Gold Coast songwriters on a hot streak at SongHubs

City of Gold Coast backs local music creators in ongoing partnership with SongHubs initiative

The third Gold Coast SongHubs since 2019 kicks off at Bignote Productions with Thomas Busby as curator

The sessions feature Ali Barter, Tia Gostelow, Oscar Dawson, Bobby Alu, Beckah Amani and more

In partnership with the City of Gold Coast, SongHubs kicked off yesterday at Bignote Productions, providing local songwriters and producers the opportunity to create new music and increase their collaborative skills with some of Australian music’s top talent.

Thomas Busby, the APRA Music Award-winning songwriter and one-half of beloved Queensland folk-rock duo Busby Marou, curates the four days of songwriting from 16-19 March.

Songwriting and producing new music has provided a much needed creative outlet and potential royalty stream in the year since COVID-19 shut down much of the music industry’s live sector. The support of the City of Gold Coast through its Music Action Plan has not waivered during the pandemic, with a hybrid in-person/virtual SongHubs taking place at Bignote in October 2020, following on from the 2019 inaugural sessions.

The roster of locals selected by Busby will work with special guests including ‘unconventional’ pop star Ali Barter, producer/engineer Oscar Dawson (Holy Holy), chart-topper Pete Murray, songwriting gun Sahara Beck, acclaimed independent artist Tia Gostelow and producer/artist Garrett Kato.

Coming from the greater City of Gold Coast region are ukulele player and singer Bobby Alu, producer Aidan Hogg, Tanzanian-Australian soul/alt-folk artist Beckah Amani, singer-songwriter Jem Cassar-Daley, Gold Coast Music Prize-winner DENNIS., new age pop artist Josh King, rising hip-hop collaborator LEMAIRE, international songwriter Penny Pariah, folk artist Tay Oskee and multi-instrumentalist and natural collaborator Tom Eggert (Cub Sport, Vancouver Sleep Clinic).

Busby has also selected two national applicants to go into the mix: producer James Angus and Sydney-based Liyah Knight.

“The Gold Coast is just bursting with talent and my aim for these sessions is to help foster that talent, create new connections, and to encourage everyone to give it a red hot go in the studio.

“I was so impressed and yet not surprised at all by the calibre of songwriters who applied to be part of SongHubs. We have artists coming here who are making incredible folk, pop, electronic, hip-hop and R&B music, all with unique perspectives, and I am looking forward to see what comes out of the sessions,” said Busby.

“Our Music Action Plan is making great inroads in helping talented Gold Coasters promote their talent through a vibrant music scene,’’ said Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate.

“There’s a lot more to do and I know all councillors are committed to promoting live music across the city. Good luck to participants in the SongHubs program for 2021.’’

The first City of Gold Coast SongHubs took place in August 2019 and produced a number of new works including songs from Kate Miller-Heidke’s 2020 album Child in Reverse and Louis Baker’s recent NZ #1 song ‘Overdrive,’ which he co-wrote with Best New Artist Grammy nominee Ingrid Andress and producer Tobacco Rat.

Since SongHubs launched in 2013, over $2.7 million in performance royalties for the initiative's collaborators has been earned. SongHubs has produced commercial releases for the likes of Briggs, Troye Sivan, Tayla Parx, Morgan Evans, Client Liaison, Peking Duk, Tkay Maidza, Ainslie Wills, The Chainsmokers, Guy Sebastian, Ecca Vandal, Kate Miller-Heidke and many more.