When she spent time teaching in remote New South Wales, Sydney singer-songwriter Kelly Winning saw the effects of drugs, mental illness and suicide on young people, especially those in remote Indigenous communities. She was moved to write her new single, ‘The Real Deal’ which encourages people to speak up about how they really feel – to ‘give me the real deal’.
‘It is my hope that “The Real Deal” will bring people together to share their hearts,’ says Winning. She has seen the effect of bottling up emotions and not feeling like they can be expressed for fear of shame. While teaching Winning banned the word ‘shame’ in her classroom; she carries on that work by bringing people together to collaborate, through music and spreading her Real Deal message.
Winning is a graduate of the CMAA Academy of Country Music, and the song was arranged by esteemed country music artist Kevin Bennett. It debuted at number 3 on the iTunes singer-songwriter charts. She aims to take the song, and its message, to rural and remote communities.
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