Emma Beau to star in Ekka Natural Fibres Fashion Parades

Violinist Emma Beau will invoke her country upbringing when she serenades Ekka crowds this month.

She has been an Ekka regular since the age of four but this year Emma Beau will be a star at the show she loves so much.

The award-winning singer, who plays several instruments, will open and close the Nature in Bloom Natural Fibres Fashion Parades with a set that pays tribute to Queensland’s regional and rural communities.

“I worked on this music and composed a lot of it over the top of the songs that I was given,” Emma says.

“When you’re playing something you have composed partly yourself there is an extra expectation that you put on yourself to perform really well.”

Picking up the violin at the age of eight, the now 22-year-old is a rising star on the Australian music scene, with her self-titled debut album reaching No. 4 on the ARIA Country Music charts following its launch in June this year.

Born in Brisbane but raised in Gympie, 160km north of the capital, Emma has already captured the attention of some of the country’s greatest performers — touring with the likes of Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson.

But her passion for folk, fiddle and country chords comes from her humble upbringing, attending events such as the Gympie Music Muster, which she says influenced her unique sound.

Violinist Emma Beau will open and close the 2019 Natural Fibres Fashion Shows at the Ekka.

“I started at school and it’s just something that I kind of just stuck at. Gympie was such a great place to foster my music career and learn.” Emma was approached by Ekka organisers after they spotted her performing in Tamworth, NSW.

Playing at the Ekka is more than just another gig for the talented musician, who has fond memories of visiting the show with her family from a young age.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Cubsport bandmates roar message of equality

Tia Gostelow, Alex Woodward, Xenia Puskarz: Rising vocal stars share their stories

“My first memory of the Ekka is walking in with my grandad and seeing this orange display they did of oranges in (outer) space. I loved it,” she said.

At just 18, Emma moved to Sydney to pursue her music career and a year ago crowd sourced $13,500 to create her debut album, featuring hit songs Wild Heart and Leading Me Astray.

“I asked my fans if they could come up with $12,000 and they came up with $13,500 which is amazing,” she says.

Writing while on the road, the album is an ode to her upbringing and takes inspiration from artists such as Kasey Chambers and US artist Jim Lauderdale, who she had toured with.

The musician, who also won the prestigious 2019 Queensland Music Award in the country category, is planning to take her album on a national tour and says the first gig will be “Brissy for sure”.

Ekka, Aug 9-18, Brisbane Showgrounds, Bowen Hills.