A "hellish" summer of drought and bushfires has ravaged NSW, but country music star Fanny Lumsden hopes she can bring some relief to the tiny New England community of Deepwater, for a night at least.
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The aftermath of a bushfire forced Ms Lumsden to cancel her Country Halls Tour show in Glen Innes late last year.
It was heartbreaking to watch the community go through such things and it was still "too raw" to come and throw a night of celebration, Ms Lumsden said.
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But the Deepwater School of Arts hall will bring her to the area for a free show on March 1.
And this time around, Ms Lumsden brings a unique perspective.
"I feel like I have such a deeper understanding of what people have been through now, having gone through it myself, so I'm feeling hopeful about it ... we can acknowledge that happened and it was horrendous," she said.
The Deepwater appearance is at the tail end of Ms Lumsden's seventh Country Halls Tour, where she brings a full-scale production to small town halls all across Australia.
The aim is to bring people "from kids to grandmas" together to celebrate live Australian music and local talent and show communities it's possible to put on an event.
I feel like I have such a deeper understanding of what people have been through now, having gone through it myself, so I'm feeling hopeful
- Fanny Lumsden
Local artists, performers and school groups will open the night.
"Having grown up in a tiny community in western NSW, with no access to live music or the music industry, having someone come to my town with full production ... and then having the opportunity to perform would have literally blown my mind," Ms Lumsden said.
Ms Lumsden's new country album Fallow is launching on March 13 and pays homage to the "beauty and the incredible scenery" surrounding her, even when facing "hard and horrible" times, a sentiment that could resonate with the people of Deepwater.
Bushfires have once again added an extra level of meaning to her work.
The original video footage for her single This Too Shall Pass was filmed among the mountains near her home in the winter, but the summer fires completely changed the landscape prior to its release.
"We decided to go up and ... film the same locations after they had burnt and we cut it together ... to also be like 'You know what? This too shall pass'," she said.
The concert will mark Ms Lumsden's first time in Deepwater.
Although the show is free, people still need to register for tickets online to confirm a seat.
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald. Email: afalkenmire@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald. Email: afalkenmire@austcommunitymedia.com.au
