Tell us about your love for your hometown? My hometown of Tamworth means everything to me. It’s the beating heart of Country Music, and it’s the place where my family reside. It’s definitely where my heart lies; I lived in Sydney and Melbourne for 10 years and now that I’m home, I experience varying levels of separation anxiety every time I go on tour. The Tamworth Country Music Festival must be your biggest event on the calendar ... What's your involvement with it? It certainly is. It’s the most incredible time of the year. I’m the ambassador for the Tamworth Family Support Service, but I fly the TCMF flag wherever I go. My face is actually on the Tamworth Billboards at each entry point to town. I won’t ever get used to that ... It’s quite confronting! When you aren't playing, what can we find Aleyce doing? Managing a motel, managing an amazing artist, Tori Forsyth, teaching singing, distributing singles to radio for indie artists and hosting BalconyTV Tamworth. Looking after my gorgeous cat, ARIA, most importantly. I like to keep a busy schedule. Is there anyone that you would like to acknowledge, who has ell the readers: who is Aleyce Simmonds, and what helped you along the way? does she do? My family. Without them, I wouldn’t know where to start. My sisters, I’m a 30 year old singer/songwriter from the Country who inspire me every day. Music Capital. Do you have any new singles/EPs out? What instruments do you play, I have a new album. It was released in January this and what genre would you year, and I’m loving sharing these pieces of me with place yourself in? It’s definitely where audiences all over. Acoustic guitar. I am proud to call myself a my heart lies; I lived in Give yourself a plug ... Where can the peeps find Country singer. Sydney and Melbourne your tunes, and are you appearing in the region What has been the biggest hurdle in your for 10 years and now that in August? career, and how have you overcome it? I’m home, I experience In August, I’m playing a show on the Northern Biggest hurdles have probably all been centred varying levels of Beaches of Sydney and a run of gigs with Tori and around trusting the wrong people and being let separation anxiety every our band, The Spurs in Tasmania. I run a jam night down. There are so many bad people out there. time I go on tour. on the last Tuesday night of the month at the Family But - it’s taught me to trust and back myself. Hotel in Tamworth. It’s a lot of fun for musicians, What advice would you give the younger singers, music lovers. generation wanting to start a career in music? Finally a few quick ones ... Set goals and dreams and then work harder than you ever, ever Favourite Food? Oysters/steak. imagined possible. Favourite Drink? Shiraz. Have you won any awards? Which ones? Favourite Band? John Farnham / Allison Krauss and Union Station. Most recently, APRA Country Work of the Year. In the past, I’ve won Favourite Magazine? FOCUS! Australian Independent Artist of the Year, Female Artist of the Year a Thanks Aleyce. couple of times, and I’m a six x Golden Guitar Loser. Ha ha!
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