'Awards Don’t Define Things'

Shepherd spent about three years gigging in Emma Louise’s band – Emma Louise of course took out the Export Achievement award as well as The Courier-Mail’s People’s Choice Award for Most Popular Female and Album of the Year at the 2013 QMAs – and it was in that capacity that she was at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas, in 2013, where she met Big Scary and, more importantly, the singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer half, Tom Iansek.

“Tom then invited me down to Melbourne to do some recording on the #1 Dads recording, which is up for the AMP awards,” she explains. “I sang on a bunch of those tracks and then Tom just said, ‘D’you have any songs that you’ve been writing?’ and I showed him a few and we did some rough demos, and he said, ‘D’you want to come back and make something?’”

Five days into recording, Big Scary’s management signed her up and Airling was born, and with the release of the EP, Love Gracefully, Shepherd found herself with a spot on Splendour In The Grass, a great reception when she participated in BIGSOUND and, towards the end of last year, her first national tour as a headliner.

“I’m so proud to that I’m being recognised by the Queensland music community. It just makes me feel very happy and loved here. The awards don’t define things but it’s just the whole vibe that Queensland and Brisbane, where I live, especially has that everyone looks out for each other, and there’s a lot of respect and is very encouraging.”

Shepherd is a finalist in the Pop category for her track, Wasted Pilots, the same category being contested by another Sheppard, up for the gong of course for Geronimo. Also contesting the Pop category are Mosman Alder for Try Your Luck and another Hannah, Hannah Karydas for her track, Zen.

Halfway are finalists in two categories for three songs – Dropout in Rock and Dulcify and Shakespeare Hotel in Country. Finalists in three categories for two songs are Townsville’s King Social, with They Call It in Regional and in Indigenous, and Whiskey And My Gun in Country; while Sahara Beck has two songs – Brother Sister and Pretender – in the Folk/Singer-Songwriter category, and Leanne Tennant is a finalist in both Blues/Roots and Country for Bearing The Crown. And someone will pick up the Billy Thorpe Scholarship, funded by Arts Queensland, worth $10,000.