Five acts get PPCA & Australia Council recording grants from “a particularly strong field of applicants”
Five acts have received recording grants of $15,000 each as part of the five-year-old initiative between the PPCA – which last year distributed over $43 million to artists and record labels it represents when their music is used in public – and the Australia Council of the Arts.
The five, announced this morning, are:
- Singer-songwriter and guitarist Alexandra Lynn aka Alex the Astronaut, who will record her debut album with Sam Cromack (Ball Park Music, My Own Pet Radio), Daniel Hanson (Ball Park Music), Scott Horscroft and William Bowden.
- Justin Marshall, Melbourne-based percussionist for The Putbacks,will help the band and collaborator Emma Donovan produce and record a follow up to their 2014 album Dawn.
- Sydney-based OKENYO aka Zindzi Okenyo will collaborate with producer Lionel Towers (Gypsy & The Cat) on an EP Super Power//Super Nature for release through Elefant Traks.
- Jazz composer, saxophonist Sandy Evans will work with culturally and gender diverse musicians from Australia and India to create a ground-breaking 70-minute work Bridge of Dreams.It premieres in Australia in early 2019, and will be released through Rufus Records (Australia) and Underscore (India), and will be followed by live performances.
- Western Australian chamber music composer Lachlan Skipworth will cut his debut album, and partner with Navona Records in the US to master the recordings and promote the album through its international networks.
Minister for the arts Senator Mitch Fifield said the Turnbull Government is delighted to again support these grants.
“The ongoing partnership between the Australia Council and the PPCA builds on the expertise of both organisations to deliver great outcomes for Australian musicians,” he said.
The PPCA’s chief executive, Dan Rosen, acknowledged that his organisation was pleased to draw on the Council’s expertise managing peer-assessed grant programs for the arts sector.
“We look forward to hearing the recordings that emerge as a result of this funding and wish all of the recipients the very best over the course of their recording careers.
“I would like to thank the Australia Council for their ongoing assistance and look forward to our continuing partnership.”
Australia Council chief executive Tony Grybowski, added: “The Council is proud of this innovative partnership which has a great track record of supporting diverse and exciting artists to create new sound recordings.
“This year we saw a particularly strong field of applicants, spanning a wide range of music practices, and look forward to seeing what they produce with the support of these grants.”
In addition, Fascinator aka Johnny Mackay, now based in New York and a recipient of a 2016 grant, released his second album last month through Spinning Top Records and distributed through Caroline Australia.