the north-west Western Australian town endures at this time of year, the beach sounds like the best option. (The temperature can rise above 40( C over the summer period!)
“As long as there’s a beautiful beach with a shady tree and someone wonderful to enjoy the time with, I’m happy,” she says.
An exciting aspect of summertime in Broome is that it’s the wet season. While cyclones can wreak havoc on coastal towns, there is an upside – the countryside becomes lush and green and the billabongs fill to overflowing. That means lots of yummy summer foods, like local juicy mangos and all sorts of fish.
Kerrianne admits she’s always been a summer person, especially as she grew up in the Kimberleys. “I just love to lie on a beach and sun myself. But I also enjoy having barbeques and backyard jamming!”
One thing she always does before venturing out in the sun, however, is to slap on a hat and cover up with some sunscreen. Kerrianne Cox might be hot, but she’s not about to burn!
Female Artist of the Year 2001 – Kerrianne Cox
Multi award-winning singer/songwriter Kerrianne Cox is proving to be one of Australia’s premier musicians and her recent Deadly for 2001 Female Artist of the Year is confirmation.
At just 24 yeas of age Kerrianne is steadily building a national and international profile. Her songs are very personal affairs with lyrics emerging from her own life experiences, touching on issues as diverse as love, family life and her strong connection to the land.
“Your songs come from you,” explains Kerrianne. “They become a journey of your life. So as you grow, they get better. The songs at the beginning of your career are always special and you can look back and see how much you’ve changed. When I write I don’t write to any culture or race – it’s from the heart.”
Last year was a busy one for Kerrianne with headline performances at the Woodford, Port Fairy and Brunswick Street Festivals, as well as the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
But in 2001 she took her success to even greater heights. After finishing a 27-day tour of the US, she returned home for the Woodford Folk Festival at which she was the second biggest-selling artist on the bill. She then travelled to Canada to take part in the International Folk Music Convention before heading back to the US.
“My US tour was great and I had a great time,” says Kerrianne. “I think they enjoy Indigenous music! While some people were oblivious to who we are, the great thing about a trip like that is that you can educate people.”
For Kerrianne, the highlight of her tour was a performance she did at a school in Washington. “My music was very strong and it brought the people and families together.”
To top it all off, Kerrianne has just released her second album, Opening. And instead of recording it in an established studio, she flew everyone involved in the album – including producer Chris Dickie – to her hometown of Broome, to give a local, homespun feel to the album. She even involved the local children’s choir!
“It meant two weeks of everyone going bush for the album,” she says. But she maintains this was important for the feel of the album as “it’s about healing, being able to open myself up and express personal issues. And it’s about my journey through life as well.”
In keeping with the spirit of the album, Opening was also launched in Broome.
“The launch was great,” she says. “I had such a wonderful time in Broome. There was a beautiful audience sitting in the beer garden overlooking the stars.”
And of course one of Kerrianne’s other highlights was winning Female Artist of the Year at the Deadlys.
“I was so shocked at first!” she laughs. “I am really very appreciative for the award. It makes me feel good about myself because I have achieved something nationally. So I thank the people very much for supporting me.”
Kerrianne hopes to travel back to the US next year. But until then she’s going to do a bit more travelling around Australia.
“I don’t really have a place of residence. I’m always on the move!”
Comments are closed.