There is some music that could only ever be made in this country. Close your eyes and you can feel it. It is music with a restlessness of spirit. It has an edge to it. Warm like the earth but bristling with a sense of unease and tension.
‘Soul’ doesn’t come close as it moves you to tears of anguish as much as joy. It is music that can be moving as much as music you can move with. And there are few greater exponents of that almost inexplicable sound than Victoria’s Jalgany
Like all the best bands, theirs has been a slow evolution. The coming together of kindred spirits with a desire to collaborate and explore. At the heart of this outfit though has, and always be, the unbridled passion of singer and songwriter Nola Lauch.
While she has been based on the Mornington Peninsula for many years, Nola is a Kirrae-wurrung/Bundjalung woman. The name Jalgany reflects her deep and complex heritage – it is simply the Yugambeh language word for Aboriginal woman.
A visual artist and community leader, Nola has long embraced and celebrated her culture despite the many challenges faced by her family over generations. A recipient of a regional NAIDOC Artist of the Year award (2017) she has the deep respect of many. But it is music for which she holds a special passion.
Speaking recently to Rhythms Magazine, Nola spoke to the powerful role music plays in her life and sense of identity:
“Music is everything to me, it is like family. It has kept me alive and it runs through my veins. Music heals me every day and it connects me to other people and places in a very personal way. Playing to a crowd gives me strength and a stronger belief in myself.”
That creative drive was first realized with the acclaimed ‘Red Dust Salt Water’ EP of 2021 which earned national airplay and help build the band’s profile as a stellar live act through a host of venue and festival appearances including the Port Fairy Folk Festival.
The focus now though is very much on the new Jalgany record due for release in 2023. The first taste of that new collection of songs is the powerful track ‘My Brother’ featuring Gareth Skinner on Cello with mixing by Greg Walker/Simon Dodd and featured on the latest national First Sounds compilation produced by AMRAP .
The new songs, created with the band and long time collaborator Pete Dawson, reflects a growing confidence and a willingness to confront challenging, but vital, subjects. The Jalgany of today is a powerful creative force, rounded out by a group of passionate and experienced musicians - Simon Dodd (keys, guitar), Dan Lazner (bass), Greg Coles (drums), , Gordo Clarke (guitar) and Jarrod Dexter (viola).
“I have written so many new songs recently, songs about loss, hope, vulnerability and connection to my culture and my identity.” Nola says.
That approach draws not only on her own challenging life story, but the guidance of her Uncle and inspiration, the late Archie Roach.
“Uncle Archie was just so important to me in terms of encouraging me and telling me to use my voice to tell my story, our stories,” Nola explains. “I will be forever grateful to him for that. And I think the songs we are writing now would make him proud.”
To find out more or contact the band, visit www.jalgany.com
