Hearing a voice like Emma Donovan’s, it would be easy to assume that natural talent has been the driving force behind her remarkable career in music. When you add the fact that her family make up The Donovans, it’s only logical to think that music runs through her veins.
But speaking to Emma herself, she’d have you believe it was really the support of funk band and collaborators The PutBacks that was the defining factor behind the critically acclaimed new release, Dawn. What she leaves out is the many years of work that have gone into honing her craft and distinctive approach to songwriting. For one thing, she started her singing career at age seven playing with The Donovans, and she has been refining her sound ever since.
“My first-ever tour was with Uncle Jimmy Little, and I went when I was on school holidays in year six or year seven on a regional tour around NSW,” she says. “There is a lot of support. I think with Aboriginal artists today, our networks are getting so strong.”
Community plays a large part in Donovan’s music-making process, and also how she sees herself in the music world. While she spent years as a solo artist and is constantly working on material, many of the songs on Dawn only came into being once ideas had been shared with The PutBacks and her main collaborator in the band, bassist Mick Meagher.
“I’ve been in a lot of bands where non-blackfellas want to help tell my stories as well. I have the support of The PutBacks, who have respect for my songs and lyrics even when they’re heavy. Sometimes as a woman you don’t feel as comfortable putting some of that out there, but I had a lot of support with songs like ‘Black Woman’. I always acknowledge that. Even though it’s my story, they’re a big part of helping me tell that story. Just that collaboration, it came from a really nice place.”
But over the layers of skilfully executed funk guitar and electric organ beats is Donovan’s rare voice, relaying songs crafted to seem almost off-the-cuff, but which bear all the marks of an expert touch. Dawn sits easily alongside ’70s soul records, but Donovan has long drawn on her indigenous heritage, both stylistically and lyrically.
This was most pronounced when she was the youngest member of The Black Arm Band. Its roots were inherently political, but Donovan recalls that working with some of the most talented Australian musicians even made her dad experience a slightly fanboy moment.
“I was playing with Bart Willoughby of No Fixed Address,” Donovan says. “My dad was his biggest fan – I texted him photos. I was like the cool daughter singing with them.”
The gospel influence on Dawn is understated, but has obviously shaped Donovan’s approach. She speaks so fondly of her family that it’s impossible to deny how much she values the fact her music is as much a reflection of her own tastes as their influence.
“The only kind of soul/gospel influence I had around was singing with my grandmother,” she says. “On the weekend we had a family wedding and we all sang together. But that happens naturally with my family, and singing gospel comes about because of my grandparents who grew up in the mission, which influenced them a lot with music from going to church. So my grandparents invested a lot of music into the rest of the family. I feel really lucky.”
Even if she isn’t forthcoming about it, there is clearly a lot more than luck at play.
Dawn out now through HopeStreet Recordings. Catch them withLeah Flanagan and DJ Dave Bowman atNewtown Social ClubonSunday December 21, tickets online.
