Folk singer Simone Keane’s album Graced by Leaves makes international charts

An Albany folk singer has made it into the big leagues, with her recent album receiving significant kudos on international charts. Simone Keane was stunned to learn her latest album Graced by Leaves had landed not only in the local ARIA charts – getting in at number 6 on the Australian Country Album list last year — but was listed as number 24 of the Folk Alliance International charts for March. “I was astounded when I received an email from ARIA to hear I was charting, and then even more when I started hearing from DJs in the US,” she said. “The FAI is highly competitive and most who chart are with record labels and are from the USA.” “I’m doing it all mostly by myself, so none of this recognition has been easy.” The FAI charts are compiled based on the number of radio plays each artist receives in a month across more than 100 folk DJs in the US. Keane said it’s been like being introduced to a whole new family. “I heard from a man from Boulder, Colorado who bought my album after he had heard it on the radio, saying he loved it,” she said. ”It’s so exciting to know there’s people who I’ve never heard of, in places I’ve never been, buying my music.” The album, which was written entirely in Albany over two years, centres on the theme of nature, the tracklist following a person’s relationship with different trees in a birth-to-death life cycle. Keane believes people listening in faraway places can learn about the Great Southern. “I was on an interview the other day with a friend of mine in the US the other day who said he was surprised that I’m singing about such a lush country,” she said. “People overseas sort of think of WA as a desert and no one realises about this pocket in the south-west corner that’s quite green and beautiful. “Hopefully they can get a sense of place, an idea of WA from my experiences finding solace in our beautiful nature.” Graced by Leaves can be found at Paperbark bookstore and Wakes Music Centre in Albany and online at Keane’s Bandcamp website.