Nerida Cuddy is a folk singer/songwriter from the Central West NSW town of Canowindra. She has just released her more introspective 6th album called ‘In the Midst of the Dark’ along with a personal journey book called ‘Companion’. However, her performances in folk clubs and festivals and in tours in the UK and in the NSW outback are all woven around original Australian story songs, including several songs relating to Henry Lawson.
Nerida grew up in a musical family on a bush reserve at Blakehurst, Sydney. Her father encouraged her love of music. There were books on Henry Lawson/ Banjo in the household to which she didn’t give much attention. Her introduction to folk music came at 18 when she was living on a farm in Bourke. Someone gave her a cassette of ‘The Best of James Taylor’ and she especially enjoyed his song ‘On A Country Road’.
After marriage and 3 children, Nerida bought beautifully illustrated books of ‘The Drover’s Wife’ and ‘The Loaded Dog’ which she read to her children and also to her pupils at school.
Nerida heard the Lawson poem ‘Scots of the Riverina’ sung at a concert by the duo ‘Cap In Hand’ – Nigel Walters and Dave Spira – and it affected her. Her husband, Chris, leaned over and said “You should write the wife’s version of that song”. This took her a while to write but it came together using a quarter of Henry’s words and the rest her own. This song is available on her album ‘Woven’.
Fast forward to August 2022: Nerida was talking to Bourke-born bush poet Andrew Hull (Hully) who was organising the Henry Lawson 100 year commemoration. Nerida was keen to go to Bourke after her life changing adventure in her teens. She accepted his offer of a spot at the commemoration even though she knew that everyone there would be Henry Lawson experts! She decided to do something new so she took the stories from the books she had read her kids and made them into songs. She had 4 weeks to prepare and along with these story songs she also put to music two of Louisa Lawson’s poems – ‘The Digger’s Daughter’ and ‘Going Home’.
The commemoration at Bourke was everything Nerida had hoped for and she describes it as “absolutely wonderful”. Jason and Chloe Roweth performed where Henry had stood, on the boards in the Toorale Station shearing shed. Geoffrey G Graham and Paul Rowe were also a part of the weekend. (see photo). Nerida had the chance to sing her “Women of the Bush” song outside the Toorale homestead (see photo).
‘The Loaded Dog’ song had its debut performance by the Darling River. Everyone joins in on the last line of each verse and it is a lot of fun. This song has become a real hit and Nerida has sung it all over the outback during her ‘Strength of Stories’ tour which included places like Coonamble, Dubbo, Bourke, The Marra and Coonabarabran.
‘Hully’ ended up filming the re-imagining of ‘The Drover’s Wife’ song at the edge of Mt. Oxley at dusk, (see Nerida’s Youtube) which was so beautiful. A lot of people have commented favourably on this song. Nerida has found it very profound, even life changing – she describes it as a breakthrough song on her personal journey and it still resonates with her today. Her recent book ‘Companion’ is a reflection of some of the things she discovered through writing her songs.
Nerida’s chorus to ‘The Drover’s Wife is as follows:
It’s like my life, I hold joy and sorrow side by side,
Can’t deny I’ve had to leave so many dreams behind.
No use fretting, this is my home, the place I know.
I chose this life, chose to be the drover’s wife.
For more info on Nerida’s work, go to her website.
Jenny Watson in the grounds of Perennialle Plants Nursery, Cafe & Emporium, Canowindra
Thanks so much Jenny for the interview about Lawson and his influence! It’s been a growing thing and has kept fuelling my passion for Australian stories