In 2010, Whichway worked with folk-pop sister duo Ngaratya, country rock musician PJ Gordon, and roots singer-songwriter Daniel Stockley, who all came away from the program having honed their musical abilities and knowledge of the music industry exponentially, and with an impressive debut EP to their names.
Ngaratya, PJ Gordon and Daniel Stockley will be performing at the 2011 Whichway program launch at Tone nightclub in Surry Hills, from 8pm on Wednesday 1st June. Special guests and past Whichway participants Stiff Gins will be headlining the evening.
Whichway is the key music development program for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music industry in NSW, and is a project of MusicNSW. The program was established to bridge the gap between the Indigenous music industry and the wider music industry in Australia, and to promote and develop the future of contemporary Indigenous artists locally, nationally and overseas.
Whichway runs forums and workshops, intensive artist development and recording programs and performance opportunities to talented up-and-coming musicians who will benefit from mentoring and professional guidance by industry professionals.
?Ngaratya (pronounced ‘Na-dah-cha’) are a talented young Sydney Indigenous roots-folk-soul duo made up of singer-songwriter sisters Emily (17) and Alicia (18) Johnson. With a style that sits somewhere between Missy Higgins and Aretha Franklin but retains its distinct Australian flavour, the pair have been impressing audiences across Sydney for the past two years. In early 2010 Ngaratya successfully completed the Whichway program where they worked with respected producer David Skeet, who mentored them through the production of their first EP, ‘Together’.
Young country music up-and-comer PJ Gordon follows in the traditions of some of the nation’s great Indigenous country artists, combining charismatic story telling with catchy melodies, a bit of fiddle and a driving rock beat. From humble beginnings growing up in the remote country town of Brewarrina and learning to play guitar and sing to gospel music in church, to recent achievements like being selected as a finalist in the Toyota Star maker Competition this year, the 26 year-old lives and breathes classic Koori country music. PJ’s budding solo career has gained momentum since he completed the Whichway program in 2010 and completed his first recording ‘Ngemba Country’ which pays tribute to PJ’s people and their land.
Born and bred in Dubbo in Central Western NSW, 26 year-old roots musican Daniel Stockley was raised with a keen awareness of and respect for his Aboriginal heritage. It wasn’t until he reached his early twenties that Daniel discovered the power of music. Soon after, music discovered him, and he began writing and performing his own songs, drawing on the styles of artists like John Butler, Josh Pyke and Paul Kelly. With his acoustic guitar and harmonica, Daniel eloquently distils simple ideas and observations into poetic, unapologetic songwriting. His talents saw him selected to take part in last year’s Whichway program where he worked closely with indie producer Ian Pritchett (Angus & Julia Stone) to record his impressive first EP, ‘Separation Anxiety’.
