Acclaimed Indigenous vocalist Emma Donovan and Melbourne rhythm combo The Putbacks burst on to the Australian scene with their album Dawn in 2015, announcing a new voice in Australian soul music.
Emma’s songwriting is optimistic, impassioned, and bruisingly honest, The Putbacks’ music is fluid, live and raw, and the collaboration has won friends and admirers all over the world. We caught up with Emma ahead of their Womadelaide performances later this month.
Are you looking forward to Womadelaide?
Yeah, I am. I was just talking about our little weekend down there. We’re stopping at Port Fairy on the way down. Yeah, looking forward to it.
You’ve played Womad before; what sort of memories do you have?
I found some old programs today while cleaning up my house. In 2007 I had my first solo band there. I played Womad with the Black Arm Band, so that’s probably my biggest memory. When Ruby Hunter was alive, she was in the Black Arm Band, we did “Murundak – Songs of Freedom”, so it was one of the highlights of all my gigs. Womad is always special, I remember my solo one there, I feel like their programming is amazing the way that they get onboard with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders communities. They always do that searching. Being a black fella in the industry, you think you know everyone, but Womad introduces you to bands you don’t know. The community, I love the most about it and of course just the vibe and all the international artists that you never thought you’d see.
Tell me about you and The Putbacks came together.
When we did “Murundak – Songs of Freedom” with Black Arm Band, that was put together around 2006 and the bass player from the Putbacks, Michael Meagher and Rory McDougall, the drummer, (they were playing in the Black Arm Band for years), so I feel like it’s kind of like an extension of myself personally. Out of them relationships with Black Arm Band, they were always yarning about having a sing with them, and it was just a big conversation over the years. So, it was about 2012 or 2013 I had some gigs in Melbourne and I was just hanging out more and just going to watch them play and it went on from there.
You’ve worked with a few artists like Archie Roach and Dan Sultan. What inspiration do you get working with artists like that?
Uncle Arch Roach is a household name for many. What struck me was I guess working with the Black Arm Band, people like Uncle Bart Willoughby and Joey Geia from No Fixed Address and they were kind of artists that were employed by not even just by me, but up my dad played them a lot. I remember times when Dad had a lot of their albums, even the Warumpi Band. So, when I came on board with Black Arm Band, I couldn’t get over Uncle Arch and Auntie Ruby, but also some of the other inspirations for me and my family.
You grew up in a musical family – that that would have been inspiring from quite a young age, I imagine.
Yeah, I grew up with lots of country music and country gospel music. My grandparents were like church singers, but they were big community singers too. They taught me a lot about country gospel music and that’s where I’ve let myself more vocally. That’s where I learned how to harmonise, like yes, singing in family groups.
That was more like my mom’s roots, the country and gospel. Dad, he was just a music lover. Like I said, we always had music in the background. He had this cool Blues collection; he played a lot of Stevie Ray Vaughan and John Lee Hooker. I kinda had a mix of country and blues.
Your music is quite soulful and from the heart. What do you think about the music in in the role of healing? Particularly in this moment with everything going on in the world, where do you see the role of music in in that healing process?
I think music is a big important part of it and it was obvious during lock down to understand music more and how much, without feeling corny or anything, how much we lend to it, how much is available to a way out. Also, with not playing to audiences I just couldn’t believe how much I missed people and connection. How much we give out and how much of that comes back. It makes us all feel good, but it’s giving it’s kind of getting back. Music is very powerful in that way. I remember there was a couple of times I do workshop, I take music to community or to prison, to juvenile justice centres. It’s always very validating.
What about over the lock down. What have you been doing?
I guess I’ve just been continuing to write. I always feel happy that I have that way for myself, in hard times I can write and let myself out. I put words down. Some people see a counsellor, but this is my way of healing myself. My last album Crossover was on the back of when I lost my mother. She was a very important woman in my life and a rock and the matriarch of my family. I’m still in this big grief bubble over the last three years and coming to terms with her death. It’s hard for me but there are ways to connect through music and song writing, which helps healing.
In my mind the role of the songwriter is to capture moments and feelings and put them into words that that you know people can’t express for themselves.
It’s funny you say that. When I was younger and starting to write in my 20s, I came out of a band called The Stiff Gins, the vocal trio. So, the first time I started writing songs, I was a little bit cocky. People would say what do you write about how do you write, to me like that. If people didn’t connect with it I didn’t care. I just write.
Whereas now, I’ve just turned 40, and the more I think about writing, the more I wanna connect. I wanna contribute and there’s a responsibility. Like after having children you know this is going to be something that you leave behind one day. Family, kids and community so there are certain ways of writing. I’m more conscious of who I connect and how I want that connection shared.
So, what are your plans for Womad? What are you going to perform?
I’m gonna go have a while with Felix Reibl from The Cat Empire. He and Ollie McGill have put their heart and soul into Spinifex Gum. When we came out of lockdown, we were in the studio recording some tunes for a new record and I ran into Felix. I’m gonna go and have a thing with Spinifex Gum mob, then Uncle Shane Howard is putting together Goanna. I’m sure it’s close to a 40 anniversary for the band and “Solid Rock”. We had a show on the 26th of January doing our thing together with William Barton.
The Putbacks and I have two gigs over Womad. We might mix it up, we’re feeling a bit flash these days with all our songs. Hopefully we try some of the new tunes. We can have a play. Looking forward to singing with Spinifex and Uncle Shane and bringing The Putbacks. We’re just excited to get to play Womad this year. We’ve got more tunes than what we had. There are so many beautiful spaces at Womad. We’re gonna chill and enjoy the moment.
Womadelaide plays over four days from March 11 to March 14 in the beautiful Botanic Park / Tainmuntilla. Tickets, lineup and more information HERE.
Emma will also be performing at the National Folk Festival, Canberra 14-18 April – tickets and further details HERE
Photography: Cesar Rodriguez
