Earlier this year, multi-award winning western area musician Greg Storer, daughter Bonnie Storer and Warren musician Frances Evans teamed up to form a three-piece country-folk band with the catchy name of Lawdy Clawdy.

Following a successful September tour with Music NSW across the Cowra region, Lawdy Clawdy will be launching their EP, titled True Talk, with a live concert at the iconic Marthaguy Hall at 2pm this Saturday 11 October.

The launch is the result of the group successfully applying for funding from both Foundation Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) and Outback Arts to archive local stories and history through song, and getting to work finding local people with local stories to write about.

“Frances was the main instigator of all this. She came up with the idea that we should have story afternoons in some local pubs in the district, and from there we wrote some songs and recorded them," said Greg.

“We had a hell of a time making up a group name and, in the end, we threw our hands in the air and said Lawdy Clawdy will do, and we got on with it."

The project gave birth to 12 brand new songs, 6 of which are being released this year on the EP.

Greg, Bonnie and Frances are looking forward to this weekend's EP release [IMAGE: Lawdy Clawdy]

The first single off the EP, Bullagreen Boy, has just been released to rave reviews. 

“We are hoping to have some of the people whose stories are a part of the songs we have written present at the launch. Jimmy down the road [from Warren] is the Bullagreen boy, so we are hoping we can get him to come along, and we have a song about Diddles Godson so fingers crossed he can make it,” said Greg.

“It is special to be able to play alongside my daughter Bonnie and we are really looking forward to Saturday and what’s to come for our group.

"Frances has even entered us for Tamworth Country Music awards so if we get nominated we will most definitely go."

The first EP has spurred the trio on to continue the work.

“We have loved interviewing and listening to locals share their stories and experiences,” said Frances. 

Recording and preparing songs for the EP [IMAGE: Lawdy Clawdy]

“Some really special history has been recorded, and we hope to extend the writing to release a follow-up EP.

“We have worked with award-winning Australian producer James Gillard, who was instrumental in bringing our EP to life."

One of the songs, Frames on the Wall, is based on a poem written by Frances’ auntie, Warren local Annette Irving. It speaks poignantly of two brothers who served and died in World War I, and features an additional string component.