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CASEY WATT – A RAY OF SUNSHINE
Susan Jarvis
"Casey has a personality like sunshine and she sings like an angel," says one of the industry’s most astute judges of new talent, JIM HAYNES.
In fact, Jim was so impressed by the young singer when she toured with him last year that he made her a regular on his Big Bush Brekky show in Tamworth in January. It gave Casey a chance to showcase her talents to capacity audiences — although at a price.
"That show is the toughest one in the festival," Casey said.
"You not only have to get up and start incredibly early, but you have to be bright and bubbly. I didn’t mind though — I had a great time, and it was a wonderful opportunity."
And Casey, who is based on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, is determined to seize every opportunity that comes her way, and make the most of it. At just 21 years of age, she’s already been a Star Maker grand finalist twice, in 2002 and 2003, and was a graduate of the 2001 CMAA College of Country Music. She was also a finalist in last year’s Golden Saddle Awards for new talent in Sydney.
"College was a real turning point for me. It really focused me on my songwriting, and also gave me the chance to meet a lot of people in the industry. Since then I’ve been writing with Roger Corbett and Jim Haynes. It also taught me that your career is what you make it, and you have to be in control," Casey said.
Casey released her first recording, an EP titled Lost in Your Eyes, two years ago. It’s a diverse collection of five tracks which show off both her vocal and writing talents. Songs include the ballad Sometimes For Happiness, the up-tempo Guess I Like My Freedom Too Much, the catchy country-rock composition Lost in Your Eyes, a crossover track, Journey Of Life, and a sensitive version of the JOHN WILLIAMSON song Wrinkles.
She’s currently putting together original material for a second EP, which she’s hoping to record in Sydney for release later this year or in early 2004.
"It will be a little more country than the first one, and I guess the songs have evolved because I’m that much older and wiser!" she said.
But while Casey is clearly developing as a fine songwriter, it’s performing that she loves. And her skills in that area recently won her a major accolade: Best New Talent and Best Female Vocal at the Southeast Queensland Clubs Entertainer of the Year Awards.
Casey is currently hard at work performing throughout Southeast Queensland, and will head down to Victoria later this month to perform at the Mildura Country Music Festival.
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