About

★★★★ - SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

‘Lumsden remains a savvy songwriter, with strong melodies and sharp lyrical observations, and Fallow will make fans out of people who would ordinarily turn up their noses at the genre.’

 "Lumsden has established herself as one of the genre's most esteemed performers”

Andrew McMillian, The Australian

 ''It's breaking new ground for an old genre locally”

 MTV Australia

ARIA Award, 8x Golden Guitar, AIR Award winning Australian artist Fanny Lumsden released her third studio album, Fallow, on Cooking Vinyl Australia/Red Dirt Road Records, which recently took out Best Country Album at the 2020 ARIA Awards, and swept the field taking home five CMAA Golden Guitar Awards including Album of the year, Female artist of the year, Single of the year (Fierce), Video clip of the year and Alt Country Album of the year,  was shortlisted to the Australian Music Prize top 9 albums of 2020 and was just nominated for Album of the year and Country Album of the Year at the AIR awards  -  not a bad feat after being released the week we all went into lockdown in Australia.  

  

Along with her husband Dan Stanley Freeman she runs her own Record Label and Production company – Red Dirt Road and hugely successful touring brand – The Country Halls Tour selling out over 180 halls all over Australia, all which is no small feat for a self-managed artist. 

 

The last 12 months did not slow Fanny down releasing fallow which debuted at #10 on the ARIA charts,she  appeared on Play School Showtime, ABC’s The Set with You Am I, was one of 12 Aussies in Global Music Match, became a Support Act Advocate, became a volunteer firefighter, wrote and produced a documentary telling the story of Fallow through the summer of bushfires and recording her album in a stone hut and also managed to pull off a sold-out theatre tour across Australia in the wake of a pandemic here in Australia. Fanny was also named 2021 Albury Local Woman of the Year for the Hume Shire for her work with regional communities. 

In her own lane, Fanny is forging a career that is distinctively hers and changing up how ‘things are done’. 

It’s like she’s harnessed the greatest attributes of Gillian Welch and Dolly Parton Chris Familton, The Music.

‘Lumsden is a songwriter who knows exactly what she wants to say and how she wants to present herself and her art’ Andrew McMillian, The Australian.

 

‘Damn it works…She has a gift for matching the familiar with the unexpected’  

**** 4 Stars  Liz Giuffre, The Music

Born and bred on a farm in western NSW, 600km from the nearest City, Fanny Lumsden grew up riding horses, helping out on the farm and living a seemingly idyllic Aussie Country upbringing with her family. Music was a big part of the Lumsden house hold with everyone playing instruments and singing and there was never any doubt that Fanny  was a born show pony. Having completed her AMEB grades on Piano, and studied Music at High school Fanny went away for a while to study a Bachelor of Rural Science at UNE before making the move to Sydney where she started playing around the local scene, going to Songwriter nights. It was from there she met her band members The Thrillseekers and from there where the real Fanny Lumsden story begins. 

9 years later she has an ARIA Award (+ 2 other ARIA nominated Albums), 8x CMAA Golden Guitars, An AMP shortlisted (top 9) album, 3 ARIA chart topping albums, an AIR Award a CMC Award, her own Record Label - Red Dirt Road Records and her own hugely successful touring brand - The Country Halls Tour. 

RELEASES

2020 - FALLOW

Campaign Highlights here.

ARIA AWARD WINNER - BEST COUNTRY ALBUM 2020

ALBUM OF THE YEAR - 2021 CMAA Golden Guitar Awards

ALT COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2021 CMAA Golden Guitar Awards

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR - 2021 CMAA Golden Guitar Awards

SINGLE OF THE YEAR FOR FIERCE - 2021 CMAA Golden Guitar Awards

VIDEO CLIP OF THE YEAR - Mountain song/This too shall pass - 2021 CMAA Golden Guitar Awards

AUSTRALIAN MUSIC PRIZE - TOP 9 ALBUMS 2020

AIR INDEPENDENT ALBUM OF THE YEAR NOMINEE + AIR INDEPENDENT COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR NOMINEE

APRA MUSIC AWARDS - MOST PERFORMED COUNTRY WORK (DIG) - FINALIST

Debuted #10 ARIA CHARTS (all genre), #2 ARIA Country Chart, Hit #1 on ARIA Aus Country chart weeks 2 + 3.  Fallow debuted at number 3 on the Australian Independent Album chart and held Top 5 for three consecutive weeks.

 

  • Released March 13 2020 on Cooking Vinyl Australia/Red Dirt Road Records.

  • Recorded in a Stone Hut on a the property Fanny lives on in Tooma, NSW ( western side of the Snowy Mountains, 6 hours from Sydney)

  • Produced by Matt Fell (Love Hz) with Fanny Lumsden, Dan Stanley Freeman, Benjamin Corbett and Tom Lumsden

  • Mastered by William Bowden - King Willy Sounds.

  • Launched in Tooma at the rec grounds to 600 people in a mini festival put on themselves. All ticket proceeds going to the Tooma Marargle Bushfire Recovery fund ($12K).

LISTEN HERE

REVIEWS


★★★★ - Tim Byron, Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax national syndication) ‘Lumsden remains a savvy songwriter, with strong melodies and sharp lyrical observations” 

★★★★ - Liz Giuffre, The Music "Damn it works."  She has a gift for matching the familiar with the unexpected”

Chris Familton, Rhythms "Fallow is Lumsden digging deep and finding gold" 

Stuart Coupe, Rhythms - “It Is Music That Will Last” 

STACK - "Fanny Lumsden is a fine storyteller. And props to producer Matt Fell. His sensitive, subtle production allows these songs to shine."

Jolene: The Country Music Blog -‘Fallow, provides the balm that is just right for these times.’

2017 Sophomore - REAL CLASS ACT

ARIA AWARD NOMINATED - BEST COUNTRY ALBUM 2018

Debuted at #1 on the ARIA Country Charts, #23 overall ARIA Charts, #3 AIR CHARTS, #1 Country iTunes charts.

AIR Country Album of the Year '17/'18

CMAA Golden Guitar for the film clip for Real Men Dont Cry (war on pride)

Nominated for Alt -Country Album of the Year - CMAA Golden Guitar Awards 2018

  • Crowd funded & released on Fanny's own Independent label - Red Dirt Road Records.

  • Single ROLL ON charted in the top ten for 27 weeks on Australian Country Radio peaking at #3 behind Body Like a Back Road by Sam Hunt and Kiss Somebody by Morgan Evans. Second most played single on KIX COUNTRY RADIO for 2017 behind 'Kiss Somebody' by Morgan Evans

  • Singles ROLL ON + ELASTIC WAISTBAND + REAL MEN DONT CRY (WAR ON PRIDE) + PRETTY LITTLE FOOLS all went #1 on Country Music Channel.

  • ROLL ON Film clip nominated for Video Clip of the year at CMAA Golden Guitar awards + CMC Awards 2018

  • Single ROLL ON nominated for Bush Heritage song of the year CMAA Golden Guitar Awards

LISTEN HERE

Reviews

★★★★ - Sydney Morning Herald.  "If there's a twang to her airy voice and abundant pedal steel and country licks, there's also a folky warmth and lightfootedness here that's more reminiscent of Josh Pyke than Keith Urban." 

Post to Wire - “...What Lumsden does cleverly is paint pop colours and shapes over a roots music framework, but while doing so she also addresses some weighty and important issues..” READ FULL REVIEW

The Brag - "Lumsden is the future of Australian Country Music" READ FULL REVIEW       

 Blank GC - "This is what we need in Australian country music right now; original instrumental intros and vibrant music production swirling with clever lyrics that are too good to throw away."  READ FULL REVIEW

 

DEBUT Album - Small Town Big shot

ARIA AWARD NOMINATED - BEST COUNTRY ALBUM 2016 

DEBUTED AT #6 on ARIA COUNTRY CHARTS, #15 ON AIR CHARTS AND PEAKED AT #20 ON iTUNES COUNTRY CHARTS

Crowd funded, released on Social Family Records.

Singles SOAPBOX, LAND OF GOLD, BRAVEST OF HEARTS + TOTEM TENNIS all charted at #1 on Country Music Channel

★★★★ - Rolling Stone Magazine - '...a breath of fresh country air'  READ FULL REVIEW

★★★★ - Sydney Morning Herald -  "feels like proper country music, but the warm, organic production and Lumsden's warmth and humanity might actually win over fans who would usually prefer folky pop" READ FULL REVIEW

The AU Review - 'hugely impressive debut that brims with Fanny’s vivacious personality and an abundance of talent.' READ FULL REVIEW

Post To Wire - 'strong and honest song writing' READ FULL REVIEW

The Music - 'This is the sound of road trains on the edge of town.' READ FULL REVIEW

 

LISTEN HERE 

 

 

Past accolades/Brag worthy:

#1 ARIA Country Album

AIR Country Album of the year 2018 - Real Class Act

ARIA 2016 Nominee for Best Country Album - Small Town Big Shot

ARIA 2018 Nominee for Best Country Album - Real Class Act

Golden Guitar for Video Clip of the Year 2020 Real Men Dont Cry (War on pride) - (Director and Artist)

Golden Guitar for Video Clip of the Year 2019 - Elastic Waistband (artist)

Golden Guitar for New Talent of the Year 2017

CMC Award Winner for New Artist of the Year 2017

APRA AMCOS Professional Development Award 2017 (Country) 

AU Awards Winner for Country & Americana Artist of the Year 2016 

FESTIVALS

Recharge Festival 2020, Groundwater Festival 2019, Americana Fest (Nashville) 2018, Deni Ute Muster 2018, Beef Week 2018, Music in the Mulga 2018, Broadbeach Country Music Festival 2017, Out on the Weekend festival 2017, Majors Creek Festival 2017, Gympie Muster Music Festival 2017 and 2016, Urban Country Music Festival 2016, Darwin Festival 2014, Sydney Festival 2014, Peats Ridge Festival 2012/2013, Secret Garden Festival 2013, Gulgong Folk Festival 2013, Newtown Festival, The Man From Snowy River Bush Festival 2012-2015, Tamworth Country Music Festival 2014- 2020, Cygnet Folk Festival 2014, Vivid Sydney, Sydney Fringe Festival & guested at Port Fairy Folk Festival 2014.

 

Find out more about the COUNTRY HALLS TOUR  > HERE