Singer and songwriter Harmony Byrne moved to this region roughly four years ago, “not really intending to plant roots but the area kinda planted me,” says Harmony. “Sure feels like home now.”

In May, she performed “heart breakin’ & heart makin’” duets with David Elias, under the banner Hymn & Her, in the hills of Yandoit. “It all began when the 'Her' fell in love with the 'Hymn'. Both being songwriters we naturally began exploring music together.”

Harmony’s music has a slow-dance rhythm, a confessional tone and an ethereal voice.

“I remember listening to Jeff Buckley Grace for the first time in high school and being so moved,” reflects Harmony. “I felt a kinship with that kind of dynamic expression and knew that's how I wanted to sing; with composure, rawness, and a true embodiment of the voice.”

Harmony was raised in a family of seven children, “[it] was pretty chaotic. But with music I was allowed to be loud...well, some of the time,” says Harmony.

Music became a path to some other imaginative space.

“Mum didn't want us watching TV, so when we weren't tearing each other's hair out, we were using our hairbrushes as microphones instead. Music became our source of entertainment, I still remember one of the first songs me and my sister Serene wrote called "Bad Girl"... what a banger!”

These days, Harmony writes from the vantage point of lived experience. It’s an internal, emotive sound that lingers in the bones. She adds “I always carve out little windows throughout my songs where you will be able to see me.”

These windows are flooded by the juxtaposition of lush and sparse feelings from the region.

“I think my writing has become more spacious by living out here. I used to rush through my songwriting process, pushing myself into the wee hours. While I still do that occasionally, I more so enjoy musing over lyrics for months at a time. The openness of the region has given my songs the room they need to bloom.”

Her writing process moves like the seasons. She says, “Sometimes the song comes flooding, at other times it's a light shower. If I'm ever in drought, I read through old journals... or watch a bit of trash (Nashville) and I'm suddenly rebooted.”

Harmony recalls one of her earliest songwriting projects, Eagle Eyes, “I wrote it when I was 16, pining over a boy or three, and recently dug it up as it was one of my Mums favourites.”

She decided to record it herself, and added a homely touch, “My fav mug (by local artist Bridget Bodenham) made a percussive debut appearance and the shower transformed into a recording booth. I never intended to release the song but my label loved it.”

With the help of a producer in Los Angeles, she released Eagle Eyes as a single last year, “I'm so happy to have it out in the world (thanks Mum!)”

Harmony Byrne @harmonybyrne