When Emma Donovan walked onstage to join Fanny Lumsden for a song in Tamworth Town Hall on Saturday 27 January, she brought charisma and energy, and her incredible voice. It’s no wonder Donovan has such stage presence: she has been touring Australia – and elsewhere – for over 20 years, and toured and recorded with artists such as Paul Kelly, The Teskey Brothers, Paul Grabowsky, Spinifex Gum and the late Uncle Archie Roach AC, and Aunty Ruby Hunter.
Her work with Melbourne rhythm combo The Putbacks won multiple awards including best Soul/RnB album 2021 (Crossover) and 2022 (Under These Streets) at the AIR Awards and Best Soul, Funk R&B or Gospel Act, Best Group and Best Album for Crossover at the 2021 Music Victoria Awards. Donovan, a Gumbaynggirr and Yamato woman, regularly performs songs in Gumbaynggirr and Noongar traditional languages, and shares stories to provide her audiences with an understanding of Country and community.
Donovan now has a new country soul single, ‘Lovin’ Looks Like’, which is the second single release from her forthcoming new album. Donovan says the track is ‘a healing song about learning to love yourself again. It’s about taking a good look in the mirror and seeing who you are and knowing and learning about all your worth.
‘After being broken from a relationship, learning to love yourself can be hard but over the years I’ve taken good advice. I’ve learned that putting myself first isn’t a bad thing and that I should never be made to feel bad about that focus.’
In each line of the song you can hear Donovan’s strength growing, and warmth along with it – it a song of self-love that comes from a place of loving the world rather than wanting to defy it. Donovan sings from a place of pure connection, so much so that you can feel almost like she’s singing only to you.
Donovan wrote and produced the song with Mick Meagher, and you can see her talking about it in the video below. And she is on tour with Charley Crockett – dates further below.
Emma Donovan – tour dates with Charley Crockett
FEBRUARY
1 – EATONS HILL HOTEL, BRISBANE, QLD
2 – ANITA’S THEATRE, THIRROUL, NSW
4 – ENMORE THEATRE, SYDNEY, NSW
6 – CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE, ACT
8 – THE GOV, ADELAIDE, SA
9 – CIVIC HALL, BALLARAT, VIC
10 – COAL CREEK COMMUNITY PARK & MUSEUM, KORUMBURRA, VIC
12 – THE FORUM, MELBOURNE, VIC
14 – ASTOR THEATRE, PERTH, WA
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