Mandy Connell & Girl Friday at The Lomond Hotel.

Connell’s arresting presence is what stands out. Singer and guitarist, she is popular for her writing, and loved for her stagecraft, but it’s her breadth of passion for the broader ‘folk’ genre which makes her unusual in Australia. A songwriter with a guitar, Connell has an edge more reminiscent of Margaret Roadknight or Norma Waterson than of Kate Bush or Joni Mitchell. Having worked with a well-known five piece ‘traditional’ band (Stray Hens) reworking contemporary and trad folk ballads, Connell is at home with big production, but continues to work solo or with simple lineups of bass and drums or bass and lead guitar, presenting her own work locally and Internationally with producers in Melbourne (Luke Plumb, Myles Mumford) and the UK.

Girl Friday (Tracey Hogue) crafts songs which evoke a sense of nostalgia, whimsy and timelessness. Drawing inspiration from the folk, blues and jazz of the first half of the twentieth century, her rich voice and heartfelt lyrics transport the audience to a different era while still being firmly ensconced in the modern day.

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Host or Publisher The Lomond Hotel