How I Became a Rock Singer

…in my 40s! (And because you asked for it.)

The Pettin’ Wildberries

Life can have some pretty awesome twists and turns. It’s the turn that brought me to this lovely archipelago that has seen me become an occasional rock singer. Who would have thought?!

In late 2017, I moved here to live. Around the same time (October 2017), music legend Tom Petty died. He was only 66 and left behind a huge library of songs, his most well-known being Learning to Fly, American Girl, Refugee, and Free Fallin’.

One late night after many cold beverages, our band-to-be had a bit of a music chat about how sad it was Petty had passed on to the great rock concert in the sky. And so our band was born.

I didn’t happen to be present at that exact point. I’d gone home to bed. But that gathering of four fellas (pictured above) gave birth to the idea of having a Tom Petty cover band.

Fast forward a few weeks and I suggested I could do some backup singing. I’ve always enjoyed singing - in the shower, at school assemblies as a student and a teacher, and in the high school jazz choir (a whole lot of years ago!).

[Wind back a few decades…]

I can remember singing some nice harmonies with my parents and sister in a penguin cave on Kangaroo Island, in South Australia. We’d done a bit of hike led by Dad and slept in a cave on a cliff, that had penguin feet marks in the sand. I remember our voices sounding pretty cool with the cave acoustics!

We’d sing around the campfire too with Dad playing the guitar and my mum, sister and me singing along. Music has always been something the whole family has enjoyed. Including my daughter and son who both perform musically.

Way back in time, pre-covid, we had some photos taken!

Thankfully, the band members (including my husband) were up for it. I’d told them I’d sung in a choir at school—and that was enough! I was in!

I don’t really remember the first rehearsals but I’m pretty sure I was nervous. I had spoken in front of hundreds of people before but I hadn’t sung into a microphone — except for karaoke. And I’ve smashed out some amazing songs doing that 😂.

That’s how I became a singer of rock songs.

A fairly long and convoluted path with some big breaks in it.

In the past five years, I’ve performed a dozen or so times. It doesn’t sound like much but considering that for two of those years we were all struggling with Covid lockdowns, it’s pretty good!

Singing my heart out (with hubby on guitar) in my very first gig

Despite starting as a Tom Petty cover band, we’ve broadened our repertoire to other rock and party songs—many of them one-hit-wonders—that aren’t commonly played here (or not at all), and that we think suit our ‘vibe’. The result is an eclectic mix of songs that’ll encourage you to dance like you’re a teenager!

Over the years we’ve been rehearsing and playing I’ve grown in confidence. I know the lyrics better, and I’m better at being present - so important when there are so many distractions going on (like people falling into the speakers and mic stands - it happened twice at our last gig!).

We enjoy playing together and people seem to enjoy watching us. My husband and I enjoy singing together and we use that energy to get the crowd going - I’ve had to work on it because remembering all the other things was my priority. Like timing and lyrics! Now I can relax a bit because the songs are familiar.

The introduction of new songs is also a fun process. We send songs via our group chat and test some, and vote on others. The most recent additions are two songs by Greenday; American Idiot and Basket Case. They went off at our latest gig! It’s so much fun to be a part of such energy.

I never thought I’d be in a band in my mid-to-late 40s. It was never something I had exposure to until I moved here. The rich music culture and prevalence of ‘hobby’ musicians has meant I could try something new without even having to go out and seek it—something I’m very grateful for.

Is there something you’ve done recently that’s new and challenging? Let me know by hitting reply on the email or commenting on the post.

Stay well,

Lisa x

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You can listen to our playlist on Spotify.

You can check out a few more songs from our very first gig on YouTube.

Our Facebook page will give you a heads-up when we’re playing (not that you’re probably in the area!)

Photo of our most recent playlist - pretty epic!