Country music trio heading to Tamworth

Award-winning Southland trio The Dollys are kicking off their summer performance season in Tamworth at the Country Music Association of Australia’s music academy.

Maia Fletcher, Millie Cottam and Tahla Ward will be attending the music academy with 27 other students from Australia, New Zealand and Nashville, Tennessee.

Dollys’ publicist Bec Gracie said the applicants vying for a spot at the school needed to demonstrate musical talent and be pursing a musical career.

Miss Fletcher gained entry via the Macca’s Golden Gig Scholarship and Miss Cottam and Miss Ward were attending on Whitney Family Scholarships.

The Dollys, two-time NZ Entertainer of the Year finalists, would be attending the Tamworth Country Music Festival and Australia’s Academy of Country Music, she said.

The three girls met through country music competitions. Miss Ward and Miss Fletcher normally performed as a duo but decided to give forming a group entry a go for a bit of fun — and won.

This year they earned accolades in 11 different competitions and sections including: Capital Country Music Association of Australia overall national champions, Matamata Country Music Awards best duo/group and overall intermediate act, Gold Guitars open band and group, and Southland Music Awards people’s award.

Miss Ward said the group had been fundraising to support their time in Australia.

The Dollys’ first original song Weathering the Storm had performed well in the charts.

“It’s had a lot more attention that what we thought it would, which has encouraged us to keep up with our songwriting.”

A second song would be recorded in Tamworth in January, but the title would be kept under wraps until then, Ms Gracie said. The trio were looking forward to the mentoring in Tamworth. While in Australia, they would be supporting Brother Hollow. “They’re quite big in Tamworth. So that’s really cool for us because we’re starting to get bigger opportunities, get that bigger audience and go more international now — which we love,” she said.

toni.mcdonald@alliedpress.co.nz

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