Leah Flanagan | |
|---|---|
 Leah Flanagan performing live 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
Leah Flanagan is an Australiansinger-songwriter andarts administrator fromDarwin, Northern Territory. based inSydney. She has released several albums and has toured Australia with her music and as a part of festival ensembles.
Flanagan identifies asIndigenous Australian due to herAboriginal (Alyawarre) heritage.[1][2]
She studiedclassical music at theElder Conservatorium of Music inAdelaide.[3]
Flanagan has released several albums and has toured Australia with her music and as a part of festival ensembles.[4][5][6] She has collaborated withSinéad O'Connor,Meshell Ndegeocello, poetSam Wagan Watson,[7]The Black Arm Band,[8]Paul Kelly andUrsula Yovich, and recorded a duet withMarlon Williams ofArchie Roach’s "I’ve Lied".[4]
From 2009 to 2011, Flanagan performed in the productionsMurundak,Hidden Republic, andDirtsong with the touring company The Black Arm Band[8] at many major festivals across Australia. Her performances in this period included one at the2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
In 2010 she appeared at theMelbourne International Arts Festival's productionSeven Songs To Leave Behind withJohn Cale,Rickie Lee Jones, Snead O'Connor,Meshell Ndegeocello, andGurrumul with Black Arm Band members Ursula Yovich, Dan Sultan, andShellie Morris.[9]
Flanagan was invited byDeborah Conway to be part of her Song Trails project for the 2009 and 2011Queensland Music Festivals, which led to her collaborating with Australian artists Peter Farnan (Boom Crash Opera),Robert Forster (The Go-Betweens) andRebecca Barnard (Rebecca's Empire) to deliver a series of workshops and to perform concerts across regionalQueensland.[10]
Flanagan composed a show entitledMidnight Muses, based on the work of Brisbane poetSamuel Wagan Watson, for theAdelaide Cabaret Festival in 2011.[11] It later appeared at the 2013Sydney Festival.[12]
She was invited to perform as a featured soloist in the first Australian production of Leonard Bernstein'sMASS at the 2012Adelaide Festival.[13]
In late 2015 Flanagan was invited byArchie Roach to record a duet of his song "I've Lied" with Marlon Williams for the 25th Anniversary release ofCharcoal Lane.Rolling Stone Australia gave the anniversary album four-and-a-half stars.[4]
In 2017 she featured in1967: Music in the Key of Yes alongsideDan Sultan,Adalita,Thelma Plum, andUrsula Yovich, as part of theSydney Festival. The show celebrated the 50th anniversary of the1967 Australian referendum through song.[14]
In December 2019 Flanagan was appointed as national manager of theAPRA AMCOS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Music Office.[1][2]
In January 2020 Flanagan was appointed First Nations export producer atSounds Australia. The role entails attending key international events such asSXSW,The Great Escape Festival,Folk Alliance International, andWOMEX, as well as establishing an international bursary program for Indigenous artists. Her first assignment in the role was attending theInternational Indigenous Music Summit[a] inNew Orleans, United States.[1][16]
Flanagan has appeared on the Australian TV music quiz showsSpicks & Specks andRocKwiz; on the latter performingElvis Costello'sShipbuilding in a duet with composerDavid Bridie.[17]Faboriginal andRocKwiz.[18]
She has also appeared on the light comedy sports programmeMarngrook Footy Show, performing a version ofStevie Wonder'sFor Once in My Life.[citation needed]
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Leah Flanagan (as Leah Flanagan Band) |
|
| Nirvana Nights |
|
| Saudades |
|
| Oceanic Sessions |
|
| Colour By Number |
|
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Live at the Bella Union |
|
TheNational Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA) recognise contributions to theNorthern Territory music industry. They commenced in 2004.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Colour by Number | Album of the Year | Nominated | [26][27] |
