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Emma Donovan is an acclaimed Indigenous Australian singer and songwriter best known for her work with soul bands, The Putbacks and The Black Arm Band project.
She is one of Australia's most celebrated voices, with a career spanning over two decades. The proud Gumbaynggirr and Yamatji artist has carved a singular path that fuses gospel, country and soul with the storytelling traditions of her culture. First emerging as a teenager with Stiff Gins, Emma went on to front The Putbacks, whose albums Dawn (2014), Crossover (2020) and Under These Streets (2021) earned her critical acclaim and cemented her as a vital force in Australian music. Having performed on iconic stages including WOMADelaide, Bluesfest Byron Bay and the Sydney Opera House, Emma has become a guiding voice for the next generation of First Nations artists, and in 2021 was inducted into the National Indigenous Music Awards Hall of Fame alongside her family band The Donovans. Emma's previous album Til My Song Is Done was nominated for an ARIA and won an AIR Award last year.
She has also toured and recorded with Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter, Spinifex Gum, Christine Anu, Yothu Yindi, Jimmy Little and Paul Kelly among others. On her mother's side, Emma is part of the famed Donovan family of singers
Emma Donovan dips into soulful waters with a sumptuous cover of Al Green's 1974 hit Take Me To The River (links below). The new track arrives alongside a deeply personal music video. A song that brings Emma's journey full circle, connecting her past to her present and luminous future, and celebrating her lifelong love of soul.
We chat about leaving legendary bands and going solo, being on Play School, nerves, community, improving & getting better with age, collaboration, loss and grief, the Donovan musical family, confidence, burnout, musical influences, take me to the river cover + plenty more!
Just as a heads up, we do briefly cover mental health and heavier topics only for a short period but the conversation as a whole is light and empowering!
Check Emma out on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmadonovan_music
Website/ tour: https://www.emmadonovan.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emmadonovansmusic/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpZAsSa8xK8DjtwrpFClRKA
Take Me To The River cover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olqLymHA-Og -------------------------------------------
Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/
By Michael Kahan4.5
2020 ratings
Emma Donovan is an acclaimed Indigenous Australian singer and songwriter best known for her work with soul bands, The Putbacks and The Black Arm Band project.
She is one of Australia's most celebrated voices, with a career spanning over two decades. The proud Gumbaynggirr and Yamatji artist has carved a singular path that fuses gospel, country and soul with the storytelling traditions of her culture. First emerging as a teenager with Stiff Gins, Emma went on to front The Putbacks, whose albums Dawn (2014), Crossover (2020) and Under These Streets (2021) earned her critical acclaim and cemented her as a vital force in Australian music. Having performed on iconic stages including WOMADelaide, Bluesfest Byron Bay and the Sydney Opera House, Emma has become a guiding voice for the next generation of First Nations artists, and in 2021 was inducted into the National Indigenous Music Awards Hall of Fame alongside her family band The Donovans. Emma's previous album Til My Song Is Done was nominated for an ARIA and won an AIR Award last year.
She has also toured and recorded with Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter, Spinifex Gum, Christine Anu, Yothu Yindi, Jimmy Little and Paul Kelly among others. On her mother's side, Emma is part of the famed Donovan family of singers
Emma Donovan dips into soulful waters with a sumptuous cover of Al Green's 1974 hit Take Me To The River (links below). The new track arrives alongside a deeply personal music video. A song that brings Emma's journey full circle, connecting her past to her present and luminous future, and celebrating her lifelong love of soul.
We chat about leaving legendary bands and going solo, being on Play School, nerves, community, improving & getting better with age, collaboration, loss and grief, the Donovan musical family, confidence, burnout, musical influences, take me to the river cover + plenty more!
Just as a heads up, we do briefly cover mental health and heavier topics only for a short period but the conversation as a whole is light and empowering!
Check Emma out on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmadonovan_music
Website/ tour: https://www.emmadonovan.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emmadonovansmusic/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpZAsSa8xK8DjtwrpFClRKA
Take Me To The River cover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olqLymHA-Og -------------------------------------------
Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

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