The daughter of musician Hugh McDonald of folk-rock group Redgum, Georgia Maq grew up surrounded by music - joining her father on stage in pubs across Victoria whilst still in school and learning the craft of song writing at the mere age of ten. "I can't remember the specific time when I was first exposed to music, because music was always there, it was what united us," she says of the bond with her father. "I've been writing songs since I was really little. It started to actually go somewhere when I was 14 and I came home one day and dad had bought a piano from the Salvos, so I taught myself how to play. I liked playing really loudly and yelling and screaming."
Throughout high school, Maq set up a camera and recorded covers of Cinematic Orchestra, Amanda Palmer, Lana Del Rey and Wil Wagner and uploaded them to YouTube, taking a bedroom artist to the world, whilst displaying the breadth of her influences. "The videos are all really bad and dumb," she laughs, with the self-depreciating humor that also fills her music, "but they gave me exposure. People were really nice with the comments and I started getting all these emails about my music."
Always destined to be involved with music, life took a twist for Maq on the completion of her formal studies. "The day I got my ATAR at the end of Year 12 (47.90) I didn't want to tell my mum. I turned off my phone, skipped work, ran into the city, got my busking license and started playing that night."
The momentum continued as she released 'Friends and Bowler's Run', a five track self-recorded EP of folk inspired punk, available at her early shows and online. "I sewed all the covers by hand and sold them for whatever anyone wanted to give me," she grins.
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Now with a set list of her own material and a refined sound that belies her nineteen years, Maq will release her debut 7" record 'With A Q' via Jackknife Music (The Smith Street Band, The Bennies, Lucy Wilson) in August. Pre Order with instant download now from jackknifemusic.bandcamp.com
"I could never write poetry, so I try to tell the truth," she sings on What Do You Mean (The Bank's Out Of Money), indicative of her, and the EPs, poignant introspection, political commentary and heart on sleeve honesty.
Pre Order / Stream - jackknifemusic.bandcamp.com
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