Bands Of Our Town

EDWARD GUGLIELMINO
Brief Background: I am a musician from Brisbane, Queensland. I play in Edward Guglielmino & The Show, The Thin Kids, and Scavenger Panda.
Latest release: Edward Guglielmino & The Show – Sunshine State (2012).
What does being nominated for the Fellowship mean to you? Imagine if your heroes told you that they liked your music, being nominated is such an honour in itself! It makes me feel like what I have being doing for the last seven years is more worthwhile than I might have thought.
Do you feel that your immediate surroundings (ie. SEQ) have influenced the music you create?
Yes, being the cool outsider punk town creates a different vibe around your music and life.
Where will you go if you win? Kreuzberg – Berlin.

KELLIE LLOYD
Brief Background: Played bass with Screamfeeder and have put out two solo albums.
Latest release:  Magnetic North (2012).
What does being nominated for the Fellowship mean to you?  Words don't really quite express how it feels. It's humbling to be shortlisted and the whole process is quite emotional for me, to be connected to the previous winners, nominees and The Go-Betweens through this... it's a really amazing thing to be part of.  Its whole purpose is to encourage, develop and recognise your creativeness. There really is nothing else like the Grant Mclennan Fellowship.
Do you feel that your immediate surroundings (ie. SEQ) have influenced the music you create? 
Yes I find that Brisbane is always in my songs, but it's not that anyone could really tell unless they listen closely to my record and hear the summer cicadas and crickets. The songs I write are all pretty much a direct reflection on where I am and I think I write most of my songs in my house... and whenever I play my songs I'm taken back to where I was when I wrote them.
Where will you go if you win? (big deep breath) I have chosen to go to New York should I be successful in being awarded this year's Fellowship.

LANEWAY (Louise O'reilly & Paul Hannan)
Brief Background: We live up in the hills at Natural Bridge. We chop wood, feed the chooks and try to catch songs in the air. The air is pretty clear out here. We've been collaborating with Laneway for five years. Some days are better than others but it seems to be our lot. And we love it.
Latest release: We're launching the album, Turn Your Love Up, on 1 August through Crawler Records. It's a busy and exciting time!
What does being nominated for the Fellowship mean to you?
It's just such a wonderful program to have an association with. We're a very independent act and this sort of initiative is really supportive – almost like a community we're a part of. There can be a great deal of anguish that goes into writing, releasing and performing songs, possibly that's amplified when you do it with your partner too... It takes time to realise songs and a lot of effort to collaborate with someone on them. Being nominated for the Fellowship is really encouraging. It's a bit of a reminder that you are working well and making good art. It is also an amazing legacy to come out of such personal and collective loss.
Do you feel that your immediate surroundings (ie. SEQ) have influenced the music you create?
Absolutely. We've written songs about subject matter that certainly wouldn't feature in our repertoire if not for our surroundings – hydro-turbines, for example! But also indirectly. People often say there's a yearning or a tension in our music and that's an extension of life generally.
Where will you go if you win? We've our hearts set on Berlin. Our son is a big fan of bratwurst. So we'd all be happy. 

SUE RAY
Brief background: I am originally from Toowoomba but moved to Brisbane in 1996 to study music and sound engineering and have been performing professionally for over 15 years. I have released two albums independently and have spent the better part of the past two years touring and promoting the album releases. I also have a diploma in Film & Television and one day hope to spend more time performing in the theatre.
Latest release:  Red Roses (2011)
What does being nominated for the Fellowship mean to you?
It's such a wonderful thing to be shortlisted for. To have your work noticed in amongst a huge array of talented applicants, was such a buzz and very humbling. And to know that my songs were heard by members of The Go-Betweens, and to have them say they think your album is great, was the highlight of my year.
Do you feel that your immediate surroundings (ie. SEQ) have influenced the music you create?
Absolutely! The first “proper” solo acoustic gig I did in Brisbane was at a Wooden Hearts night at The Troubadour. went as often as I could and heard and saw so many amazingly talented people perform there, and was naturally inspired and influenced by many of the other performers. In the mid-2000s, acoustic country/folk was gradually becoming more of a prominent style in Brisbane, and I think it really got a boost when Bernard Fanning released his Tea & Sympathy album. It helped popularise that genre of music, and allowed a lot of us performers doing that style to get more opportunities and recognition.
Where will you go if you win? If I won I would choose to go to New York. Many of my favourite singers cut their teeth there and I can't wait to immerse myself in the rich artistic and musical culture there.