It takes a big heart to not only pursue your dream to be a musician but support everybody else who has the same dream, but that's just how "Sandy Louise" McNaughton rolls.
The Newcastle singer songwriter released a duet, Loving Arms, with Australian music legend Bill Chambers on September 1. The song, written by Tom Jans, was released 50 years ago by Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge, who were a couple at the time.
Sandy Louise and Chambers will launch an album in November that includes Loving Arms plus 13 original songs, all written by Sandy Louise - with co-write credits on four songs with local songwriters David Javier, Campbell Fry and Phillip Doring, and Cheryl Anderson from Dalby, Queensland.
"Music has always been a part of my life," Sandy Louise says. "Through school and church choirs to my high school band. I started playing guitar and songwriting at 18. Years later I started gigging solo and released my first single in 2013 and I haven't stopped."
McNaughton, 43, works in childcare, but music is where her passion lives.
"I've always loved music," she says. "I have quite an eclectic music collection and there's always music around me.
"I watched friends follow their dreams in different fields while my two sons were young and I wanted my boys to see that it's important to follow your dreams, so I went for it. It's not easy being an independent musician but I've never had regrets about following my dreams to perform and release my own songs."
Sandy Louise plays several shows a week in Newcastle, Central Coast, Port Stephens, Maitland and the Hunter Valley. She's planning an east coast and inland NSW tour with the new album.
But it's not all about her career: she supports two open mic nights for original music.
She is the regional coordinator for the Australian Songwriters Association, which runs Newcastle Wax Lyrical, an open mic for songwriters to share original music at Carrington Bowling Club on the third Wednesday of each month from 6.30pm (next one is September 20). The monthly event has been active for seven years now.
Sandy Louise also coordinates Songwriters Sing, held on the last Thursday of each month at The Gal in Hamilton from 6pm (next one is September 28, from 6pm to 9pm). Artists can add cover songs to their sets at this event. Songwriters Sing has been running for more than four years, and has "found its home" at The Gal, she says.
"There are so many incredible talented songwriters across our region," she says. "I just love being a part of supporting them to share their songs and encourage musicians from all ages, abilities and genres at my open mics."
Sandy Louise actually met Bill Chambers at an open mic session, at Peppertown Jam in Mayfield in 2018. She gave him a copy of her album, The Other Side, and told him she would love to play support at one of his shows.
He contacted her months later, and invited her to record in his studio. He recorded and produced her album Blue Skies Open Eyes, which was released in 2020.
Sandy Louise has five of her own original songs in the Australian Songwriters Association annual awards event on September 21.
