Emmy Ryan’s I Ain’t So Blue EP tour comes to the Wheaty in Tardanya/Adelaide on beautiful Kaurna Country along with special guest Nancy Bates.
Nancy Bates is a Barkindji song woman, storyteller, and activist whose music is deeply rooted in justice, truth-telling, and healing. With a voice described as both powerful and tender, Bates blends soul, folk, and protest to create songs that speak to the heart of Australia’s cultural landscape. She rose to prominence touring with the late Archie Roach, a collaboration she calls “the closest thing to spirit,” and continues his legacy through her own work, including the acclaimed show Still Talkin’ Bout a Revolution, a reimagining of Tracy Chapman’s music through an Indigenous lens.
Bates is also the founder of Songs Inside, a transformative songwriting program in Adelaide Women’s Prison that supports incarcerated women to turn their stories into song. The project culminated in a historic concert with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra inside the prison, highlighting her commitment to using music as a vehicle for change.
In 2024, Bates was appointed Indigenous Artist-in-Residence at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she mentors emerging First Nations artists. Her work bridges cultures, generations, and histories—offering audiences a rare opportunity to listen, reflect, and connect through the power of music and truth.
Emmy’s music carries the weight of solitude and the warmth of solidarity. With her soul-stirring vocals, intricate guitar and mandolin playing, and lyrics that land straight in the heart, Emmy's songs feel like desert winds-gentle one moment, powerful the next.
Emmy’s debut EP I Ain’t So Blue, recorded with Nick Henderson of award winning Australian chamber folk ensemble The Good Behaviours, was released in September 2024 to acclaim and airplay from community and commercial radio around the country. Its lead single, The End of the World, was named a semi-finalist in the celebrated International Songwriting Competition in March 2025. The EP was the feature album on 8CCC Radio in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek in its release week, and has been featured on ABC Radio.
Emmy’s songwriting has been compared to that of Paul Kelly, Tiny Ruins, Laura Marling, Rachel Baiman, and Sarah Blasko, and has seen her share stages with some of the country’s brightest folk luminaries. Emmy will be joined by brilliant fiddler Mae Traeger (Kelly’s Wayke, High Street Drifters).
Two sets, $15 entry, doors 6:30pm.
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