Final Recipients Of $1 Million Music Backers Fund Announced

Eight local artists and businesses have been announced as the final recipients of American Express' $1 million Music Backers Fund.

The initiative, created last August in response to the impact that the COVID pandemic has had on the local music industry, has assisted bands and artists to get back into the studio and help businesses stay afloat. 

The final recipients include: 

• The Night Cat (Victorian venue)
  "The Night Cat will use its funding to install accessible, gender-neutral toilets to be both more inclusive and to elevate the experiences of patrons using mobility aides."
• Dulcie (WA band)
  "Dulcie will use their funding to record with producer Joel Quartermain (Eskimo Joe, Meg Mac) and to complete final tracks for their upcoming EP, scheduled for release in 2021."
• Emma Donovan & The Putbacks (Victorian band)
  "They will use the funding to tour regionally, taking their music to new communities and sharing various songs in the traditional language. On each tour stop, they will also endeavour to run music workshops to further integrate their music into each community that they visit."
• Ninajirachi (NSW artist)
  "Ninajirachi will use her funding to curate an interactive and expansive video series with Kota Banks, based on their True North EP, encompassing live performances of EP tracks with interactive video mapping and production tutorials, created in collaboration with Powerhouse and EMC."
• Taka Perru (NSW artist)
  "Taka Perry will use the funding to put towards the creation of a trilogy of music videos. Each with its own narrative, the videos will be intended to be seen as a whole, further demonstrating Taka’s creative flair and ability."
• The Gov (SA venue)
  "The Gov will use the American Express Music Backers Fund to extend the hotel’s Beer Garden to increase capacity in the venue, which will help it to attract more ticket buyers and bands."
• RVG (Victorian band)
  "Ahead of the recording of their third album, and shows returning in full force, RVG will use their funding to purchase equipment and hone their live set up. It will allow them access to gear they can use both at rehearsal and on stage."
• La La La's (NSW venue)
  "La La La’s will use their grant to purchase their own DJ equipment, allowing them to diversify the acts and events that they can host at the venue. La La La’s prides themselves on being inclusive and hopes to reach a broader range of music communities with the help of this initiative."