A couple of years ago local songwriter Levi Maxwell decided to mark his 18th birthday with a kayak trip from Lismore to Ballina.
The 100-kilometre journey provided a stark and striking insight into the impact of the recent floods, and it became the inspiration for a moving song.
‘I remember I started out at 4.30 in the morning and as the sun was coming up all you could see was rubbish all through the trees,’ the Alstonville resident recalls.
‘Washing machines, water tanks… a caravan… this devastation all around…
‘It got me to thinking about everything that had happened and it just made me feel proud to be from the Northern Rivers and how the community came together and everyone helped each other.’
Not long after the trip, Levi wove these thoughts and feelings into a song called ‘Dear Richmond’, a tribute to the Richmond and Wilsons rivers and the resilience of those who live by their sides.
Fast forward two years and ‘Dear Richmond’ is echoing across the local airwaves on BayFM as the winning entry in the inaugural BaySounds songwriting competition.
‘It’s pretty amazing the way it all happened I guess,’ Levi says.
‘I literally sat at the computer with my guitar and it kind of just flowed out…’
BaySounds, a collaboration between BayFM Community Radio and SAE Byron is a competition aimed at showcasing unsigned independent musicians residing in the Northern Rivers region.
There were over 30 entries, highlighting the exceptional quality of original music produced in our region.
Second prize went to the talented Filly Mack from Ballina for her soulful track ‘She’, and recognition awards were presented to local artists Sam Lily, Billie Skye, Yasmindi, Power Drill, Sam Darbyshire, and Parhelion.
‘I am continually amazed by the depth and creativity of our music scene,’ said Bay FM President and presenter, Ange Kent, who was also one of the judges of the competition.
‘There was a remarkable range of genres in the competition, from folk and indie to rock, blues, electronic, punk, and prog rock.
‘The subject matter was equally diverse – love, relationship breakups, the pressures of growing up, anxiety, bullying, community resilience, and the beauty of nature.’
Levi said he felt privileged and grateful to have grown up in an area that was ‘so rich with music’.
‘We’re blessed with a ridiculous amount of bands playing… Byron… Lismore…it’s so good for role models…’ he said.
‘I don’t think there’s anywhere else as good in the world, though maybe I’m a bit biased.’
With first prize being a recording session at SAE’s studios along with a filming session, and a songwriting workshop with Shelly Brown, Levi is now hoping to get more of his songs out into the world.
‘I’m so keen to record a song,’ he says.
‘At the moment I’m trying to save money… get some more songs out… build a name for myself…
‘We’ll see.’
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