27 by Local Woman

27 is dedicated to Narayana Johnson, River Boy. My uncle, my brother, my twin, my bandmate, my friend. His encouragement and support during the creation of 27 meant the world to me. Thanks for all the music. You taught me how to fly.

As a little girl I saw Narayana writing songs, and I started writing them too. He was so passionate about life and art, and he loved to share that with me. He taught me how to ride a bike and put me on to harry potter. He gave me my first beer. He would record songs we made up together on a cassette player and gave me his old walkman with a case of burnt cds. From when I was 13-21 we were in a band called Willow Beats, in that time we produced 3 Eps, an album and toured extensively. We laughed, we cried, we fought, and we got each other in a way no one else could. He was my uncle, brother, twin, bandmate and friend. When I turned 21 I wanted some space away from the industry and to experience life not on the road so I walked away from music. A few years ago I came back to music. It made Narayana really happy. He thought I was the best singer in the world and would tell me that often. In the past year I’ve risked life and limb to put 100% into making music again. Ive been working on an album called 27. It’s about love and life and the reality of pursuing art and music. Throughout this time Narayana has been an advocate and support for me. He’s been so happy and proud that I’ve been writing again. He came to the last show I played as ‘built different’ and was at the front and centre of the crowd with tears in his eyes. "That's my niece." One of the last times we spoke he told me was that I wasn’t allowed to give up, and that I had to get this album out. He knows how easy it is for dreams to die, and he wasn’t gonna let that happen cause he believed. This summer we started making music together again, we made some demos. We talked about the possibility of a Willow Beats come back tour. We were gonna keep working on music this year. Fact is we are gonna be in a band together for the rest of my life. While I was making 27, I would constantly joke about whether I was gonna make it through 27 and cross my fingers, cause being an artist includes massive risks and can often feel like life and death. So many great artists don’t make it past that milestone. Fact is I made it through but he didn’t. I don’t know why that is. But I know he would want us all to be singing and dancing. Narayana was sacred to me and so many others. I will keep singing with him forever.

Narayana, thank you so much for supporting me in the creation of this album. Without your support and belief, I doubt I could have pulled it off the past year. Truly. I admire your dedication to art so much. You shaped my work ethic and I get to have that forever now. Gonna be collabing with you first the rest of my life uncle. Thanks for teaching me how to fly.

This album was recorded across Melbourne in my apartment that nearly killed me, Murwillumbah at the home among the gumtrees, Batemans Bay at the spiralling Long Beach house, and Nowra at uncle Pirates where I grew my claws. The songs you hear now have been sung and played in many forms, the versions you hear now being a repository of all of those moments through time and change. I’ve been playing and singing and writing and living my heart out for and with these songs, for and with the people I love, and for and with people who love music.

This album means everything to me. It documents my year of 27 which was the craziest year of my life so far. Every year that goes by I feel closer to knowing what’s important to me, and that’s creating music and spaces to play it that are meaningful and tell our stories. That’s what my family has been doing since the dawn of time, and I don’t take that responsibility lightly.

Thank you Emily Fishpool, my twin flame, light of my life. Your dedication to music, your unwavering vision. Your hand in all things Local Woman lifts me up to new creative dimensions I never knew. Thank you for dreaming and building the visual world of local woman. You've given me another language to tell this unfurling story.

Thank you to my mum Emma Chandra for bringing Local Woman to life with your designs, and Savitri Torres-Johnson for your direction and execution as a stylist and true visionary. And thank you to my grandma Marion Johnson, for holding it down for us and always keeping the music going, no matter what.

kalyani.au