Dual WAM artist Simone Keane to release fifth album inspired by beloved childhood memories

Simone Keane will launch her fifth album Graced By Leaves inspired by the reliving of childhood memories after contracting long COVID. The two-time WAM Song of the Year winner has teamed up with producer Lee Buddle at CRANK studio to release her nature-inspired album that provides a deep personal reflection by Keane. Trees are frequently referenced throughout the album, celebrating a cherished childhood tree that was cut down when Keane was young. “The title track was born out of a memory that I had when I was a kid when a tree in the garden was removed,” Keane said. “I used to climb that tree every day, and it was sort of my place to just go and hide and be on my own. “When it was cut down that was my first experience I think, of loss and that grief of losing something that really means something to you. “I wanted a nostalgic feel for the title track as well Those Beautiful Times, Birds, and some country injected into the cheeky four-way acoustic jam, re-leaved.” Originally from Camperdown, a small town in southwestern Victoria, Keane’s moved to WA in 2006 and found the live music scene to be supportive of local music acts. “I wasn’t a singer-songwriter, I was more doing theatre, and then I just started dabbling in writing bits and pieces of songs,” she said. “I picked up a guitar that I had as a child, actually my very first guitar, and I just started strumming and writing bits and pieces of songs. “When I moved over here, I realised it was a really good opportunity because there’s no poker machines in the pubs and venues in WA, so the live music scenes are a lot more supportive of musicians.” Her recollection of times spent outside as a child was triggered after she contracted long COVID and was unwell. “When I was ill with long COVID, all these childhood memories came back,” she said. “I was unwell as a child with recurring lung infections. “I was feeling quite sensitive when I wrote a lot of these songs. “I was thinking how fragile life is and how important it is to take time out of our hectic lives to commune with nature and appreciate our friends and family.” The process of creating her fifth album allowed Keane to reflect on her life and confront her personal mortality while allowing her to be nostalgic about her childhood. “I’ve never had to confront my own mortality,” she said. “When I got sick with long COVID I thought about the people who had lost their lives and I thought ‘gee, it could happen to any of us’. “I started feeling very nostalgic about my whole life, and I started looking back on those more beautiful times. “Those are the beautiful times when you were a child and life was simpler, and there was a sense of wonder. “I used to sing nursery rhymes while I was swinging on the swing with my sister and we would make up little songs. “I was thinking about how much more complicated life has become now and kind of had this sort of yearning for things to go back to that simple way. “When I was a child I used to play outside, I didn’t sit there and play computer games. “I would exercise, I had sunshine, I climbed trees, and I think that’s missing from a lot of people’s lives these days.” Graced By Leaves releases on October 27 and will debut live at Six Degrees Gold Room on October 29.