Electronic artist and producer Danny Harley of Brisbane ( The Kite String Tangle ) has been awarded the $25,000 Grant McLennan Fellowship for 2018.
The award was presented at a ceremony in Brisbane last night, with special guests, artists, musicians, producers, partners and key music industry personnel in attendance.
Kellie Lloyd, APRA AMCOS Qld Writer Services Representative presented the award and congratulated Danny, along with fellow shortlisted finalists The Ironing Maidens, Gabriella Cohen and Spencer White.
“Danny impressed the judges with his songwriting, his commitment to his craft and the manner in which he has established himself in Queensland's creative community.”
“The Grant McLennan Fellowship offers Queensland artists exciting and genuine professional development opportunities, with Danny set to immerse himself in the electronic music and arts scene in Berlin. We are excited to see Danny evolve the next phase of his musical career and development as a songwriter. As a proud sponsor of this fellowship, APRA AMCOS is committed to investing in the next generation of songwriters and support sustainable careers” said Lloyd.
Now in its twelfth year, the Grant McLennan Fellowship honours the musical legacy of Grant McLennan and is jointly funded by the Queensland Government and APRA AMCOS.
The award gives winners the chance to follow in Grant’s footsteps and live in New York, London or Berlin for up to six months for creative inspiration and career development.
An accomplished musician who has toured extensively, Harley has sold out headline shows across the UK, US and Australia and has showcased at SXSW, Primavera Sound and The Great Escape. Harley originally broke out with critically and commercially adored singles ‘Arcadia’ which was voted at #15 on the 2014 triple j Hottest 100 and Gold certified ‘Given The Chance’ taken from his debut ARIA Nominated EP ‘Vessel’.
His highly anticipated debut album was released in 2017 and nominated for an ARIA. Danny won the Electronic Award at the 2018 Queensland Music Awards for his track ‘The Prize’ (Feat. Bridgett Amofah) and crafted a mini-album entitled ‘In A Desperate Moment” to accompany his sold out shows with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
Judges Sally McLennan, musicians Adele Pickvance, Danny Widdicombe and music writer Sean Sennett noted the standard and calibre of applicants this year was extremely high.
“This year, it was incredibly difficult to separate the nominees and pick one above the other. We felt that Danny most embodied the spirit of the Fellowship and we are excited to see him further develop as a songwriter and artist.”.
2017 fellowship recipient Jeremy Neale said he approached songwriting in both formal and informal settings during his time in New York.
“I completed a 2 week songwriting intensive at NYU, worked consistently with a piano teacher and arranged co-writing sessions with locals and international visitors.”
“I also spent a lot of time with myself in reflection of my life, my writing and the future of my career in music”.
At a fellowship ceremony in Brisbane last night, Jeremy presented his legacy item to the State Library of Queensland for inclusion in the Grant McLennan Memorial Archive – a framed text of his reflections and learnings from his adventure in NYC. “It was a really transformative and powerful time in my life and I am so thankful for the opportunity. My hope is that something I have to share resonates with and helps those undertaking the great journey that is being a songwriter for life.”
